asked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware that in many collieries in the United States there is in operation a system of bonus payments by the owners to the overseers and workmen in particular sections of their pits which are kept free from accidents for certain periods, in order to encourage safety in working; and whether he will examine this system and consider the desirability of calling the attention of mine-owners in this country to the same?

I have been asked to reply. Yes, Sir. My hon. and gallant Friend is aware that bonuses of various kinds, including in some cases cash payments, are offered by certain colliery companies in the United States of America to overseers and workmen in order to reward safety in working. Such inducements are offered at a few collieries in this country, and, while my hon. and gallant Friend is doubtful whether the adoption of such a system is of much value unless it forms part of some wider scheme of co-operation between owners and workers for the prevention of accidents, he proposes to examine the question further.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware that in order to ward off influenza, the owners of certain Durham collieries employing some 10,000 men and boys, are supplying each man with a three weeks' supply of iodised milk tablets, an experiment successfully initiated last year; and whether he will call the attention of colliery owners generally to this health precaution with a view to its adoption throughout the industry?

I have been asked to reply. I am aware of this interesting experiment at certain collieries in Durham and Northumberland and this question will serve to call further attention to it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any steps are contemplated to secure priority in steel supplies for national requirements?

I would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the answer given on 4th November to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Kirkcaldy (Mr. Kennedy).

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that Denmark is refusing to grant import licences for British Diesel oil-engines while placing orders for similar engines with Germany, Sweden and Holland; and whether he will make representations to Denmark with a view to assisting the manufacture of oil-engines at Lincoln?

I am informed that licences have been issued during the current year for the importation of internal combustion oil-engines from the United Kingdom into Denmark. If my hon. Friend knows of any cases where firms are not obtaining any licences and will send me details, I will have investigations made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the average over-all reduction in the present retail price of cocoa products in confectionery form and in powder, conformably with the October, 1937, price per cwt. f.o.b. Accra 28s. 6d. and 55s. in 1913; and will he also state the approximate changes since 1913, respectively, in the cost of manufacture here and distribution here of cocoa products in various forms?

The information necessary for the purpose of answering the first part of the question is riot available from official sources. In any case, a simple comparison between f.o.b. prices of raw cocoa and retail prices of cocoa products would be very misleading, especially when made for a single month. The information asked for in the last part of the question is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that raw timber has to pay the same amount of duty as that paid on manufactured timber articles, and that the industry has been informed that any immediate revision of such duty is impossible owing to the Scandinavian trade agreements; when these agreements will come up for revision; and whether, on that occasion, the position of the British timber industry will be taken into consideration?

Most manufactures of timber are subject on importation from a foreign country to a higher rate of duty than undressed timber; but certain planed or dressed softwood and softwood boxboards are subject to the same rate of duty, namely, 10 per cent. ad valorem and this rate cannot be increased during the currency of the present trade agreements with certain Scandinavian and Baltic countries. The position of the British timber industry will be kept in mind in any negotiations for the revision of these agreements, but I cannot at present say when any such negotiations will take place.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the prices of steel for constructional purposes, bricks, cement and timber for each year from 1933 to the most recent date?

Commodity.	Unit of price.	1933.	1934.	1935.	1936.		1937.
					Jan.-May.	June-Dec.	Jan.-April.	May-Oct.
Steel for structural purposes:
(Basis price for 4-ton lots delivered North of England):
Heavy Angles*	£per ton	8.375	8.375	8.375	8.375	9.000	9.150	11.025
Joists†	£per ton	8.750	8.750	8.750	8.750	9.375	9.150	11.025
Heavy Plates*	£per ton	8.750	8.750	8.750	8.750	9.375	9.525	11.400
Bricks:
Best stocks alongside in River Thames	s. per 1,000.	83.50	82.03	82.00	82.00		86.94
Flettons, delivered London goods stations	s. per 1,000.	51.25	51.25	48.44	46.58		46.25
Cement:
Best Portland in jute sacks (11 to ton) delivered London area	£ per ton	2.24	2.02	2.00	1.95		1.95
Timber:				Aug.-Dec.
Building deal 2 ins × 4 ins	£per standard.	‡	‡	13.95	15.33		19.28
Tongued and grooved flooring 1 inch.	s. per square.	‡	‡	16.45	17.63		21.43
American figured oak	d. per foot super as I inch.	‡	‡	8.00	8.00		8.00
* These prices are subject under certain conditions to a rebate of 15s. a ton.
† Up to 31st December, 1936, the price of joists was subject under certain conditions to a rebate of 22s. 6d. a ton; as from 1st January, 1937, the rebate was reduced to 15s.
‡ Comparable data prior to August, 1935, are not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of President Roosevelt's reference to the necessity of technical adjustments in the Ottawa agreements in order to conclude an Anglo-American trade agreement, lie will make an explanatory statement in regard to the nature of these adjustments?

