asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the strict periodical examination of taximeter-cabs which is made by the police, and the high standard of fitness required on the grounds of public interest, he will consider whether it is also desirable in the public interest that vehicles used for the purpose of private hire should be brought under a similar control?

I will consider this in connection with future legislation.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the many cases where the major-road-ahead halt signs are disobeyed; and whether he will take steps to see that these signs are rigidly adhered to?

If my hon. Friend will specify the points which he has in mind, I will have immediate inquiries made.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress he has made, under his existing powers, in preventing public highways in the residential squares and streets in the West End of London from being still used as storage places for motor-vehicles to the annoyance of adjacent occupiers of premises?

I trust that ratepayers suffering from the annoyance referred to will receive consideration from their local authorities on whom the necessary powers have been conferred.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the danger to health and the liability to injury arising from the overcrowding which takes place each day on the Hampstead, Edgware railway; and whether he will take steps to have the matter remedied?

I understand from the board that certain steps have been taken.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will consider recommending to the London Passenger Transport Board the institution of seats and/or shelters at all Green Line omnibus stopping places where such seats would be practicable?

I will bring my hon. Friend's suggestion to the notice of the board.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will use his influence to prevent the erection of overhead electric lines except in places where they may be provided without detriment to property or amenities?

My consent is only given with regard to such considerations and the further considerations of technical factors and cost.

asked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence whether he is aware that the difficulty of His Majesty's Government in obtaining the services of an adequate number of skilled draughtsmen in connection with the armament programme is largely accounted for by the fact that the rates of wages offered are considerably below the minimum rates prescribed by the Association of Engineering and Shipbuilding Draughtsmen; and whether he will take steps to increase the rates of wages referred to?

As regards the first part of the question, I am advised that the shortage of skilled draughtsmen is general. As regards the second part, I am advised that questions as to the wages of the class have been under consideration by the Service Departments with appropriate bodies and that certain adjustments have already been made.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has considered the report issued by the Economic League, which has been submitted to him, concerning the activities of organisations and individuals seeking to obstruct rearmament, hinder recruiting, and carry on subversive activities in the Services; and what action is the Government taking to counter and to suppress these activities?

Yes Sir; I have read this report with much interest and can assure my hon. Friend that a careful watch is kept by the responsible authorities on subversive activities.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether in view of the increased programme for the defence of our shores, he will consider restoring all coastguards to their former strength?

I have been asked to reply. If at any time it should be considered desirable in the national interest to increase the strength of His Majesty's Coastguard, this would, of course, be done, but I know of no reason at present for any such increase.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in connection with the inauguaration of the new Empire air mail scheme during the current year, any steps will be taken to increase the provision of boxes in which air mail letters may be posted?

No, Sir. Air mail boxes are provided in order to keep separate from other letters correspondence marked for air transmission and prepaid with an air mail surcharge. Letters and postcards that come within the scope of the Empire Air Mail scheme will, however, be carried by air, without surcharge or special marking; and no advantage will result from posting such letters or postcards in air mail boxes.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the inability of the Victoria Telephone Exchange to cope efficiently with trunk calls from the Members' telephone room, and of the frequent inaccuracy of the time charges reported to the attendants by the operators; and whether a proportion of the call boxes can be fitted with prepayment coin-boxes to facilitate traffic?

The question of improving the arrangements for dealing with trunk calls from the Members' telephone room has been under consideration for some time and, as a result, the lines from call boxes No. 9, 10 and 11 have been connected direct to the London Trunk Exchange. I think this will overcome the difficulties that have occurred. I am not aware that charges reported to the attendants by the operators are frequently inaccurate, and if the hon. Member will let me have details of any particular cases I will have inquiry made. I do not think that the fitting of prepayment coin-boxes would facilitate traffic.

asked the Postmaster-General what has been the approximate cost of the television service up to date; what has been the approximate revenue in respect of licences granted to owners of television sets; what is the prospective annual revenue from this source based on the number of sets now in operation; and whether it is proposed that this service shall be subsidised indefinitely out of the licence fees paid by the owners of ordinary broadcasting sets?

