asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state the number of engineer-commanders (ex-mate E) who have been placed on the retired list owing to reaching the age limit of 50; the number at present fully qualified in all respects for promotion to engineer-captain; and whether there is now any prospect of any of these officers being promoted to engineer-captain before retirement?

Seven engineer-commanders (ex-mate E) have been placed on the retired list on reaching the age limit of 50. With regard to the second and third parts of the question, the hon. Member will find the information for which he asks in the answer given on this subject to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Parker) on 23rd December last.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is satisfied that the circumstances under which the members of the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors were invited to subscribe to present the Director of Naval Construction with his portrait in oils in no way conflicted with the regulations or conventions governing the giving and receiving of presents by members of the Civil Service?

The Association of the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors arranged to have a portrait painted of the present Director of Naval Construction. The portrait is the property of the association, which desires that it should be held on loan by the director and his wife during their joint lives. It would not appear that the action of the association conflicts with any regulation or accepted convention applying to the Civil Service.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty under what authority the widow of a chief officer in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service, on receiving from the Admiralty a sum of £23 14s., representing the difference in pay on her late husband's promotion from second officer to chief officer in accordance with the National Maritime Board agreements, suffered a deduction from this amount of £15, compassionate allowance, which had been granted one year and one month earlier?

The compassionate gratuity of £15 referred to was paid in October, 1936, at a time when it was thought that no other payment could be made to the widow under the regulations. It having been decided at a later date that a sum of £23 14s. could be paid in respect of arrears of pay, the gratuity of £15 was held to be a payment on account and accordingly the widow was paid only the balance of £8 14s. I will, however look again into the circumstances of the grant.

asked the right hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing

asked the Secretary of State for War whether work has yet begun upon the construction of the new strategic railway from Zagazig to Kafr ez-Zayat and Mit-Ghanu, on the Nile; and, if not, will he give an assurance that the British military authorities will ensure that no further postponement takes place for the

The Forestry Commission have planted up to the present time on their Hardknott estate 186,000 trees, of which 167,000 are coniferous and 19,000 broad-leaved species. Broad-leaved trees are being planted where conditions are suitable, but it so happens that on the greater part of the area already taken in hand the conditions are not suitable.

asked the right hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, how much land, arable, pasture, and derelict, has been taken over in Wales for afforestation during the last three years; and whether he can give the figures by counties?

The Forestry Commissioners classify their land as agricultural, plantable and unplantable. During the last three years they acquired the following areas in Wales and Monmouthshire:purpose of considering alternative routes or for any other reason?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. As regards the second part, the railway named is only part of a comprehensive programme spread over several years. The Egyptian Government cannot be expected to carry out all parts at once and the relative priority to be given to individual items is a matter for decision from time to time.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the holding of Territorial camps in Breconshire and Radnorshire used to be appreciated both by those who took part and also by the local communities; and, as camps in the areas mentioned have in recent times decreased in number, will he take steps to revive them on the old scale?

I am glad to know that the holding of Territorial Camps in this neighbourhood was appreciated by the local community, and I am arranging for the suggestion in the last part of the question to be brought to the notice of the authorities responsible for the selection of camp sites.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in order to alleviate the strain upon shipping in the event of war, he will consider measures to encourage the people of this country to consume and farmers to produce vegetables and such foods as do not depend for their production upon raw materials imported from abroad?

A proposal to encourage the consumption and production of, e.g., vegetables and cereals in preference to meat and livestock products which may depend wholly or partly on imported feeding stuffs, raises large issues of social, economic and agricultural policy. In general, the Government's policy is to promote the development of agriculture in those directions best suited to our conditions of soil and climate, and they consider that this is the soundest basis for preparing for the expansion of production in time of war.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Town Council of Stockton-on-Tees have refused facilities for their medical officer of health to assist the Ministry in the investigation of nutrition problems; and whether such assistance would involve long or frequent absence from local duties?

I have been in communication with the town council, who have informed me that they very much regret that it is not in present circumstances possible for them to release their Medical Officer of Health, who is a full-time officer of the Corporation, to undertake this proposed investigation. The investigation would entail about one day per fortnight for one year.

asked the Minister of Health what is the total amount spent or allocated for housing subsidies or contributions in England and Wales since 1918 by the State and local authorities, respectively; and how many dwellings do these payments represent?

It is estimated that the total cost to the Exchequer and local rate funds of contributions in respect of housing in England and Wales since 1918, up to the end of March, 1938, will be £193,500,000 and £44,000,000 respectively. The precise number of dwellings to which these payments will relate cannot be stated, but up to the end of December, 1937, approximately 1,366,000 dwellings had been completed with Exchequer assistance by local authorities and private enterprise under the various Housing Acts.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he can state the total quantity of coal used, and the average price per ton paid, by undertakings engaged in the production of gas, electricity, iron and steel, and railway undertakings, respectively, during each of the last six years?

Information in regard to the quantity of coal used by these industries in 1937 is not yet available, but figures for the years 1931–36 will be found on page 160 of my Sixteenth Annual Report. The available information in regard to average cost is as follows:

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he has received from the Royal Scottish Automobile Club a report on the result of its official test of a high-speed gas lorry; and, if so, whether he will state the findings?

I have received no copy of the report referred to from the Royal Scottish Automobile Club, but I was furnished with a copy at the time by one of the companies interested in the trials. As regards the second part of the question I understand that the report was published.

asked the Secretary for Mines what progress has been made in the utilisation of high-speed gas for road transport vehicles; and whether, in view of the fact that this involves the direct gasification of anthracite and other solid fuel on the vehicle, he will consider taking steps to encourage a development which is of great significance to the coal industry?

With regard to the first part of the question, I understand that several road transport vehicles running on producer gas are at present in use in this country for experimental or demonstration purposes. With regard to the second part of the question, encouragement has been given to the development of this type of vehicle in the form of taxation relief, viz., there is no duty payable on the fuel and for the heavier types of vehicles using coal or coke the rate of duty is lower than for vehicles using petrol or diesel oil.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he can state the number of persons employed at the coal mines of South Wales and Monmouthshire during the month of December in the years 1935, 1936, and 1937, respectively?

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he will give the number of persons employed at each of the collieries situate within the area of Rhondda urban district during the month of December in the years 1935, 1936, and 1937, respectively?

The statement is too lengthy for publication in the OFFICIAL REPORT, and I am therefore sending the information to the hon. Member.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many Royal Air Force pilots or observers have been killed in the last six months; and whether the subsequent inquiry into these cases has indicated that any of these regrettable occurrences should have been avoidable?

I regret to say that in the last six months 90 personnel of the Royal Air Force were killed in flying accidents to Service aircraft. A number of accidents were found to be due apparently in various degrees to errors of judgment; but in only a few cases did the investigation show that there had been a contravention of orders or regulations, the proper observance of which might have obviated an accident.