asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give the quantities of malt, unmalted corn, rice, maize, etc., sugar, glucose, and hops used in brewing in Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the year ended 30th September, 1937, and also the quantities of malt, unmalted corn, rice, sugar, and molasses used for distilling during the distilling year ended 30th September, 1937, together with the number of bulk barrels of beer brewed and the number of gallons of spirits distilled during the same period?

The following are the particulars asked for:

Materials used in Brewing.
	Cwts.
Malt	9,066,875
Unmalted corn	10,701
Rice, rice grits, flaked rice, maize grits, flaked maize, and other similar preparations	648,679
Sugar, including its equivalent of syrups, glucose, and saccharum	1,835,886
Hops	270,592
Preparations of hops	146
Hop substitutes	228
	Bulk Barrels.
Beer brewed	23,608,658

Materials used in Distilling.
	Cwts.
Malt	1,958,847
Unmalted corn	2,094,872
Rice	—
Sugar	—
Molasses	6,281,567
	Proof Gallons.
Spirits distilled (ethyl alcohol)	73,011,468

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can furnish an estimate of the savings of the people through the medium of the various facilities for such thrift; and what has been the increase since the end of 1931?

In reply to the second part. the increase since the end of 1931 has been over £730 millions or rather more than 30 per cent.In answer to the first part of the question, the following are the main figures normally taken into account in calculations of the nature suggested in the question. There are sometimes added life assurance and an allowance for the equity value of the borrowers' interest in property financed by building societies, but these are not included in the figures below.The figures for the National Savings movement which are given separately, and also grouped as a whole, are for 31st October, 1937, accrued interest being estimated provisionally to the same date. The remaining figures are in each case the latest available, this being the end of 1935 in the case of:Industrial and provident societies,Societies under the Friendly Societies Acts,Accumulated funds under National Health Insurance Acts,Registered superannuation trust funds,the end of 1936 in the case of:Building societies,Industrial assurance,Trade unions,Railway savings banks,and 31st March, 1937, in the case of:Birmingham Municipal Bank.It should be noted that

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the proceeds derived by the Duke of Richmond and Gordon from the purchase by the Government of a large portion of his Scottish estates will be applied towards the payment of Death Duties due by him on account of the death of his father; and whether it is the policy of the Government in future to make similar purchases of landed estates where Death Duties cannot otherwise be paid?

The purchase referred to was an ordinary land investment operation carried out by the Commissioners of Crown Lands under the provisions of the Crown Lands Acts. The purchase price was provided from capital moneys in the hands of the Commissioners, representing the proceeds of previous sales of land and awaiting reinvestment in land when a suitable opportunity should occur. No question as to the payment of Death Duties entered into the transaction. The second part of the question does not therefore arise.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Entertainments Duty is levied on cinema shows given in public houses, even though

Entertainments Duty is only chargeable in respect of payments for admission, and if there is no charge, direct or indirect, for the cinema entertainment, liability does not arise.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, before any Supplementary Estimates are voted for promoting television, he will consider defining the use which other forms of entertainment can make of televised pictures?

I have been asked to answer this question. No proposal to use the television broadcast programmes in connection with other forms of entertainment has so far been laid before me. Any such proposal will raise novel problems, including those arising from the fact that the possession of a wireless receiving licence does not override the ordinary conditions of copyright. These problems will receive due consideration; but they have no immediate bearing upon the contemplated Supplementary Estimate, which will be designed to cover the costs incurred by the British Broadcasting Corporation during the current year in the provision and broadcasting of television programmes.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the total amount of the remuneration paid to the Governors of the British Broadcasting Corporation for the years 1937 and 1936, respectively?

The total amount of remuneration paid to the Governors of the British Broadcasting Corporation for the year 1936 was £6,100, consisting of the following amounts due under the original Charter of the Corporation:

	Per annum
	£
To the Chairman	3,000
To the Vice-Chairman	1,000
To each of the three other Governors	700

For the year 1937, the total amount will be £8,563, consisting of amounts due under the following scale in accordance with the new Charter which came into force on the 1st January, 1937, one of the two additional Governors having been appointed during the course of the year:

	Per annum
	£
To the Chairman	3,000
To the Vice-Chairman	1,000
To each of five other Governors	1,000

asked the Home Secretary how the repatriation of any Basque children is being effected; and whether the cost of such repatriation is borne solely by voluntary effort or with State assistance in any cases?

The repatriation of the Basque children is being carried out by the National Joint Committee for Spanish Relief in accordance with the undertaking given to His Majesty's Government by the Committee in May last when the children were admitted to this country. Up to 2nd December about 300 children have proceeded to Bilbao, via France: a further party of about 500 is leaving by the same route as soon as the frontier is re-opened, and applications in respect of another 100 children are at present being considered by the Committee. The whole cost of the repatriation, in accordance with the undertaking given by the Committee, has been borne by private funds, and no State assistance has been afforded in any case.

asked the Home Secretary the total number of Spanish refugees in this country under the age of 18 years?

The number of Spanish refugee children under the age of 18 residing in this country under the care of the Basque Children's Committee is 3,525, of whom about 500 are about to be repatriated by the Committee. There are in addition a certain number of Spanish children who, like other foreign children, have been admitted to this country in the normal way either for purpose of study or in company with parents or other relatives for a visit. No precise figures for such children are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the Duke of Alba offered a ship to the Basque Childrens' Committee to assist in the repatriation of children to Spain; that the Basque Childrens' Committee were willing to fill this ship but that certain difficulties outside the control of either party have arisen in connection with this ship; what steps he has taken to enable this arrangement to be carried out, and with what result?

