asked the. Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether his Department's investigation into the extent to which provision of canteens in public elementary schools is made is now completed; and, if so, whether he will supply particulars of the results?

My Department has now received from the local education authorities replies to the inquiry into the provision of school canteens in public elementary schools. These canteens are primarily intended for children who have to travel a considerable distance to school and are unable to return home to dinner, though in some cases children living near the schools may also take meals at the canteens. The returns from the local education authorities show that in a few counties the provision is fairly extensive, but in the great majority of areas there is comparatively little provision, although some authorities state that facilities will be provided as re-organisation is carried out. It appears that about 30,000 children regularly receive meals on pay- ment at school canteens. These figures do not include about 5,000 children who receive meals on payment at feeding centres primarily intended for the provision of free meals.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will give the names of those local education authorities which are providing school meals in secondary schools, distinguishing free from other meals, and stating the number of meals provided; and whether any free meals are provided with rate and /or Exchequer aid?

I regret that this information is not at present available, but I have asked for returns to be made in the autumn by all the grant-earning secondary schools showing what arrangements they make for providing meals at the school, either free of cost to the pupil, or on payment in whole or in part. Local education authorities can and do contribute the whole or part of the cost of meals when satisfied that the financial circumstances of the parents do not admit of payment by them. Such expenditure by the authority is eligible for grant from the Board at the rate of 50 per cent.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will state the number of classes in elementary schools in Lancashire consisting of more than 40 children?

On the 31st March, 1937, there were, in the areas of all the authorities for elementary education in Lancashire, 6,181 such classes.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will state the number of school buildings in Lancashire on the black list at the latest date on which figures are available, gaving particulars of the schools so listed?

Following is the information:

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will give the names of the local education authorities in Lancashire which provided free milk to elementary school children during the year ended 31st March, 1937?

During the year which ended on the 31st March, 1937, free milk was provided for public elementary school children by 40 local education authorities in Lancashire. Following is a list of these authorities:Local education authorities which provided free milk for elementary school children during the year ended 31st March, 1937.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has come to a decision as to pressing local authorities to provide small bungalows at low rent for aged persons?

I am satisfied that local authorities are well aware of the desirability of providing houses of the type referred to. Up to the end of June, 25,663 houses of this kind had been approved for erection and the authorities have ample power to make such rent rebates as they think desirable.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the number of old age pensioners and widow pensioners in receipt of relief from the Nuneaton area of the Warwickshire public assistance committee; and if he will indicate the scale to which the pension is implemented?

The returns made to my Department by Public Assistance Authorities relate the Administrative Counties and County Boroughs as a whole, and particulars for parts of an Administrative County are therefore not available. The numbers of old age pensioners and widow pensioners in the Administrative County of Warwick who were in receipt of poor relief on the 1st January last were 1,008 and 264 respectively. I have no information as to the second part of the question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies with regard to the concession for the extraction of salts and minerals in the Dead Sea which is printed as Appendix II to the Annual Report on Palestine and Transjordan for the year 1929, whether he is 2.',vare that contemporaneously with the execution of the concession a deed was entered into between the same parties the effect of which was to nullify the concession if within a period of three years a pre-war Turkish concession granting similar rights then held by a British subject was held to be valid; and why this important document was omitted from the report and from the White Paper or the same subject presented to this House?

I am aware of the existence of the deed to which the hon. Member refers. As it was not concluded until the 1st January, 1930, it could not have been printed in the White Paper (Cmd. 3326), which was issued by the then Government in May, 1929. As regards its non-conclusion in the Annual Report by His Majesty's Government on Palestine and Trans- Jordan, I have no information.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether His Majesty's Government have been in communication with the Iraq Government relative to the issue of a loan in London; and whether this loan has the approval of His Majesty's Government?

I understand that the Iraq Government propose to issue a loan in London very shortly for £1,000,000.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in the case of the appeal to civil servants to participate as volunteers in air-raid precautions, he proposes to adopt a system of allowing This proposal has the full approval of His Majesty's Government.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the quantities of beer, bulk standard barrels, and spirits, distinguishing rum, brandy, and Geneva, imported into the United Kingdom, and the quantities of home-made beer, bulk standard barrels, and spirits exported from the United Kingdom during the year ended 31st March, 1937?

