asked the Minister of Transport when the regulations proposed in 1931, and promised by the late Minister of Transport, enforcing the provision of guard rails between the front and rear wheels of motor-lorries will become operative?

This question is under consideration by the Transport Advisory Council.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make representations to county surveyors that they should paint a white line and the word stop on a minor road to indicate where a motorist must stop when confronted with a halt at major road ahead sign?

I have decided to authorise the provision of a line on the carriageway for this purpose, and the necessary notification to highway authorities is already in the hands of the printers. I regard the use of the word "Stop" on the carriageway as unnecessary.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to a recent explanatory interview given by one of his officials to the Press with regard to the new Empire air-mail scheme in which it is stated that air-mail labels and special pillar-boxes are to be abolished, and that if more mail for any particular Dominion or Colony than can be carried by the aeroplanes available is posted it will have to be held up until the next service; and whether he can give an assurance that under this new system arrangements will still be available whereby urgent and important mail can be given guaranteed despatch by the next available air-mail if posted properly?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. In regard to the second part, I confidently anticipate that those who send letters to South and East Africa will co-operate by spreading their postings over the week instead of concentrating them on one or two days, and, if this proves to be the case, the problem to which my hon. Friend draws attention should not arise. I should like, however, to take this opportunity of making it clear that, having regard to the novel and complicated issues involved, it is inevitable that the arrangements made at the outset for the carriage of mails over this route should be of an experimental and tentative character. They will, of course, be reviewed and, if need be, adjusted as and when adequate experience has been had of the incidence of the traffic in relation to the capacity available and other kindred considerations.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will state the number of villages in Wales with a population of more than 100 who are without any telephone facilities at all; and what steps are being taken in these cases to provide them?

I am sorry that the records do not enable me to give the desired figures without disproportionate expenditure of labour, since the available statistics of population do not relate to villages as such. I shall, however, be glad to have inquiry made as regards any locality in which the hon. Member is interested.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will appoint a committee to inquire into the detrimental effect of unnecessary noise on the health of people living in large cities; and how far medical opinion supports the view that many instances of nervous breakdowns, etc., are due to causes which can be to a great extent eliminated?

Research into the effects of noise on workers carried out by the Industrial Health Research Board of the Medical Research Council, on which reports have been published, shows that it is very difficult to detect and measure any specific effects of noise on health, and it is hardly possible to assess within the limits of a Parliamentary answer the influence which medical opinion would assign to the part played by noise in the increased strain of modern life. I will send my hon. and gallant Friend some references to medical publications on this subject. As at present advised, I do not think the subject lends itself to investigation by a committee as suggested.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will give for each of the three towns, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa, during the year 1935–36 the revenue raised from local sources and the Government grants in aid, respectively?

The figures are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many murders have been committed by Jews in Palestine in each of the six years 193o to 1936 and how many have been committed by Arabs; also how many times the oil pipe-line has been cut by Arabs and by Jews, respectively, since it was laid down?

I will ask the High Commissioner for Palestine whether he can supply the figures, and I will communicate with my hon. and gallant Friend when I receive the reply.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of persons in receipt of benefits and allowances, respectively, for the counties of Monmouth, Brecon, Glamorgan, and Carmarthen since 1931 and each year to date?

I am having this information extracted and will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will request the Hotels Association to include in their programme for improving the standard of hotel and restaurant food and accommodation a recommendation to the catering trades that locally-made hard and soft cheeses should be offered to the public in place of imported Gorgonzola and imported Cheddar and other cheeses?

I shall be happy to bring the suggestion contained in my hon. Friend's question to the attention of the association concerned.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether he will permanently do away with the low iron railings from the paths in Kensington Gardens?

The railings referred to were removed during the recent occupation of the gardens by troops. I am anxious to avoid reinstatement of them unless experience shows, in any particular area, that railings are necessary for the protection of the grass edges, or for other essential purposes.