asked the Minister of Transport when he hopes to be in a position to make a statement in respect of his plans for the improvement of those trunk roads which are now under national control?

My hon. Friend may be assured of my intention to modernise the trunk roads. A survey is already being undertaken to ascertain what improvements are necessary, and priority will be given to those schemes which will alleviate special features of danger or congestion.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been drawn to the lack of uniformity of the operation of traffic lights in respect of the period of exposure of the amber light; whether he is aware that at many points the period of exposure of the amber light is not sufficient to enable traffic already passing in one direction to complete its passage before the green light authorises the passage of traffic in the other direction; and whether he is prepared to circularise the highway authorities on the matter?

The question of standardising the amber period is under active consideration by my Department and I hope shortly to issue a circular to highway authorities on the subject. In the meantime I shall be glad to make inquiries into any particular case which my hon. Friend may have in mind.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been drawn to the growing practice of vehicles overtaking other vehicles on the wrong side; and what steps he proposes to take to restrict this dangerous practice?

Some drivers encourage this undesirable practice by not keeping far enough to the left, but I have no evidence that it is growing. The Highway Code directs drivers to keep to the left and to overtake on the right.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that letters posted by air mail for India, and specifically marked "By Dutch Line," are sent by the British line notwithstanding the increase of time taken; whether he will either conform to the directions given on the letters or take steps to make it known that the air mails posted in Britain for India will be sent, irrespective of the sender's directions or loss of time, by Imperial Airways; and whether he recognises that failure to take either of these courses results in delays for the addressees made more inconvenient because they are unexpected?

I am arranging for air letters and postcards for India intended for transmission by the Dutch Air Service to be forwarded by that route if specially superscribed "via Holland" by the sender and prepaid at the rate of 1s. 3d. a half-ounce for letters and 6d. for postcards.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the basis of remuneration of officials of the Employment Exchange; and whether it has any relation to the number of unemployed persons in the area concerned?

Officers employed in Employment Exchanges are remunerated according to fixed scales of salary, of which particulars may be found in the printed estimates for the Ministry of Labour. Managers of branch employment offices, who are not permanent officers, are paid on a system related to the volume of work they are required to perform, including the payment of benefit to unemployed persons and the placing of workpeople in employment.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can state the number of workers who have ceased to follow agricultural employment during each of the periods of six months ended April, 1936, October, 1936, and April, 1937; and whether he can state the number of such who have been absorbed in armament or munition work?

I regret that statistics giving the information desired are not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any information to show how many cotton mills are now working full time and the extent to which deliveries are being delayed for several months owing to the scrapping of spindles during recent years; and how many spindles have been scrapped by the Spindles Board or sold by that board for scrapping since it came into being?

I have no information as to the number of cotton mills now working full time, but I have no reason to believe that any difficulty there may be in obtaining quick delivery of yarn is due to a shortage of spindles. As regards the last part of the question, I would ask my hon. and gallant Friend to await the report which the Spindles Board are required to make under Section 20 of the Cotton Spinning Industry Act and which the Board of Trade are required to lay before the House.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the present approximate annual amount of money which is obtained as a result of the exhibition of films in this country by the American film industry; and whether the Cinematograph Films Act which shortly expires had any effect in decreasing the value of this trade?

Precise information regarding the payments made to the United States in respect of film royalties is not available, but the amount for 1936 was probably of the order of £6 million. One effect of the Cinematograph Films Act, 1927, has been to reduce the proportion of receipts at cinemas which accrue to renters of United States films.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now in a position to state whether the new Cinematograph Films Bill will be introduced during the current Session or during the current year?

I fear it will not be possible to introduce legislation to deal with the film industry during the current Session, but as my predecessor indicated in his reply to my hon. Friend on 22nd April it is hoped to do so before the end of the year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that Germany has refused to purchase May herrings from this country; and whether His Majesty's Government will make representations to the German Government in regard to the matter?

I am aware that statements have been published in this country regarding a ban on the import of herrings into Germany during May, but the German authorities state that nothing has been done by the German control authorities to interfere with the purchase of United Kingdom herrings. I am, however, making inquiries into two specific complaints that exchange certificates have been refused.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the imports of coal of each Dominion for the latest year for which figures are available; and what percentage of this coal was obtained from Great Britain?

The only Dominions importing coal in any substantial quantities are Canada and the Irish Free State. In 1936 total imports of coal into Canada amounted to 11,717,000 tons, of which 1,339,000 tons (11.4 per cent.) mainly consisting of anthracite, came from the United Kingdom. Imports of coal into the Irish Free State in 1936 amounted to 2,474,000 tons, practically the whole of which came from the United Kingdom.