I am afraid I do not know what statement by the President of the United States of America my hon. Friend has in mind. On the general question I would refer him to the statement which I made to the House on 2nd November in the Debate on the Address, to which at present I have nothing to add.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he will state the number of firms on the special register service at some convenient date in October, 1935, 1936 and 1937, respectively?

The following statement gives the desired information, so far as it is available.

The number of firms on the special register at the 30th October for the years 1935, 1936 and 1937, respectively, was 2,700, 2,584 and 2,425.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether British firms were invited to tender for the 23 locomotives ordered from Krupps by the South African railways?

Yes, Sir. Tenders were invited and were submitted by certain United Kingdom manufacturers for a number of locomotives of which the 23 reported to have been placed with Krupps formed part.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of re- peated discharges of oil from vessels in the Bristol Channel resulting in damage to fishing and other interests, he will consider whether steps can immediately be taken to protect these shores from deposits of oil carried up and down with the tides in large floating bodies; and whether he has caused inquiries to be made to discover the persons responsible for polluting the sea and the seaside in this area?

Inquiries are at once made whenever pollution of territorial waters by oil is reported to the Board of Trade. Such inquiries are being made into recent cases of pollution in the Bristol Channel, but so far no evidence has been obtained to indicate the source of the oil. As the hon. Member is aware, the discharge of oil within territorial waters is an offence under the Oil in Navigable Waters Act, 1922. The discharge of oil outside territorial waters cannot be dealt with effectively without the co-operation of the principal maritime nations. The League of Nations has issued a draft convention on this subject, which is under consideration by the Governments concerned. I hope that it will in due course be submitted to an International Conference.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the growing oil pollution of home waters around the Southern Welsh coast; and whether he will call the attention of the shipping companies using these waters to the need for greater care in discharging refuse oil?

My attention has been called to recent cases of oil pollution in this area. The Chamber of Shipping have from time to time issued circular letters to the shipping companies to ensure that oil is not discharged from their ships within 50 miles of any coast, and I am asking the chamber to call the attention of shipowners again to this. Whenever pollution of any part of the coast is reported, the Board of Trade and the Chamber of Shipping make all possible inquiries with a view to discovering the offender.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any further legislation is contemplated in connection with property and investment societies, the establishment and public subscription of which are not governed by the terms of the Companies Acts?

I would refer to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the hon. Member for Bassetlaw (Mr. Bellenger) on 4th November.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will consider the desirability of setting up a committee to investigate the basis of a scheme of war risks compensation for property owners, so that this scheme could be introduced immediately in the event of necessity?

The matter is being studied by the Departments concerned so far as it is practicable to consider it in advance. It is not possible to forecast under what conditions any measure of the kind indicated could he applied, and the responsibility for a decision must necessarily rest with the Government in power when the contingency arises.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he will ensure that this House will have an opportunity of considering the amendments to the Constitution of Southern Rhodesia, contained in the Constitution Amendment Bill now before the Parliament, before they receive the sanction of His Majesty's Government; and whether he has given any assurance in advance with regard to His Majesty's assent?

Drafts of the proposed amendments of the Southern Rhodesia Constitution, including the Bill referred to, were published last year, with a full explanatory despatch from the Governor, in the Command Paper Cmd. 5218. As stated in a reply given in the House on the 29th July of last year, the Southern Rhodesia Government had been informed that the Secretary of State was prepared to accept these amendments, and they have now been brought into operation.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the rate of wages and allowances paid to men employed on C.E. explosives and fuse filling, and primer filling at Woolwich Arsenal?

The weekly rates of wages of the operatives of the Royal Ordnance Factories at Woolwich engaged upon the work referred to range from 68s. 9d. to 71s., and are to be increased by is. 6d. on 15th November.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) what is the present number of chargemen of trades, minor trades, and titular grades, employed in Chatham Dockyard; and what is the present average total amount received by them weekly in respect of their pay and special pay, including special duty pay such as charge rates;(2) whether taking an average week at the present time, he can state how many of the chargemen of trades, minor trades, and titular grades, employed at Chatham Dockyard, drew total payment of less than 70s., 80s., 90s., 100s., and 110s., and. 120s., respectively; and whether he will provide similar statistics in respect of the men supervised by the chargemen in question?

