Written Answers
Mercantile Marine
Coastwise Traffic (Foreign Ships)
asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the number and tonnage of foreign vessels which have carried china clay between ports on the British coast during this year; the quantity of china clay carried coastwise in foreign ships between British ports in this period; and what number of foreign ships and what quantity of clay have left the port of Poole during this time?
During the four months January to April, 1937, two foreign vessels departed coastwise with cargo from Poole. I regret that the other information desired is not available.
Oil Tankers (Building Cost)
asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the extra cost of constructing an oil tanker of 10,000 tons in British yards at the present day, as compared with 1st January, 1936?
The Board of Trade have not the information necessary to enable such a comparison to be made.
| Description. | Unit. | Week ending 27th May, 1936. | Week ending 26th May, 1937. | |||||
| £ | s. | d | £ | s. | d. | |||
| Eggs, National Mark, Special Weight (a) | … | 120 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| Eggs, National Mark, Standard Weight (a) | … | 120 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 0 | ||
| Eggs, i st Quality (b) | … | Dozen | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Eggs, 2nd Quality (b) | … | Dozen | 11 | 11¾ | ||||
| Wheat (c) | … | Cwt. | 6 | 10 | 9 | 11 | ||
| Bran, British (d) | … | Ton (2,240 lb.) | 5 | 15 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 0 |
| Maize, Argentine (d) | … | Cwt. | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | ||
| Wheatings (d) | … | Ton (2,240 lb.) | 5 | 18 | 6 | 7 | 19 | 6 |
| Middlings, fine, imported | … | Ton (2,240 lb.) | 5 | 15 | 0(e) | 8 | 2 | 6(f) |
a) At London. The minimum weights of eggs graded under the National Mark were reduced on 1st September, 1936, from 2¼ ozs. to 23/16 ozs. in the case of Special Weight and from 2 ozs. to 1⅞ ozs. in the case of Standard Weight.
( b) At certain representative country markets in England and Wales.
( c) Average prices returned at markets scheduled under the Corn Returns Act, 1882, and the Corn Sales Act, 1921.
( d) At Bristol, Hull, Liverpool and London.
( e) At London.
( f) At Bristol. No quotation available for London.
Education
School Attendance (Canal Boatchildren)
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether his attention has been drawn to a resolution passed at a recent conference of the Association of Superintendents of School Attendance Officers in favour of legislation to ensure that proper educational facilities should be made compulsory for children living now on canal boats; and whether he is prepared to give the matter full investigation and consideration?
My attention has been drawn to this resolution. It is a matter of general agreement amongst those who have investigated the problem that the only satisfactory way of securing the regular attendance of these children at school would be to prohibit their presence on the
Agriculture (Poultry Industry)
asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will state the average wholesale prices of Home-produced eggs at the latest convenient date in May, 1937, and at the corresponding date in 1936, respectively; and the average prices of wheat, bran, maize, and middlings at such dates?
The following statement shows the average wholesale prices of certain grades of eggs and of feeding stuffs during the week ended 26th May, 1937, and the corresponding week in 1936:—boats during term time. This would require legislation which would be contentious, and I am afraid I cannot undertake to introduce such legislation.
India
General Election Expenditure
asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he can give the total cost to the Government of the recent General Elections in the following Provinces: Madras, Bombay, the United Provinces, the Central Provinces, Bihar, Orissa?
I regret that I am unable to give this information.
Provincial Governments (Revenue)
asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he can state the total revenue, the portion obtained from land revenue, and the portion obtained from excise on the revised estimates for 1936–37 of the following provinces, respectively: Madras, Bombay, the United Provinces, the Central Provinces, Bihar, Orissa?
I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement of the revised estimates of the revenue and expenditure of the Government of India and the Provincial Governments for 1936–37 which, since it relates to the period before the commencement of Part III of the Government of India Act, 1935, will shortly be presented to Parliament in pursuance of the Government of India (Commencement and Transitory Provisions) Order, 1936.
Kensington Gardens
asked the First Commissioner of Works whether he can accelerate the opening of Kensington Gardens to the public; and when they will be open?
Except for a small area adjacent to Buck Hill, Kensington Gardens were opened to the public on Saturday last.
British Army
Victoria Cross Annuitants
asked the Secretary of State for War how many British holders of the Victoria Cross are in receipt of the special annuity of £50, authorised in special cases of need by the Royal Warrant of 1898; and how many, if any, holders and widows of holders belonging to the Indian Army are in receipt of the pensions laid down by Royal Warrant?
The upper limit of the special annuity for holders of the Victoria Cross was increased to £75 a year in 1921, and applied to all holders who satisfied the conditions for a grant. The number of British holders of the Victoria Cross in receipt of the special annuity is nine, of whom three are in receipt of the maximum amount of £75 a year. I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to my Noble Friend, the Secretary of State for India, for information relating to holders of the Victoria Cross of the Indian Army.
Discharged Soldiers (Unemployment Insurance)
asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the regulations which deprive a soldier discharged on compassionate grounds of his credit for unemployment insurance contributions penalise persons who are already suffering considerable hardship, and that the need of such persons is often as great, if not greater, than the need of persons discharged on other grounds; and whether he can hold out any prospect of an alteration in these regulations?
The disqualification of soldiers who are discharged on compassionate grounds for credit of unemployment insurance contributions is made under the provisions of Section 96 (6) of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1935, and any concession in this respect would require legislation. The matter is, however, under discussion.
Establishment And Strength
asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can state the approximate number by which the Regular and Territorial Army are now short in establishment of officers and men, respectively, in each case compared with a corresponding date last year?
The figures are as follow:
| REGULAR ARMY. | ||||
| Officers. | Other Ranks. | Total Deficiencies. | ||
| 1st May, 1937 | … | 1,062 | 23,608 | 24,670 |
| 1st May, 1936 | … | 548 | 11,207 | 11,755 |
| TERRITORIAL ARMY. | ||||
| 1st May, 1937 | … | 1,751 | 47,883 | 49,634 |
| 1st May, 1936 | … | 2,208 | 46,976 | 49,184 |
My hon. and gallant Friend will realise that there have been very considerable increases in establishments during the past 12 months.
Post Office (Telephone Kiosks)
asked the Postmaster-General whether any recent experiments have been conducted in connection with ventilating public telephone kiosks that are in constant use; and whether some simple ventilation contrivance can be devised and, if satisfac- tory, adopted, in the interests of public comfort and health, in positions where a no per cent. noise-proof telephone kiosk is not necessary?
If the question refers to kiosks in the open, of which practically all are necessarily on or near the highway, my information is that the noise problem is far more important than that of ventilation. If, however, the question refers to cabinets indoors, I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that the question of improvement in ventilation is being actively pursued.