asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will state the present position with regard to the settlement of the Assyrians?

The Assyrian Committee of the Council of the League of Nations is meeting at Geneva this week and will submit to the Council at its September meeting its recommendations for dealing with this problem. Pending the submission of the Committee's report and recommendations to the Council, I cannot make any statement on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, as rapporteur to the League Committee on Danzig, he is now in a position to make a statement as to the present condition in the Free State; whether the constitution is being carried out; and, if not, what steps are being taken by the High Commissioner and the League Committee to ensure for the Danzig people their constitutional rights?

I have no general statement to make as regards the situation in Danzig. As the hon. Member will be aware, the matters referred to in the second and third parts of the Question are, in the first instance, the concern of the High Commissioner himself, serving as the representative of the Council of the League and under its direction, and it is for him to report on them to the Council when he thinks it desirable. I have no information that any such report has been made.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state the present position with regard to the fortifications of the Bonin Islands, Amami-Oshima, and the Loochoo Islands and others under mandate by Japan, the Aleutian Islands by the United States Government, and Hong Kong by Great Britain since the lapsing of Article 19 of the Washington Treaty; and whether fortification is taking place in any case?

I have been asked to reply. The Bonin, Amami-Oshima and Loochoo Islands are possessions of Japan and are not held under mandate. These possessions, as also the Aleutian Islands and Hong Kong were included in the zone fixed in Article 19 of the Washington Treaty. As that Article lapsed when the Treaty came to an end on 31st December, 1936, and has not been revived, it is open to the sovereign Power in each case to take such steps as it thinks fit in regard to their fortification. The islands under mandate to Japan continue to be governed by the mandate which forbids the establishment of military or naval bases or the creation of fortifications.I am not aware of the intentions of the Japanese or United States Government in regard to fortification of the islands formerly in the zone created by the Washington Treaty. As regards Hong Kong, modernisation permissible under Article 19 is being carried out, but no decision has been taken in regard to any further measures which would not have been possible while that article was in force.

asked the Minister of Health what is the procedure at Queen Charlotte Maternity Hospital with regard to the service by registrars of births of the notice of the requirements of the Vaccination Acts; whether these notices are handed to the mothers at the hospital or to the hospital officials; and whether he is aware that in a recent case of twins born at that hospital the parents received the vaccination papers by post on the day the infants were four months and two days old, too late for the father to get exemption?

It is the practice of the Registrar when registering births at the hospital in question to leave the Vaccination Form A with the matron on behalf of the mother, since in the numerous cases in which vaccination takes place at the hospital the form must be available there for signature, etc., by the Public Vaccinator. If the child is not vaccinated in the hospital, the form is handed to the mother on her discharge. I have no information as to the case referred to in the last part of the question, but I will make inquiries and inform the hon. Member of the result.

asked the Minister of Health what steps are being taken by his Department to abolish the nuisance which is caused by smells and fumes emanating from certain factories at Brimsdown, Enfield; and whether he has considered the possible danger to the health of the residents which may result from the continuance of this nuisance?

My inspectors are making a special investigation, in collaboration with the medical officer of health for the district and with the co-operation of the industries concerned, of the possible causes of the complaints of smells and fumes with a view to their removal. I have every hope of a solution being found, but any remedial works will of necessity take some time to bring into operation. I am, of course, giving consideration to the public health aspects of this matter.

LEVEL CROSSING ACCIDENTS.
1st January to 30th June, 1937.
—	Total Cases reported (including accidents to pedestrians).		Cases where material damage to gates, road vehicles or cattle has alone resulted.		Cases in which casualties occurred.		Actual Casualties.
							Killed.		Injured.
Public road crossings with gates.	54	61	50	56	4	5	—	1	4	4
Public road crossings with-out gates.	7		6		1		1		—
Occupation crossings		16		9		7		4		3
Footpath crossings		8		—		8		7		2
Totals		85		65		20		12		9

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that a group of small holdings at Cairnorchies, Old Deer, Aberdeenshire, belonging to the Department of Agriculture, are ill-served in their water supply; that the machinery for pumping is inadequate;

asked the Minister of Health whether he can state the total number of persons employed by all local authorities in England, Scotland, and Wales, respectively?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a similar question on 7th December last, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can state the number of accidents on, and at, level crossings during 1936, and the number up to the last convenient date in 1937?

The figures for 1936 are set out in full on page 15 of the Annual Report on Railway Accidents which was recently presented to Parliament. The figures for the first six months of 1937 can be given only provisionally and are as follow:that some of the tenants are having to spend much time in driving water from a neighbouring estate both for stock and household purposes, involving them in great loss at harvest and other times; that officials of the Department of Agriculture have visited the property on several occasions but that no remedial steps have been taken; and whether he can now undertake immediately to remedy this deficiency?

I am aware of the circumstances to which the hon. Member refers. The machinery in question gave satisfaction after installation in 1928 but, largely owing to the difficulty of keeping it in repair, it is not now pumping to its full capacity; also it has been found that blanketing of the windmill occurs in certain winds to an extent which makes it necessary to effect an improvement. The matter has been receiving the close attention of the Department of Agriculture and it is hoped that it may be possible to utilise a further source of supply from an adjoining estate for the augmentation of the existing water supply at Cairnorchies.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) the number of persons now

—	—	24th May, 1937.	25th May, 1936.	20th May, 1935.	14th May,1934.	22nd May, 1933.	23rd May, 1932.	18th* May, 1931.
Glasgow	1. Claims for insurance benefit	19,640	24,394	29,274	24,602	29,613	35,972	75,261
	2. Dependants in respect of whom dependants' benefit was authorised	15,454	20,281	26,291	Figures not available.
	3. Applications authorised for unemployment assistance	48,740	35,284	39,324	—	—	—	—
Edinburgh	1. Claims for insurance benefit	6,906	8,286	9,182	8,202	7,956	8,503	14,259
	2. Dependants in respect of whom dependants' benefit was authorised	6,196	6,831	8,416	Figures not available.
	3. Applications authorised for unemployment assistance	8,336	6,351	6,814	—	—	—	—
Dundee	1. Claims for insurance benefit	4,344	5,707	5,285	6,537	6,145	10,568	22,242
	2. Dependants in respect of whom dependants' benefit was authorised	2,782	3,466	3,841	Figures not available.
	3. Applications authorised for unemployment assistance	7,486	7,421	8,424	—	—	—	—
Aberdeen	1. Claims for insurance benefit	3,204	3,311	3,840	3,975	4,221	3,983	5,646
	2. Dependants in respect of whom dependants' benefit was authorised	4,263	3,739	4,481	Figures not available.
	3. Applications authorised for unemployment assistance	3,121	2,307	2,201	—	—	—	—
* The figures for 18th May, 1931, include claims for transitional benefit which ceased in November, 1931.

Statistics showing the numbers of dependants in respect of whom unemployment allowances are paid are not available.Owing to the extension of the Unemployment Assistance Scheme as from 1st in receipt of benefit from the Employment Exchanges under the Unemployment Act in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Dundee; the number of dependants to whom benefits are paid; and the corresponding figures in each of the last six years;(2) the number of persons and the number of dependants now receiving payments from the Unemployment Assistance Board in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Dundee, and the corresponding figures in each year since the Board came into existence?

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 29th June, 1937, col. 1812, Vol. 325] supplied the following statement:The following table gives the information desired so far as it is available: claims for transitional benefit which ceased inApril, 1937, the figures in respect of applications authorised for unemployment allowances at 24th May, 1937, are not strictly comparable with those for earlier dates.