asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many, if any, condemned houses in Perth prison village are still occupied by the officers and their families?

No houses at Perth Prison occupied by prison officers and their families have been condemned. Fourteen of the houses occupied, are unsatisfactory and do not lend themselves to reconstruction. These houses will be dispensed with when the new Criminal Lunatic Asylum at Carstairs has been erected.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress, if any, has been made with the erection of new buildings for the criminal lunatic asylum for Scotland which commenced in the autumn of 1935?

Work on the site of the new Criminal Lunatic Asylum did not commence until August, 1936, since when the service roads have been completed and the main water supply installed. It is expected that a tender for the first building contract will be accepted by the Office of Works at a very early date.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the number of young men, aged 18 to 21 years, from Liverpool, Bootle, St. Helens, Birkenhead, and Wallasey, respectively, who, during the year 1936, were sent to Government training or instructional centres and subsequently found employment, as a result of their training, in areas other than those from which they were sent?

I regret that the information desired by the hon. Member is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that demands are being made for payment of unemployment insurance contribution under the Unemployment Insurance Agriculture) Act, 1936, and that an additional sum of 4½d. per week is demanded in respect of health and unemployment, although paragraph 12 of the leaflet U.I.L. 47 states that private gardeners, aged 65 years or over, are not insured contributors and cannot therefore qualify for the receipt of benefit; and what justification there is for demanding this additional weekly payment for which no benefit can be received by the insured person?

The employer's share of the insurance contribution is payable under both Health and Pensions and Unemployment Insurance schemes not only in the case of private gardeners but in the case of everyone over 65 employed in insurable employment. The object of this provision is to treat both those who are under and those who are over 65 on an equality in relation to employment.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can make any statement on the strike of transport workers in North Kent; and whether he will offer his good services to settle the differences which are causing much public inconvenience?

This stoppage is of an unofficial character and is not recognised by the men's union which has an agreement with the company concerned. I understand that the stoppage has interrupted negotiations that were proceeding satisfactorily between the company and the union with regard to duties and schedules to which the men have taken exception. If work is resumed, negotiations in accordance with the constitutional procedure can proceed. In the circumstances, I cannot intervene in the matter.

asked the Minister of Health what increase there has been in the cost of building materials in Sheffield during each quarter of the last two years?

I am making inquiries to ascertain whether the information asked for is available, and will communicate with the hon. Member.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will give facilities to the public to send mails to the United States of America by airship during the summer, so that letters and packages may reach their destination in half the time it takes to-day?

The question whether airship flights to the United States of America should be utilised for the conveyance of air mails from this country will be considered in the light of the postal advantage offered by any particular flight as compared with the corresponding outlets by surface transport.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider placing a pillar-box at Wallow Green, near Nailsworth,Gloucester?

I am having inquiry made into the matter and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the number of medical practitioners in Nigeria, and what is the proportion borne by this number to the total population?

The number of registered medical practitioners in Nigeria, including Mandated Territory, on the 1st January, 1937, was 224. This number bears to the total population a proportion of one medical practitioner to every 89,500 persons approximately.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies upon what scale of compensation is the miner in Nigeria paid in respect of injury received in the course of his employment; and what is paid to his relatives in case of fatal accident?

As a summary might be misleading I will send the hon. Member a copy of the relevant section of the Nigerian Minerals Ordinance. As indicated in my reply to the Member for Shipley (Mr. A. C. Jones) on nth February, the draft of a new comprehensive Workers' Compensation Ordinance is being prepared for consideration by the Governments of the Colonial Dependencies in East and West Africa, including Nigeria.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has any information indicating the extent to which poultry breeders in this country are cutting down hatching and rearing during the current season as a result of the low prices of eggs and the high price of feeding-stuffs; and whether he proposes to take any action to prevent the shortage of eggs during next autumn and winter which may result from such cutting down?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. As regards the second part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the Minister of Pensions to my hon. Friend the Member for Thirsk and Malton (Mr. Turton) on 6th April.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to the result of the investigation which the Manchester licensing magistrates have made on the subject of drunkenness caused through British wines; and whether he will take steps to mitigate this cause of drunkenness?

My right hon. Friend has received from the Manchester Licensing Justices a copy of a speech by their Chairman in which reference is made to certain cases of drunkenness treated at the Manchester Royal Informary last Christmas. My right hon. Friend understands that these cases are not attributed to the drinking of British wine, but he is making further inquiry into the matter.