I understand that the Salamanca authorities, through the Duke of Alba, offered last month to provide a ship for the repatriation to Bilbao of about 500 of the Basque children now in this country under the care of the National Joint Committee for Spanish Relief, and that this offer was acceptable in principle to that Committee. However, a stipulation was made by the Duke of Alba that he should receive an assurance that the ship in question, on arrival at a United Kingdom port, would not be detained by being made the subject of a claim in law by the Spanish Government that it was their property, or for any other reason. The matter was accordingly brought semi-officially by His Majesty's Government to the attention of the Spanish Government, who replied that they were not able to forego legal action against any ship of Spanish nationality arriving at foreign ports, regardless of the reason of her call. I understand that the National Joint Committee are now making arrangements for the repatriation by train of several hundreds of these children.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to a further loss of poisonous pills by a doctor in the Surbiton district; and whether he will consider consulting the doctors and chemists with a view to making regulations that such pills whenever they are poisonous should be coloured green or blue, since children would not then eat them so readily?

I presume that my hon. and gallant Friend is referring to a case which was reported, not quite accurately, in the Press last Thursday. I have made inquiry, and I understand that the pills in question were not lost by a doctor, but by a member of the public who had purchased them from a chemist. As regards the second part of the question, I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply which I gave to his previous question on 18th November.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in the exercise of his authority from granting warrants to the police and other authorities to intercept and read private postal correspondence and to listen in to private telephone conversations, he makes himself personally acquainted with the circumstances under which each application for such a warrant is made before issuing the warrant, or whether he grants such warrants upon the recommendation of officials without himself always inquiring into the circumstances?

I can assure the House that the Secretary of State does not issue a warrant unless he is personally satisfied that there are proper grounds for doing so.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will consider the desirability of reinstating in the next annual return of experiments upon animals, Table III, giving a list showing the number and character of experiments performed by the respective licence holders under the Statute 39 and 40 Vict., c. 77?

My hon. Friend's suggestion has been carefully considered. The table in question was omitted for reasons of economy, and I do not think the cost of reinstating it would be justified.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will consider the desirability of making a statement showing the number of dogs used during the year 1936 in commercial laboratories licensed for experiments on living animals under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876?

The Home Office does not keep records of the number of experiments performed on different classes of animals, and I regret that the information asked for by my hon. Friend is not available.

asked the Home Secretary in how many instances compulsory attendance at a place of worship has been made a magisterial condition imposed on juvenile offenders and others during the past 12 months?

Particulars of the conditions attached to probation orders are not ordinarily reported to the Home Office, and I regret, therefore, that I am not in a position to give the information which the hon. Member desires.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air where any experiments have been made by the Air Ministry with any system for blind automatic landings?

No experiments have been made by the Air Ministry with any system for blind automatic landings in which the pilot is entirely relieved of control.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, although almost all communications received by the Welsh Board of Health are written in English, the Department is imposing upon new entrants the necessity of possessing a knowledge of the Welsh language; and whether he will take steps to ensure that success in the appropriate Civil Service examinations and compliance with the regulations should be the sole criteria for appointment?

No, Sir, apart from officers on the outdoor staff, it is not necessary that officers of the Welsh Board of Health should be able to speak Welsh, and many of the officers now serving have no knowledge of the language. Welsh is, however, an optional language at certain Civil Service examinations, and when the successful candidates include Welsh-speaking persons, there is evident advantage in assigning them to vacancies under the Board.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that in June last the Chertsey urban district council made an offer for the plot of land fronting Stepgates Road, required as a site for a pumping station, but were unable to come to terms with the landowner; whether purchase has since been effected under compulsory powers; and, if so, what was the price awarded, the area, and the previous rateable value of the land in question?

The purchase is being effected by agreement at a price of £320. The land is agricultural and therefore derated and has an area of approximately one-sixth of an acre.

asked the Minister of Health (1) whether he can give an estimate of the number of houses at present controlled, decontrolled, and new, corresponding to the figures referring to September, 1932, given in Cmd. 4208;(2) whether he can give an estimate of the net addition since September, 1932, to the number of houses in each of the classes A, B, and C, as used in Cmd. 4208?

I regret that I am not in a position to give the estimates which the hon. Member requires, but I think he will be able to obtain the information from the report of the Departmental Committee on the Rent Restrictions Acts, which I hope will be published within the next day or two.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the great danger to health of the public from the smoke and fumes arising from burning tips; and whether he will investigate the matter with a view to such control being exercised by local authorities over the method of tipping as will mitigate the evil?

Investigations by my alkali inspectors, in collaboration with the local authorities and the colliery companies concerned, have already shown the practicability in most cases of methods of tipping to avoid nuisance of this kind, and the investigations are still proceeding. Local authorities have powers relating to nuisances arising through failure to adopt such methods.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has considered the overcrowding survey under the Housing Act, 1935, in respect of the city of Stoke-on-Trent; and whether he will consider coming to the assistance of the corporation by the reinstatement of the subsidy under the Housing Act, 1924, or by means of cheap money to enable the authority to build the 1,267 houses which are required immediately as a minimum to alleviate overcrowding?

I am aware of the results of the overcrowding survey to which the hon. Member refers; I am at present in consultation with the associations of local authorities on the question of financial assistance for slum clearance and the abatement of overcrowding.