I am informed by the British Broadcasting Corporation that the capital expenditure incurred on the television service up to the 31st December, 1936—which is the latest date for which figures are available—was £116,546, and that the revenue expenditure up to the same date, including programme, engineering and staff costs, was £128,266. In accordance with the recommendation of the Television Committee, the reception of television is, for the present, regarded as covered by the ordinary wireless receiving licence and no special television licence is required. The committee recommended that the question of introducing a special licence should be reviewed when sufficient experience has been obtained concerning the cost of the television service and of its user. This matter will be considered in due course by the Television Advisory Committee.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the number of local authorities in England and Wales, respectively, dividing them into the several categories of county councils. county boroughs, etc.?

I am sending the hon. Member a statement giving the desired information.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the continued housing shortage and the anxiety of numerous tenants of small houses, particularly in the neighbourhood of London, he will make a statement with regard to the intentions of His Majesty's Government to modify the existing law on the expiration of the Rent Restrictions Acts at present in force?

As my right hon. Friend has already announced, it is the Government's intention to set up forthwith a Departmental Committee to inquire into the operation of the Rent Restrictions Acts.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the number of disabled ex-service men who were drawing sick relief from the Liverpool public assistance committee during the month of March, 1937; also the number of dependants of such men for whom relief was also granted?

I regret that the statistical information in my Department does not distinguish ex-service men from other recipients of relief.

asked the Minister of Health how many referees have been appointed under Section 90 of the National Health Insurance Act, 1924, and the rates of their remuneration?

The number of referees in England and Wales is eight, and their remuneration is a fee not exceeding 10 guineas a day or 12 guineas where a hearing extends beyond seven hours.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether it is the intention of the Government to keep money cheap by various methods and at the same time to attempt to curb speculation;(2) whether he can give some assurance to the House that the Government's finance policy, which tends to make cheap money for speculators in commodities, will not entail a rise in the price of food for the people and the cost of living?

My hon. Friend appears to misapprehend the purpose of the Government's policy; cheap money is not an object in itself, but a means adopted for securing the improvement of trade activity and employment. My right hon. Friend is satisfied that the policy actually followed has given a maximum stimulus to economic recovery in the United Kingdom and the Empire with a minimum of undesirable repercussions. I cannot make any statement as to the future, since the measures to be taken at any time will depend on the course of events, but I can assure my hon. Friend that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will continue to follow developments with close attention as he has hitherto done.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can give an assurance that the Government's policy of restriction of the use of money in this country will not lead to a sudden and uncontrolled rise in money rates; and whether, as a free money market provides the best and most constant check, he will aim at maintaining a free money market in the best interests of this country?

There is no restriction on the use of money in this country by the Government. If my hon. Friend has in mind the restriction on the raising of capital for investment abroad, there is no reason why that should lead to a sudden rise in interest rates. The restriction has always been applied with a careful regard to circumstances.

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to the shortage of skilled miners in different parts of the country; and whether, in view of the fact that in certain depressed areas there is a surplus, he has considered the possibility of assisted transference?

I am aware that statements have been made to the effect that there is difficulty in securing skilled miners in certain parts of the country. With regard to the latter part of the question, the facilities of the Industrial Transference Scheme are available to assist unemployed miners in the depressed areas to take up any suitable vacancies away from their home districts which cannot be filled by local workpeople.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his information shows that in view of the higher prices for wheat British farmers are increasing the cultivation of cereals: and whether he can give any statistics on the subject?

According to reports furnished by the Crop Reporters of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the area sown to wheat by the 1st January was estimated as approximately 3 per cent, greater than in the preceding year. I regret that no later or more precise information is available as to the area under cereals this year.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will undertake to re-include in the next publication of the annual licensing statistics a statement showing the conditions in respect of monopoly, value, etc., under which licences are granted, with a description of licences from the point of view of their partial or annual currency?

As I explained in reply to a previous question on this subject, it is thought that the licensing statistics in their abridged form retain all the information which is of general interest and importance, and my right hon. Friend is aware of no sufficient ground for restoring the detailed information in respect of individual licences to which the hon. Member refers. As regards the question of the currency of licences, the hon. Member will see that additional information on this subject has been inserted in Table IVA of the Licensing Statistics, 1935.

asked the Home Secretary by what authority, on 3rd and 4th April, policemen of the S Division prevented the sale of the "Daily Worker" newspaper in High Street, Camden Town, and outside Regent's Park, in both of which places it has been sold regularly for several years, by threatening to arrest the salesmen unless they went away; whether he has any information about the refusal of police of the N Division to allow a Communist party meeting to be held in Queen's Crescent, Kentish Town, on 4th April, on the ground that prior notice of intention to hold a meeting had been given by a Fascist organisation; whether there are any regulations providing for the booking of street-corner meeting pitches in London; and under what authority this police action was taken?