—		1913.	1920.	1929.	1937.
Portsmouth Dockyard	…	256	372	276	346
Portsmouth Armament Supply Establishment	…	11	20	29	29
Devonport Dockyard	…	195	290	265	329
Devonport Armament Supply Establishment	…	9	11	11	17
Chatham Dockyard	…	192	233	188	220
Chatham Armament Supply Establishment	…	6	10	12	16
Sheerness Dockyard	…	71	71	62	56
Rosyth Dockyard, etc.	…	—	155	8	9
Rosyth Armament Supply Establishment	…	—	9	6	6
Portland Dockyard	…	4	9	9	8
Portland Armament Supply Establishment	…	2	3	3	4
Royal Victoria Yard, Deptford	…	—	4	5	4

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many chargemen of trades, minor trades, and titular grades, borne at present in the different Admiralty establishments, are established and unestablished, respectively?

The number of chargemen of trades, minor trades and titular grades at Chatham Dockyard is 220; the present average total weekly earnings of these men are £4 14s. 2d., which includes 7s. 7d. for overtime.Of these chargemen:—

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can provide figures showing the present number of chargemen of trades, minor trades, and titular grades borne in the different Admiralty establishments at the present time, in 1929, 1920, and 1913, respectively?

The following is a statement showing the numbers of chargemen of trades, minor trades, and titular grades borne, at the times shown, in the dockyards, and certain other establishments at Home where such chargemen are employed:

The number of established and unestablished chargemen of trades, minor trades, and titular grades in the Home dockyards and in certains other establisments where such chargemen are borne are as follow:

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the present average number of men supervised by the chargemen of trades, minor trades, and titular grades in the Home dockyards; and how this number compares with the number supervised in 1927 and the immediate pre-war period, respectively?

The average numbers of men per chargeman supervised by chargemen of trades, minor trades and titular grades in the Home dockyards in 1913, 1927 and this year are 41, 29 and 32, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will call for a return from public assistance authorities in Scotland showing the total number of ex-service men now receiving public assistance relief?

I regret that the records of Public Assistance Authorities in Scotland do not show which of the applicants are ex-service men.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will state the number of police officers serving in the Maryhill division of Glasgow who are over the stipulated retirement age?

I am informed that there is one officer in this division whose length of service qualifies him to retire on the full rate of ordinary pension without medical certificate. Under the Police Pensions Act, 1921, his retirement is not compulsory until he either attains the age of 60 or is required by the police authority to retire on the ground that his retention in the force would not be in the interests of efficiency.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will indicate where, and to what extent, any illumination of trunk roads has been undertaken or arranged for, respectively, under the provisions of Section 6 (4) of the Trunk Roads Act, 1936?

I hope to be in a position to announce my proposals within a few days.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has any statement to make in respect to the lighting of trunk roads?

I hope to be in a position within a few days to issue a circular to the local authorities concerned.

asked the Attorney-General whether he can give a list of the prosecutions undertaken by the Crown against persons accused of share-pushing frauds during the past 18 months; the estimated amounts of the moneys involved in each charge; and the results of the prosecutions?

This answer refers to cases undertaken by the Director of Public Prosecutions. I have no information with regard to other prosecutions, if any, that there may have been. I should like to add that the amounts of money involved in each charge do not represent the total losses sustained by the victims of these frauds and I have no data on which even a rough estimate of this latter figure could be based.There are five further prosecutions which have been undertaken but not concluded, involving 26 defendants.

asked the Lord Advocate, whether he is now in a position to state when further proceedings, if any, are to be taken against Thomas Charlton, arrested, charged, and released on £600 bail, at Edinburgh sheriff court in February, 1936, on share-pushing charges?

Following exhaustive investigations both in Edinburgh and in London, the charge in this case was dropped last spring owing to insufficiency of evidence.

asked the Minister of Health whether the Government will consider making a grant of a loan at 2 per cent. from the Treasury to approved building societies throughout the country to enable them to lend money to market gardeners and agricultural labourers who are in a position to pay a deposit which would enable them to borrow a sufficient sum of money, maximum £500, to purchase their houses, subject to certain safeguards by a life insurance of the individual borrower for the sum advanced, and bearing in mind the potential ability to meet the interest charges, having regard to their employment?

The Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts enable persons to borrow

asked the Minister of Health what sums were returned by local authorities for the last three years as having been received in respect of licences granted under the Agricultural Gangs Act, 1867, to gangmasters and gangmistresses?

I regret that I am unable to furnish my hon. and gallant Friend with particulars of the sums received by local authorities for the last three years in respect of licences granted under the Agricultural Gangs Act, 1867, to gangmasters and gangmistresses, as the authorities are not required to distinguish in the returns made to my Department these receipts from other miscellaneous items of income.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give figures bringing up to date the table on municipal and voluntary hospitals contained in the 1933 Report on the state of the public health?

I would refer to the reply which I made to a similar question by my hon. Friend the Member for Moss Side (Mr. R. Duckworth) on the 2nd instant, of which I am sending him a copy. I will let the hon. Member have such information as is available.

Days per week on which meals are provided.				Number of Local Education Authorities.
				Counties.	Non-County Boroughs.	Urban Districts.	County Boroughs.
7 days and holidays	…	…	…	—	4	1	7
6 days and holidays	…	…	…	—	11	6	23
6 days excluding holidays	…	…	…	2	—	—	—
5 days and holidays	…	…	…	5	26	7	31
5 days excluding holidays	…	…	…	29	66	6	19
Miscellaneous cases*	…	…	…	1	3	1	—
* These include—

One county which provides milk on five days a week during term time only. Dinners five days a week (one district six days a week) during term time and holidays.One borough which provides ordinary meals on five or seven days a week, according to the feeding centre, during term time and holidays.One borough which provides milk only on five days a week during term time and six days a week during holidays.One borough which provides ordinary meals on five days a week during term time and approximately half the major holidays and milk during term time and holidays on seven days a week.One urban district which provides milk on five days a week during term time only and ordinary meals during term time and holidays except during two weeks of the summer holiday.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will give a list of those local education authorities which are exercising their powers under Sections 82 to 84 of the Education Act, 1921, only to the extent of providing free milk for necessitous children?

According to the latest information available 119 local education authorities are exercising their powers under Sections 82–84 of the Education Act, 1921, only to the extent of providing free milk for necessitous children, or in a few cases milk together with sandwiches, biscuits, or other light refreshments, as distinct from ordinary solid meals. I am sending the hon. Member a list of these authorities.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will bring up to date the information given on the 25th June, 1936, in regard to the period during which school meals are provided?

The following table gives a summary, by types of local education authority, of the periods during which school meals were provided in the different areas during the year ended 31st March, 1937.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will state the net amount received in Stamp Duties on the various policies for life, fire, accident, etc., for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date; and will he state the number of industrial policies so stamped?

The net receipt of Stamp Duty on insurance policies of all kinds (life, fire, accident, etc.) was £393,292 in the year ended 31st March, 1937. It is not possible to give the number of policies so stamped, but the hon. Member will find some information as to the number of industrial assurances issued annually on page 6 of the Statistical Summaries (1926–36) relating to Industrial Assurance compiled by the Industrial Assurance Commissioner.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will consider the official collection and publication of the results of the various local government elections, in view of the difficulty of ready access to such Returns at present?

My right hon. Friend has considered the hon. Member's suggestion, but regrets that he would not feel justified in accepting it in view of the considerable expenditure that would be involved.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in connection with his investigations for air raid precautions, he has considered the possibility of the use during an air raid of bombs timed for delayed action; and whether his advisers are taking precautionary measures accordingly?

Yes, Sir. Local authorities have been informed that the existence of unexploded bombs should be reported at once to the Police, who would take the necessary steps to guard against any immediate danger and to arrange for the handling of the bomb by the appropriate military authority.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can give some assurance that the factories and businesses of a number of registered bacon curers will not be transferred to a smaller number of large-scale manufacturers as a result of the pig policy of the Government?

I have been asked to reply. As my hon. Friend will be aware, the future organisation of the bacon industry is at present under consideration and consultations with the industry are proceeding. My right hon. Friend is therefore unable at the moment to make any statement on the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the unsuccessful handling of the interests of 200,000 stockholders by the directors of the Anglo-Argentine railways in relation with the Argentine Government, he will consult the investment trust companies, the insurance companies, and other large British investors in the Anglo-Argentine railways as to suggesting that the Argentine Government should take over the railways against Argentine Government bonds secured on the railways, and so end the friction caused by the hostility to non-Argentine investors who have provided £250,000,000 to build those railways and upon much of which for years past no income has been obtainable?