The particulars required are as follow:officials to contract out of such a general arrangement instead of volunteering to come within it?

The hon. Member has in mind, I presume, the question of instruction in regard to personal protection against the effects of gas. The actual procedure to be adopted for the submission of names for this instruction will be settled departmentally in consultation with the staff interests concerned.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the national maritime importance of the port of Liverpool in case of war, the Government is prepared to meet the zoo per cent. cost essential for air raid precautions?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on the 20th July to a question by the hon. Member for Everton (Mr. Kirby).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered the preparation of measures to be taken in advance to combat the next slump; and if he has any statement to make on the subject?

I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Chester-le-Street (Mr. Lawson) on 22nd July.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, with regard to the counting of temporary service for pensions for civil servants and age-barred officers who are denied establishment, if he is aware that there are about 700 members of the staff at the Ministry of Agriculture affected by this harsh treatment because of the Treasury refusing to grant pension-ability to men over 50 years of age; and what action he intends taking about the matter?

I understand that the number of persons employed in pensionable grades in the Ministry of Agriculture who are ineligible for establishment on age grounds is about 20, but if the hon. Member will give me particulars of the manner in which his figure of 700 is calculated, I will have further inquiry made. On the second part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 22nd July to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing (Sir F. Sanderson) and other hon. Members.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether a departmental inquiry is being held at present into the question of the treatment, for pension purposes, of ex-service men in the Civil Service and, if so, whether a statement will be made before the Adjournment; and whether, if such inquiry is not being head, he will set up a public committee of inquiry into the above-mentioned matter before the House adjourns?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave on 22nd July to questions by my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing (Sir F. Sanderson) and other hon. Members.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will state the number of letters, printed papers, newspapers, and postcards delivered by the General Post Office for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date?

The figures for the financial year 1935-36 are:

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is in a position to make a statement with regard to the progress of television and the present number of viewers?

The Television Advisory Committee is keeping the television service under close observation; and I understand that when sufficient experience has been obtained the committee will submit a report on the progress and future development of the service. No information is available regarding the present number of viewers.

asked the Home Secretary whether he can state the number of seaside places in the country which have decided to make an order suspending the weekly half-holiday of shop assistants during July, August, and September; and the names of the seaside towns in Wales, if any, which have taken this course?

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to orders under Section 11 of the Shops Act, 1912. I regret that the information for which he asks is not available.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in anticipation of legislation to give effect to the recommendations of the Departmental Committee on Coroners, he will consider the issue of a circular drawing their attention to the undesirability of prejudicing the rights of third parties in other courts by expressing opinions as to the responsibility or otherwise of employers in relation to fatal accidents?

I think that coroners generally are familiar with the committee's report, and are aware of the committee's observations on the topic to which my hon. Friend refers. I know of no reason for making this particular point the subject of a special circular.

asked the Home Secretary whether any licensees under the Act 39 and 40 Vict., cap. 77, have been reported by the inspectors as contravening the terms of their respective licences at any time during 1937; if so, what was the nature of such irregularities, at which registered places did they occur, and at what dates?

Three irregularities have been reported by the inspectors during 1937. In one case reported on the 25th February a licensee holding a certificate "B" had performed several experiments in excess of the number authorised: in two cases reported on the 28th June and the 5th July respectively licensees holding certificates "B" had performed operations, in one case removal of the pituitary gland and in the other partial splenectomy, not authorised by their certificates. Each of these cases was reviewed and it was decided that the circumstances were not such as to call for the institution of proceedings against those responsible. It would be contrary to the established practice to furnish information as to the registered places at which the irregularities occurred.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the reference by Judge Clements, at Maidstone county court, to the conduct of an insurance company which had endeavoured to induce a workman, the proposed settlement of whose claim had been refused as inadequate by one registrar, to acquire temporary residence at a seaside resort in order to obtain a hearing before another registrar; and whether he will place the facts in this case before Judge Stewart's Committee for their consideration?