It is an offence under the Highway Act, 1835, to obstruct the highway or footway. I understand that on two occasions between 7 and 7.30 p.m. on the 3rd instant the police, in pursuance of their duty to prevent obstruction, found it necessary to call the attention of persons selling newspapers in High Street, Camden Town, to the obstruction they were causing, and suggested that they should move to a less crowded part of the High Street, which is very congested at that hour of the evening. Similar action was taken by the police in respect of a person selling literature at Gloucester Bridge, Regent's Park, on the 4th instant, who was causing obstruction of the footway with the result that many pedestrians had to walk in the roadway in order to pass. In all these cases the persons spoken to by the police moved on as requested, and none of them were threatened with arrest.As regards the second part of the question, I presume that the hon. Member refers to an incident which took place on the 3rd instant. It had been announced that the Fascists intended to hold a meeting at the site in question at 8 p.m. on that date. On the arrival of the police about 7.45 they found that no preparations had been made for a meeting, but subsequently about 8.5 p.m. Fascist speakers arrived and set up their platform. The police observed a man with a red flag who said that he was going to hold a meeting if his speakers arrived, but I am informed that in fact no attempt was made by the Communists to hold a separate meeting and the question of police refusing to allow such a meeting did not arise. There is no right to reserve in advance sites for meetings in the public thoroughfares, and the Commissioner of Police has given instructions that in cases where two or more parties desire to hold meetings on the same site the principle should be followed of "first come, first served." The Commissioner is satisfied that this principle is thoroughly understood by the police and was not departed from on this occasion.

asked the Home Secretary whether the Advisory Committee to be set up by his Department and the Secretary of State for Scotland to consider the Cinematograph Films Act of 1909 has yet been constituted; and will he give particulars of the same and their terms of reference?

The terms of reference will be:—"To be an Advisory Committee for the purposes of the administration of the Cinematograph Act, 1909." I hope it will be possible shortly to announce the constitution of the committee.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the varying decisions that are arrived at by local licensing authorities throughout the country with regard to films that have in the first instance been refused an exhibition certificate by the British Board of Film Censors, he will consider arranging, when the amendments to the Cinematograph Films Act, 1927, are introduced by the Government, to provide for film producers or renters to have the right to appeal to his Department against the British Board of Film Censors' decisions instead of having to apply separately to the local licensing authorities of each town?

As at present advised, my right hon. Friend would not be disposed to arrange for legislation to this effect.

asked the Home Secretary the number of cases of flogging in the prisons of the country during the years 1934, 1935, and 1936, respectively?

I presume that the hon. Member is referring to corporal punishment for prison offences. If so the figures for which he asks are as follow: in 1934, two, in 1935, none, and in 1936, six.

asked the Home Secretary what reports have been made as to the wearing of uniforms and their provocative display in parts of London; and what action was taken to deal with this danger to peace which such exhibitions gave?

On the passing of the Public Order Act, 1936, the Commissioner of Police drew the attention of those political organisations whose members were known to wear uniform to the provisions of Section 1 of the Act. The Commissioner of Police informs me that since the 1st January the wearing of the political uniforms previously in use has been discontinued.

asked the Home Secretary the amount of the grant to be given to the city of Newcastle-on-Tyne towards the cost of air raid precautions?

No, Sir: I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave last Thursday to a number of questions on this subject.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the straws provided in schools for the drinking of milk by children are of German origin, because there is no British supply available; and whether steps could be taken to provide bleached and sterilised straws of British manufacture, since they are purchased in million lots?

I am aware that the straws provided for the drinking of milk by school children are in many cases rye straws of German origin, but I am informed that a regular supply of natural straws suitable for this purpose cannot be obtained in sufficient quantity in this country.

asked the President of the Board of Education what is the latest progress in the development of nursery schools; and what proposals are in immediate contemplation?

