asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will consider the desirability of including in the Royal Air Force list a nominal roll of air vice-marshals and other officers and men who have been awarded the Albert medal for deeds of gallantry in the execution of their duties?

Officers and airmen who have received the Albert Medal are entitled to use the letters "A.M." after their names and these letters are included among the decorations appended to officers' names in the Air Force List. It is not considered necessary to have a separate list.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that, in factories that are wholly or partially financed by the State for the manufacture of aero engines and aircraft, temperature control instruments and other industrial scientific instruments of foreign origin are installed, especially in connection with heat treatment for furnaces; and whether he intends to take steps to bring into use the type of instrument referred to of British manufacture in these factories?

I understand that a number of foreign instruments are in use as suggested by the hon. Member. They were selected by the firms responsible for organising the shadow factories as the most suitable for their purpose and my Noble Friend is not prepared to interfere with the exercise of their discretion in this respect. I am advised that, other things being equal, British instruments would be given preference.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that many acres of valuable agricultural land is waterlogged in the valley of the River Rother; that in the parishes of Beighton, Orgreave, Treeton, Handsworth, Canklow, Brinsworth and Dalton all the land now out of use can, by proper drainage and reclamation schemes, be brought back into cultivation; and will he undertake to do something in the matter?

My right hon. Friend is aware that land drainage conditions in the Rother Valley are unsatisfactory. Remedial works are, however, contemplated by the River Ouse (Yorks) Catchment Board as part of their State-aided improvement scheme, but the carrying out of these works must necessarily depend to a large extent upon the completion of the works on the Don that are now in full operation so that a proper outfall may be secured for the flood waters of the Rother.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the War Office has no information concerning the type, origin, calibre, range and effectiveness of the guns recently erected against Gibraltar; and what steps will be taken to secure this information?

As I have already informed the House, it is understood that General Franco has installed batteries on the coast between Algeciras and Tarifa. I hope the right hon. Gentleman will agree that it would not be in the public interest to disclose such detailed information as is received from time to time in confidential reports.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education (I) the number of graduates of the University of Wales who are at present unemployed; and the number who have been unemployed for six months or more during the years 1930 to 1936;

(2) the number of graduates of the University of Wales who, during the years 1930 to 1936, inclusive, though trained for the teaching profession, have been compelled to accept posts other than those for which they had qualified academically;

(3) whether he will institute an inquiry into the causes of unemployment among graduates of the University of Wales, with a view, inter alia, to assisting those unfortunately placed to obtain posts for which they have qualified?

The general problem of employment of graduates is not one for the board, but is primarily the concern of the university authorities. I have no exact statistics such as the hon. Member asks for in his questions, but I would direct his attention to the remarks on this subject relating to Wales contained in the recent general report of the University Grants Committee. I would also direct his attention to the most recent report on the work of the Appointments Board of the University of Wales for the year 1st September, 1935, to 31st August, 1936. I am sending copies of these reports to the hon. Member.

As regards persons who have trained for the teaching profession at University Training Departments in Wales, the total number of teachers, graduates and others, who are reported to have sought for teaching employment and failed to obtain such employment within six months of leaving the Training Department in the years 1930 to 1935 inclusive is 555. This number was reduced within the succeeding 12 months to 247.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the percentages of unemployment at June in each of the last five years in Hindley and Westhoughton, respectively?

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 13th July, 1937; col. 1904, Vol. 326) supplied the following statement:

The following table shows, for the Hindley and Westhoughton Employment Exchanges, the percentages which the numbers of insured persons, aged 16–64 (exclusive of those insured under the agricultural scheme), recorded as unemployed at June of each of the years 1932 to 1937, bear to the approximate numbers of unemployment books exchanged:

Date.		Hindley.	Westhoughton.
27th June, 1932	…	54.4	40.1
26th June, 1933	…	45.1	27.0
25th June, 1934	…	50.7	30.5
24th June, 1935	…	44.3	30.9
22nd June, 1936	…	39.9	34.0
21st June, 1937	…	38.5	27.4

A number of insured persons register at these Local Offices when unemployed whose books were exchanged at other Local Offices, thus tending to give higher percentages than would be indicated by the state of employment in the areas named.

asked the First Commissioner of Works why the principle of erecting Crown buildings to house Government offices, as in the case of the Ministry of Labour and the post offices, is not adopted in the case of tax offices and collectors' offices?

Crown buildings are erected for the Ministry of Labour and the Post Office because their requirements are of a very specialised character and can only be met by buildings designed for the purpose. The requirements of tax offices and collectors' offices are not so specialised and can usually be met by hiring suitable office accommodation, with the additional advantage that when a hired building ceases to satisfy Inland Revenue requirements the tenancy can be determined at stated periods. Where suitable accommodation is not available, the question of erecting a Crown building for tax collectors' offices is considered.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether, on the figures for 1935–36, and estimates for 1936–37, he can state the cost of elementary education in England, Wales, and Scotland, and the outlay per child, in each case?