I have seen references to this case in the Press and am bringing them to the notice of the Committee.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the State management scheme for Carlisle and district has recently acquired the Queen's Hotel, Silloth; and whether, in view of the fact that other houses in the neighbourhood have been acquired by the State, it is now intended to extend the State management scheme to the exclusion of private ownership?

There is no present intention to exclude private ownership of licensed premises in the State Management District, but as these premises were for sale it was decided to purchase them with a view to using them in place of other premises under State management which are near by.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the report of the Departmental Committee on adoption societies and agencies that a large number of British children are sent to be adopted by people living abroad; and whether he will take steps to terminate this practice, with or without legislation?

I regret that I am not yet in a position to add anything to the replies which were given to the hon. Member for Plaistow (Mr. Thorne) on 12th July and to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Warrington (Mr. Goldie) on 14th July.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will state the comparative figures of emigrants from, and immigrants into, Great Britain during the last 12 months for which statistics are available?

I have been asked to reply. During the 12 months ended 31st May, 1937, 30,816 persons were recorded in the passenger returns furnished to the Board of Trade as leaving permanent residence in Great Britain to take up permanent residence in non-European countries, and 46,062 persons were recorded as leaving permanent residence in those countries to take up permanent residence in Great Britain. Residence for a year or more is treated as permanent residence for the purposes of this classification.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to a recent decision in the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice that firemen in the employment of local authorities who are called upon, when not actually engaged upon fire brigade duties, to perform ambulance and other work are not to be deemed professional firemen and are thereby deprived of the benefit of the Fire Brigade Pensions Act, 1925; and whether, in view of the hardship involved upon firemen who are so called upon to render such public service, he will introduce legislation to protect the interests of persons so employed by local authorities, with a view to preserving their rights under the said Act?

I would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend on 8th July to a question by the hon. Member for North Tottenham (Mr. R. C. Morrison). A conference with representatives of the local authorities and of the fire service will be held to-morrow to consider the general issues raised.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that obscene films are being taken and privately circulated among certain subscribers; and will he take steps to stop this practice?

I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that he has no knowledge of any such circulation of indecent films and that no complaints have been made to the police. If the hon. Member will forward me any information he may have, I will cause inquiry to be made.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will now state when the proposed Bill to deal with clubs will be introduced?

My right hon. Friend regrets that, owing to the heavy pressure of other important Government business, it has not been possible to introduce this Bill during the present Session. With regard to the future, as my hon. Friend will appreciate, I am not in a position to anticipate the work of next Session.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he w,11 state the number of registered unemployed within the Special Area of South Wales and Monmouthshire, and the same information, separately, for the Rhondda Urban District; what new industries have been, or are about to be. introduced into the Special Area of South. Wales and Monmouthshire; whether any of these have been, or are intended to be, settled in Rhondda; and what prospect exists of anything being done for this area?

At 21st June, 1937, there were 101,619 persons registered at Employment Exchanges the whole or part of whose area is within the Special Areas of South Wales and Monmouthshire, but the number who live within these Special Areas is not known. The number registered at Employment Exchanges in the Rhondda Urban District was 13,560. There are 14 new industrial undertakings for which contracts have been signed and construction work either completed or well advanced in these Special Areas. In the case of six others negotiations are in an advanced stage. None is actually located in the Rhondda Valley, but work on factories on the Trading Estate at Treforest will be available for workers in that as in other neighbouring districts.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when he will be in a position to announce the names of the British delegation to the forthcoming meeting of the League of Nations Assembly?

I hope to be in a position to make this announcement on Wednesday in reply to a question standing on the Order Paper in the name of the hon. Member for Derby (Mr. Noel-Baker).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is in a position to make any further statement with regard to the action of General Franco in connection with the cargo of the "Fernando L de Ybarra"?

This matter has been the subject of numerous discussions between His Majesty's Embassy at Hendaye and the representatives of General Franco. No satisfactory solution of the matter has yet been reached, but His Majesty's Government will continue to take all steps open to them to press for the release of this cargo and, in the meantime, they have naturally reserved the right to make a claim in due course for damages in respect of its seizure.

asked the Secretary of State for War on what spot the large guns have been mounted which are alleged to menace British rights near Gibraltar or the Straits; and whether he will obtain from General Franco permission to examine these guns in order to determine their potential powers relative to British interests?

