asked the President of the Board of Trade what quantities of Danish barley have been imported into this country during the last five years ending 31st October, and the separate monthly figures for the past four months this year?

The following table shows the total quantity of barley (grain) imported into the United Kingdom during the undermentioned periods and registered as consigned from Denmark.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, whether, in all the proceedings taken by the Milk Marketing Board against milk producer-retailers evidence is taken on oath; and whether the Board adopts the principles of evidence as laid down by courts of justice in this country?

In all proceedings in the Courts by the Milk Marketing Board against producers, evidence is, of course, given on oath and the rules of the Courts as to evidence and procedure apply. The Milk Marketing Board, when it meets to consider alleged infringements of the Scheme by registered producers, is not a Court of Law, and it has no power to administer an oath, and is not bound by the strict rules of evidence applicable to proceedings in the Courts. I am informed that it would not be practicable for the Board to apply them. I may, however, point out that, if the Milk Marketing Board were to exceed its jurisdiction, it would be subject to the controlling jurisdiction of the High Court, and, further, any registered producer who is aggrieved by any act or omission of the Board has a right to go to arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Acts.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give a list of the tariffs introduced by the National Government to protect agriculture?

Full details of the duties chargeable upon foreign agricultural products as at 1st August, 1937, will be found in the "Customs and Excise Tariff, 1937", published by the Stationery Office, to which I would refer my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any local authorities in Scotland have entered into contracts for the sale of the meat of animals slaughtered under the terms of the tuberculosis orders and for which animals they are required to pay compensation; whether there is any doubt as to the fitness of such meat for human consumption; and, if so, whether he will take steps to prevent such meat being offered for sale?

I have been asked to reply. It is not the usual practice of local authorities to enter into formal contracts for the sale of meat of animals slaughtered under the Tuberculosis Order of 1925, and so far as I am aware only two local authorities in Scotland have made such contracts. The Tuberculosis Order of 1925 (No. 2) provides that where a local authority proposes to slaughter an animal under the Order and to dispose of its carcase, or any part thereof, for human consumption, notice of the time and place of intended slaughter shall be given to the Public Health local authority, and further provides that the carcase of the animal or any part thereof shall not be removed from the slaughterhouse for human consumption except with permission, in writing, of the medical officer of of health or other competent officer of the authority having power to inspect and examine meat intended for human consumption. Where a Meat Inspector has been appointed by a Public Health local authority in Scotland, the permission to be obtained is the permission of the Meat Inspector.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in respect of the telephone service which is being opened with Malaya, through Java, with the permission of the Dutch Government, some facilities can be given for commencing the service at 6.30 a.m., which would enable London to talk with Malaya whilst their markets were in operation, as the proposed times during which the service is to operate are only from 9.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Greenwich mean time, which would preclude this?

The radio-telephone service between Amsterdam and the Netherlands East Indies, over which calls between Great Britain and Malaya pass, is not opened until 9 a.m., Greenwich mean time. It would not, therefore, be possible to give service between Great Britain and Malaya from 6.30 a.m. unless the hour at which the Amsterdam service is opened were similarly advanced. I will communicate with the Netherlands Administration and will write to my hon. Friend as soon as I hear whether they can arrange for an extension of the hours of service as desired.

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to the recommendation of the Commissioner for the Special Areas of England and Wales that for all works in future undertaken with the aid of grants from the Government or local authorities it should be made a condition that a reasonable proportion of older men should be employed; and whether he proposes to take steps to see that this recommendation is carried out?

This is one of many proposals which have been made and are under consideration, but I am not yet in a position to make any pronouncement in the matter.

asked the Minister of Labour, whether he can make any statement as to the result to date of the measures which have been taken to settle Welsh mining families upon the land?

I would draw the attention of my hon. Friend to page 141 and Appendix XIII of the Report of the Commissioner for the Special Areas (England and Wales), Cmd. 5595, where he will find statistical information about land settlement in Wales. Paragraphs 607/638 of the Report contain a description of the work of the Land Settlement Society and the Glamorgan County Council.

asked the Minister of Labour, whether he can state the total number of registered unemployed in Glasgow for the years ended September, 1935 and 1937, respectively?

pursuant to his reply (OFFICIAL REPORT, col. 1435, Vol. 329) supplied the following statement.The average numbers of unemployed persons, aged 14 years and over, on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Glasgow in the years ended September, 1935, and September, 1937, were 105,443 and 81,338 respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour, whether his attention has been called to the statement of the Commissioner for the Special Areas of England and Wales hoping that effect will be given to the recommendations of the Import Duties Advisory Committee on the iron and steel industry that the restoration of disused sites which have been spoiled by past industrial enterprise shall be taken in hand; and whether the Government intends to give effect to this recommendation?

The recommendation of the Commissioner is being examined in the various Departments concerned but it is not possible yet to make any pronouncement of Government action in the matter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what sum will be allocated to the Newark Internal Drainage Board and the Southwell Internal Drainage Board from the Government's new drainage grant?

The amount of the grants which will be made to the two drainage boards mentioned will depend upon the number and scope of the schemes submitted by them which obtain my approval. Up to the present I have approved for a grant of 33⅓ percent. one scheme submitted by the Newark Board which is estimated to cost £1,308, and I am awaiting revised proposals from the same board with regard to work in connection with a new pumping plant contemplated at Marton near Gainsborough. I have as yet received no application for grant from the Southwell Board.

asked the Minister of Labour, whether the cost-of-living averages given in the Ministry of Labour Gazette for November, 1937, relate to all commodities or to food only?

In each issue of the Ministry of Labour Gazette, including the November issue, the statistics published relating to the average percentage changes in working-class costs of living since July, 1914, give separate percentages for (a) food, (b) rent, (c) clothing, (d) fuel and light, and (e) various other items, and a figure is also given representing the average percentage increase in all these items combined. The figures for 1st November will be found on page 454 of the November issue of the Gazette. In a statistical supplement which is included with the November issue, figures are also given showing the average levels of working-class costs of living, in each quarter during the period 1928–1937, expressed as percentages of those for (a) July, 1914, and (b) the year 1924; these figures are general averages covering all the items of expenditure included within the scope of the cost-of-living statistics.