The present position is that 86 nursery schools are recognised by the Board of Education, of which 83 are recognised for purposes of grant, and three as efficient but not in receipt of grant. In addition 34 proposals for new nursery schools have been approved in principle and in a number of these cases final plans have been approved by the board, and seven proposals are at present under consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Education what was the total amount expended in the year ended the 31st March, 1936, by the Board of Education and by local authorities, respectively, on clinical treatment for minor ailments, including dental treatment and visual defects, treatment in hospitals, sanatoria, special schools, etc., for major ailments and convalescence; and the total number of children in each of the above categories?

It is not possible to separate the expenditure of local education authorities on the medical treatment of school children from their expenditure on medical inspection. The net expenditure on the medical inspection and treatment of public elementary school children during the year ended on 31st March, 1936, was £2,188,462, of which 50 per cent, was met by grants from the Board of Education. Similarly it is not possible to separate the expenditure of local education authorities on the provision of treatment in special schools, including hospital schools, from the expenditure on education in such schools. The net expenditure of local education authorities on the education and treatment of children in special schools during the year ended on 31st March, 1936, was £2,110,693, of which 50 per cent, was met by grants from the Board of Education, who also paid grants amounting to £38,034 directly to certain special schools provided by voluntary bodies. These figures, however, include expenditure on schools for blind, deaf, and mentally defective children where the expenditure on medical treatment is comparatively small. Expenditure on sanatorium schools for children suffering from tuberculosis is not included, as such expenditure is incurred by the tuberculosis authority, and not by the local education authority, and grant in respect of it is not paid by the Board of Education.Figures showing the number of defects of various types treated by local education authorities under their school medical service during the calendar year 1935 will be found in Tables VII, VIII, IX and XI of Appendix C to the Annual Report for 1935 of the board's chief medical officer. During the year ended on 31st March, 1936, the average attendance of children sent to special schools by local education authorities was 38,939. In schools for physically defective children as distinguished from schools for blind, deaf, mentally defective, or epileptic children, the average attendance of children sent by local education authorities was 19,769.

asked the President of the Board of Education what are the numbers of ex-service men and those who have not served in the armed forces of the Crown, respectively, employed in minor grade posts in the Victoria and Albert Museum and other museums in South Kensington; and whether it is contemplated to find employment in these museums during the next two years for more ex-service men, in accordance with the recent statement of the Secretary of State for War, and to what extent?

In the museums for which my right hon. Friend is responsible, namely, the Victoria and Albert Museum (including the Bethnal Green Museum) and the Science Museum, there are in the minor grades 419 ex-service men and 115 non-service men. So far as practicable, recruitment to these grades is reserved for ex-service men, and vacancies occurring during the next two years will, in the main, be filled from this source.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he has any statement to make as to the attitude of the Government towards schemes for the production of oil from coal; and whether, in view of the public interest and growing urgency of this matter, he proposes to issue a White Paper for the information of the House?

The answer to both parts of the question is in the negative, but I hope to make an announcement on the subject of the production of oil from coal in the course of the next few days.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that finance houses are seeking to obtain control of Lancashire cotton mills by purchase of their paper securities; and whether he will ask his economic advisers to watch such operations so that speculative resale, or re-capitalisation, or amalgamation, or re-financing of mills or factories may not be allowed to bring to those employed in industry disasters such as those which followed upon speculations in the ownership of mills or factories after the War?

My right hon. Friend has received no information on this subject, but he would, of course, be glad to consider any information which my hon. Friend may care to give him.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether there was any relaxation in the restriction on imports of condensed milk during the month of March; and, if so, what was the additional quantity admitted?

In order to relieve a temporary shortage of home supplies, arrangements were made for the principal foreign exporting countries to increase their exports of condensed skimmed milk and condensed whole milk to the United Kingdom by 14,800 cwts. and 5,200 cwts. respectively during March.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give the names of the representatives of the present Spanish Government who are invited to attend the Coronation?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Kingswinford (Mr. A. Henderson) on 1st March, to which I am unable at present to add.

asked the Lord President of the Council for what reasons the Italian Government refused to attend the present International Sugar Conference now sitting in London; and what is the present approximate annual sugar production of the Italian empire?

No official reply was received; but I understand unofficially that the Italian Government felt that the conference was not of sufficient interest to the Italian sugar industry, which is not concerned with exports to the free market. As regards the latter part of the question, the average production of sugar in Italy during the last three years was about 350,000 tons.