I cannot, in reply to a question, conveniently add to what my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs said on this subject in the course of Debate on 19th July.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will ask His Majesty's Minister in Mexico City to approach the Mexican Government with a view to speeding up the negotiations, which have been proceeding for some considerable time past, for a settlement of the Mexican Government's external pre-War debt, due to British holders, in view of the great prosperity which Mexico is to-day enjoying?

His Majesty's Government are naturally anxious that these negotiations should reach a speedy and satisfactory conclusion. I have not, however, received any request for assistance from the recognised representatives of the British bondholders.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the continued freedom of the county of Cumberland from outbreaks of sheep scab originating in Cumberland, he will relax the restrictions affecting the movement of sheep from the county before the autumn movement and sales of sheep begin?

In view of the great improvement in the position of the country generally with regard to sheep scab, I recently proposed to local authorities which have made regulations requiring sheep moved into their areas to be double dipped either before or after movement that such regulations should be revoked. The replies received indicate that a large majority of the local authorities concerned concur in my view, and it therefore propose to make an Order early in August directing the revocation of these regulations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether it is his intention that the powers of drainage authorities as expanded by Part III of the Agriculture Bill should include power for county agricultural committees to carry out schemes of open drainage on moorland or fell land not entailing tile drainage?

The question of allowing schemes of moorland drainage of the kind which I think the hon. Member has in view, to rank for grant under Part III of the Agriculture Bill now before Parliament is engaging my attention, and I will notify him as soon as a decision is reached.

asked the Minister of Transport how many fly-over bridges across main or arterial roads he has already sanctioned or been asked to sanction?

Five have been completed; some two dozen more are in various stages of consideration.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that, pursuant to the powers given under the London Passenger Transport Board Act, 1937, it is proposed to provide a service of trolley-buses along the residential road known as Sherard Road, Eltham, and that this road is 21 feet wide at its narrowest; that the trolley-buses will be superimposed on four services of omnibuses already using the road, and that there is a strong opinion in Eltham generally against the use of Sherard Road either for omnibuses or trolley-buses because it is considered to be unsuitable and dangerous for such traffic; and whether he will take steps to obtain a variation of such plans, and would be willing to receive a deputation to enable the local residents to bring the matter before him, personally, or before one of his responsible officers?

This matter was fully discussed in Committee in another place and I am not in a position to interfere with the discretion of the London Passenger Transport Board in the exercise of the statutory powers which have now been conferred upon them.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the fact that in South London this week an elderly woman was knocked down and killed by a learner motor-cyclist; and whether, in view of the dangers attached to the present practice, he will consider issuing regulations so that for a probationary period, for instance, two of the three months, learner riders should secure the necessary control of motor vehicles either on private property or only on certain roads prescribed by the police where there are no public vehicles such as tramcars, omnibuses, or trolley vehicles?

My attention had not previously been drawn to the accident in question. I fear that it would not be practicable to limit the use of provisional driving licences in the manner suggested as learner drivers must become accustomed to normal traffic conditions.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) whether official statistics are now published of the total output of electricity from private plants; and, if not, whether action is being taken to obtain and issue such statistics so that comparisons may be made with the total statistics published by many other countries;(2) what is the present total output and consumption of electricity per head of population in Great Britain, including both electricity produced by authorised undertakings and by private plants?

I am not aware of any statistics which would provide the whole of the information asked for. Much of the ground, however, is covered by the Returns of Engineering and Financial Statistics relating to authorised undertakings in Great Britain published by the Electricity Commissioners, and the Census of Production Statistics issued by the Board of Trade.

asked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence how many men are at present employed on the new aircraft factory at Speake, Liverpool; and what proportion are residents of Merseyside?

The present number of men employed is 615, of whom 63 per cent. are residents of Merseyside.

asked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence whether he proposes to make any statement, or issue a White Paper, at an early date, indicating where Government factories have been built, naming the particular manufacturing purposes and stating where Government contracts have been placed; and has he had due regard to the depressed areas and areas entirely dependent upon one industry?