The total net expenditure on elementary education in 1935–36 was £62,906,011 in England and £5,298,009 in Wales, the cost per child being respectively £14 6s. 6d. and £14 17s. 1d. The total net expenditure on elementary education estimated by local education authorities for 1936–37 is for England £64,992,797 and for Wales £5,436,331, the estimated cost per child being £15 5s. 10d. and £16 2s. 2d. respectively. As regards Scotland, I am asked by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to say that on account of the intimate association between primary and secondary education in Scotland, it is not possible to state separately the cost of education of either type.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the number of hours worked per week by indoor and outdoor staffs, respectively, in the hospitals and institutions under the control of the Lancashire County Council, the Liverpool and Manchester City Councils, and the Lancashire Mental Hospitals Board?

I will send the hon. Member a statement containing the information which I have obtained on this subject from the local authorities concerned.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that a meeting of the British Union of Fascists was held in Stepney Green on 14th July which resulted in grave disorder and a number of arrests; and whether the police gave permission for the holding of this meeting in an area where disorder was likely to arise?

Yes, Sir; my right hon. Friend has received a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis regarding this meeting in connection with which eight persons were arrested. The holding of meetings does not require the permission of the police and the second part of the question does not therefore arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has received a full report of the recent debate in the Trinidad Legislature, when the Governor declared that the sugar industry might well consider paying no dividend till labour conditions are better and the Colonial Secretary described the workers' conditions on the sugar estates as economic slavery; and whether, in view of these statements, he will expedite the setting up of a Royal Commission?

No, Sir. I have not yet received a report of that debate. I am proceeding as rapidly as possible with the appointment of a commission of inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether there has been any amendment of the Masters and Servants Ordinance in Antigua in the direction of the abolition of the penal clauses for breach of civil contract by employés; and, if so, whether any similar amendment is contemplated in other territories in the West Indies?

No, Sir, but this matter was taken up last year with the Governor of the Leeward Islands and is under consideration in Antigua and in the other Presidencies of the Colony. With regard to the second part of the question, the desirability of causing the elimination of penal sanctions from Masters and Servants legislation at the earliest possible date was impressed last autumn upon the Governors of all the other Colonial Dependencies in the West Indian area. Legislation has since been introduced in Barbados and Grenada repealing th penal sanctions and the question is under consideration in Trinidad, Jamaica, British Guiana, British Honduras, St. Lucia and St. Vincent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can give any information on the Press laws in force in the islands of St. Kitts, St. Lucia, and Trinidad; and whether there has been any reduction in the penalties for offences and in the deposits required previous to publication?

The Press laws in force are as follow:

St. Christopher Nevis Newspapers Act (No. 7 of 1877) and Newspaper Surety Ordinance (No. 3 of 1909): St. Lucia Newspapers Publication Ordinance (No. 105 in the Revised Edition 1916): Trinidad Newspapers Ordinance (No. 4 of 1935). Copies of these are available in the Library of the House.

The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will consider the desirability of including in the Navy List a nominal roll of officers and men who have been awarded the Albert Medal for deeds of gallantry in the execution of their duties?

In the monthly and half-yearly Navy Lists, officers holding the Albert Medal are already distinguished by the insertion after their names of the letters "A.M." I fear that the publication of a separate list for all naval recipients of the medal would immediately raise the question of publishing similar lists in respect of other awards for gallantry which are worn before it, and would involve an amount of work which would not be justified.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the congestion of traffic created by the inadequate and obsolete bridge over the River Don at Goole; and if he will take steps, in conjunction with the West Riding County Council, to ensure that suitable and up-to-date facilities are provided for the very heavy traffic at this point?

Yes, Sir. We are in communication with the West Riding County Council on this matter.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been drawn to the rapid growth of traffic congestion in the main exits from London; whether he has made any representations to the various highway authorities concerned as to plans for the progressive widening of the streets concerned; and, in particular, whether they have been asked to take steps to ensure the setting back of the building line in respect of new buildings which may be erected in such streets?

Yes, Sir; the question is engaging my close personal attention; I await with interest the report of the London Highway Development Survey and in the meanwhile look to the statutory authorities in London to make wise use of the wide powers they already possess in regard to new buildings.

asked the Minister of Transport what were the amounts spent on making new roads and in major improvements to roads for each financial year from 31st March, 1930; and what Road Fund grants were made towards these purposes during the years in question?

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of an answer given by my predecessor to my hon. Friend the Member for East Fife (Mr. Henderson Stewart) on 11th February last, in which he will, I think, find the information which he seeks.