I understand that discussions between the railway companies and the Argentine Government are still proceeding and I cannot share the view expressed by my hon. and gallant Friend that they are being unsuccessfully handled. As regards the remainder of the question, the position is as stated in the first part of the reply given to my hon. and gallant Friend on 21st April last, to the effect that while my right hon. Friend is always ready to consider requests for the support of His Majesty's Government on the part of British companies who have invested capital abroad, he has not been asked by the companies concerned to intervene as regards the present matter, and considers moreover that such questions are best dealt with by direct negotiations between the Argentine authorities and the companies in question.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the total number of adult men on the registers of the Barking, Dagenham and Romford Employment Exchanges, respectively, who found work in the year ended 31st October, 1937; what were the numbers and percentages of these who were insured and uninsured; and what number of the uninsured came from the Irish Free State?

The total numbers of situations obtained during the year ended 25th October, 1937, by wholly unemployed insured men, aged 18–64, registered at the Barking, Dagenham and Romford Employment Exchanges were 8,013, 10,674 and 8,459 respectively. Figures for the number of separate individuals concerned are not available. Corresponding figures are not available for uninsured men or for men who came from the Irish Free State.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the fact that there were 28,592 disabled ex-service men still unemployed on the 4th October, 1937, he will urge the managers of employment exchanges, in their capacity as secretaries of the local committees of the King's National Roll, to press for employers on the roll to fulfil their obligation by employing the quota of disabled ex-service men?

It is the business of the local King's Roll Committees to secure the greatest possible amount of employment for disabled ex-service men. I have no reason to suppose that they allow firms to remain on the King's Roll with less than the full quota of 5 per cent. of disabled ex-service men, unless they are satisfied after enquiry that such action is justified.

asked the Postmaster-General how much money was stolen from the post office safe at the post office in Alum Rock Road, Birmingham?

The amount involved was £109 6s. 9d.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any inqury is being held into the conduct of the Arab police at the burning of the Lydda airport or at the loss of rifles, etc., at the police post between Hebron and Beersheba; and, if not, will lie satisfy himself that the affairs in question will be inquired into by Sir Charles Tegart?

Inquiry has already been instituted. I am satisfied that the incidents in question were not due in any way to lack of loyalty on the part of the Arab police concerned. I see no reason to ask Sir Charles Tegart to inquire particularly into these events.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what number of refugees from Abyssinia are in Kenya; at whose cost they are being maintained; and for what further period it is anticipated that they will be retained?

As regards the first and third parts of this question I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to a question by the hon. Member for Birkenhead East (Mr. White) on 3rd November. As regards the second part of the question, the cost of maintaining these refugees is at present being borne by Kenya, but I propose in due course to invite the House to make provision to enable this expenditure to be refunded.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what method exists whereby the large number of non-British residents in the mandated territory of Tanganyika can obtain representation in the legislative council; and what are the qualifications for such representation?

The 10 Unofficial Members of the Tanganyika Legislative Council are individual persons nominated by the Governor without regard to the representation of particular races, interests or public bodies. They are gentlemen whom the Governor considers as particularly fitted to be of assistance to him in the exercise of his responsibilities, having regard to the interests of all the communities in the territory, native and nonnative.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many arrests were made in September in the Moshi districts of Tanganyika, where negroes of the Wachagga tribe rioted because of dissatisfaction with the price they got for their coffee?

The Acting Governor has reported that 13 natives have been removed to other districts in the territory and that court proceedings were taken against 120 persons, of whom 103 were convicted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in view of the importance of the island of Trinidad in relation to Empire Defence and in view of the unrest which is prevalent, whether it has been decided to station there permanently a regular infantry battalion of British troops?

No, Sir, but the question of the defence of Trinidad is now under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can make any statement as to the provision of equipment, apart from guns and search-lights, used in anti-aircraft defence?

As guns and searchlights are the main equipment for which the War Office is responsible, I am not clear what the hon. Member has in mind.

asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, whether he can make any statement as to the Commissioners' efforts to destroy grey squirrels in the areas supervised by the Forestry Commission and by adjacent public and private landowners?

Grey squirrels are being systematically killed in Forestry Commission areas. Over 1,500 were destroyed in the last 12 months. The Commissioners have no first-hand information as to what is happening in adjacent areas.