A considerable amount of information on this matter is contained in the White Paper (Cmd. 5386) issued as recently as March of this year and it has been supplemented from time to time in answers to questions. The hon. Member is no doubt aware that a discussion in this House on Defence matters is due to take place to-morrow when a further opportunity of making a statement will arise. Due regard has been had to Special and Depressed Areas.

asked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence whether, seeing that all civilian craftsmen, civil engineers. clerks of works, draftsmen, etc., employed by Service Departments should not be in receipt of uniform rates of pay rather than at different rates, which causes discontent and is detrimental to the Department paying on the lower scale for similar work, steps can be taken to level up the rates of pay of those who accepted Government service early in 1936 to be at least equal to those now being engaged by the Air Ministry, many of whom are not so highly skilled as those who first joined?

In general a uniform rate of pay is fixed for each class of civilian craftsmen employed by the Admiralty in Naval Establishments in this country outside the London area. The rates of civilian craftsmen employed by the other Service Departments vary according to the localities in which they are employed in sympathy with the variations in local levels of wages, but the civilian craftsmen of one Service Department do not normally receive higher rates of pay than comparable civilian craftsmen employed in the same locality by the other Service Departments. As regards civil engineers, clerks of works and draftsmen, in so far as these grades are common to more than one of the Service Departments substantially the same scales of salary are prescribed for them. As regards temporary appointments to these grades at rates above the minima of the respective permanent scales, steps have been taken to ensure that the same standard is applied in all three Departments. It is not a fact that higher salaries are being paid by the Air Ministry to those now being engaged than to those who were engaged early in 1936, or than those which are being paid by the Admiralty and War Office to those now being engaged by them with equivalent qualifications.

asked the First Commissioner of Works why the piece of canvas over the stairs leading down to the Terrace is allowed to remain in its present half-painted and untidy state; and whether it can be either finished or removed?

This is a preliminary drawing by Professor Tristram of the reconstruction of an ancient painting formerly in the old Palace of Westminster, and was placed in its present position some years ago in the hope that a donor would provide funds for the finished work, as was done in the case of the reconstructions on the Terrace stairs and in the Lobby below. As the object has not been achieved, I propose to remove the drawing.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether he is yet in a position to state if the King George the Fifth Memorial Committee have now completed all negotiations for the purchase of the properties affected by the scheme at Abingdon Street; what will be the cost and by what date will the memorial be completed; what arrangements have been made by his Department to take charge of the site and to maintain it after the property is handed over by the memorial committee; and what sum was offered by the Government and accepted by the Lord Mayor of London, on behalf of the memorial committee, in order that the complete scheme might be carried out?

The properties affected by the scheme at Abingdon Street for a memorial to King George V have not yet been transferred to the memorial committee: the committee have set aside a sum of £125,000 for the purpose of the memorial, but the date for the completion of the memorial cannot yet be stated: it is proposed that the memorial when completed shall be transferred to the Office of Works for maintenance, the memorial fund providing an endowment.In reply to the last part of the question I am glad to be able, with the approval of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to take this opportunity to inform the House of the position. The Lord Mayor's Committee, having decided to adopt the Abingdon Street scheme in the modified form announced by the Lord Mayor on the 4th November last, asked His Majesty's Government for a grant of assistance thereto from public funds. The Government approved the principle of State participation in the scheme, but decided that the Government contribution should take the form not of a cash grant but of a free gift of all the State property within the area selected by the committee, including the sites now occupied by No. 5, Old Palace Yard, Nos. 5 and 5a, College Mews and No. 29, Abingdon Street. The value of these occupied sites may be put at approximately £80,000. In view of the exceptional nature of the proposed gift His Majesty's Government consider that the matter should be made the subject of specific parliamentary approval which they propose to seek next session by means of an affirmative resolution of both Houses of Parliament.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether any further progress has been made with the proposal to acquire the whole of the Canning enclosure in Parliament Square in order that this area might be preserved, in accordance with the proposals of the London County Council and the Middlesex County Council; and how far his Department has been able to expedite this project without cost to the Treasury so that the present opportunity will not be missed?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given by the late Prime Minister on 26th February of last year.