asked the Prime Minister whether he has come to a decision as to the desirability of moving to appoint a Select Committee to inquire into the conditions of supply and sale of coal, with special reference to the prices charged to the ultimate consumers?

No, Sir. I would like, if possible, to consult my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and I hope to be able to do so in about a week's time.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware that under the present administration of the Price Control Board the prices have risen in the West of Scotland in the case of Barony washed gum from 11s. 6d. per ton in 1935 to 18s. in 1937, and in the case of double-screened dross from 16s. 9d. in 1935 to 22s. 6d. in 1937; and whether he will inquire into the working of this board and report to the House before proceeding with the Coal Bill?

I have no information with regard to the prices of particular grades of coal, but the Scottish Committee of Investigation are competent to deal with any allegations that, owing to the operation of the Scottish scheme, those prices are unreasonable.

asked the Minister of Health which rural district councils in England and Wales have made arrangements with private builders under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1933; and what is the total number of houses involved in such arrangements?

By the 31st December, 1937, the following rural district councils had given guarantees in respect of a total of 2,689 houses:

Barrow - upon -Soar.	Keighley.
	Northwich.
Cheadle.	Rotherham.
Chesterfield.	Wakefield.
Congleton.	Wallingford.
Doncaster.	Whiston.
Easthampstead.	Winchester.
Flaxton.	Worksop.

In addition, at the same date, guarantees had been promised by, or were the subject of active negotiations with, the following rural district councils in respect of 500 houses:

Chesterfield.	Wakefield.
Eastry.	Whiston.
Rotherham.	Winchester.

asked the Minister of Health when a decision can be expected with respect to the Worsley Hulton West Ward scheme?

My decision will be issued within the next few days.

asked the Home Secretary whether the Scottish Osteopathic Research Institute is licensed to perform vivisections; and whether he can state where the experiments on rats were performed that are referred to in the first Report of the Scottish Osteopathic Research Institute?

The Scottish Osteopathic Research Institute is not a registered place under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876. The experiments in question were performed at the Institute of Animal Genetics, which is a registered Department of the University of Edinburgh.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give, for the calendar year 1937, the original gravity of beer produced in England, in Scotland, and in Great Britain; and the original gravity of beer imported into the United Kingdom during the same period?

The average original gravity of beer produced in England and Northern Ireland, in Scotland and in Great Britain during the calendar year 1937 was as follows:

England and Northern
Ireland	1040.99°
Scotland	1041.98°
Great Britain	1041.07°

The average original gravity of beer imported into the United Kingdom during the year 1937 was 1052.84°.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is considering admitting the final examination of the Incorporated Society of Auctioneers as a qualification for posts in the Civil Service; and, if so, when a decision will be reached?

This question is at present under consideration, and I hope that a decision will shortly be reached.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether expenditure incurred on air-raid precautions in connection with private dwellings will attract an allowance for Income Tax on the same basis as repairs?

For Income Tax purposes no allowance can be made for expenditure which is of a capital nature. In so far, however, as the expenditure which the hon. Member has in mind could be regarded as in the nature of maintenance or repairs, it would be eligible for inclusion in a maintenance claim under rule 8 of No. V of Schedule A of the Income Tax Act, 1918. The question of the category within which any particular item of expenditure falls is ultimately one for the determination of the various local bodies of General Commissioners

asked the Secretary of State for War how many married soldiers over the age of 26 years who are entitled to married quarters are at present unable to obtain these owing to lack of accommodation?

There are about 1,380 soldiers on the married quarters roll who are not in quarters, and some of these do not desire to have quarters allotted.

asked the Secretary of State for War why his Department has abandoned the use in the provision of seats for lorry-drivers of curled hair or hair padding for spring interiors of such seats by preference to a rubber preparation; whether recent tendering was confined to the use of this rubber preparation; and what is the cost to the taxpayer of the rubber product and the curled-hair product, respectively?

Rubber-filled seats have been specified in contracts for vehicles as they give greater comfort to the soldier when travelling over bad ground and on long journeys, especially when he is wearing equipment. Their extra initial cost compared with the hair-filled pattern is found to be more than outweighed by their longer life and reduced maintenance cost. Trials of other types of cushions are constantly being undertaken.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will institute inquiries in some or all county courts with a view to ascertaining what proportion of judgment summonses during 1937 were issued in respect of hire-purchase agreements?

To ascertain the proportion of judgment summonses that were issued in respect of hire-purchase agreements would involve examination of the documents in the actions in the whole of the county courts, a task which I feel I should not be justified in asking the courts to undertake.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state the ages of the artificers promoted to commissioned rank in 1937 on the date of their commissions and the age limits of Dartmouth College and special entry cadets on being commissioned?

The ages of the engine-room artificers who were promoted to the rank of Acting Sub-Lieutenant (E) during 1937 ranged from 22 years 6 months to 24 years 6 months at the time of promotion.Officers from the R.N. College, Dartmouth, normally reach the rank of Acting Sub-Lieutenant (E) between the ages of 20 and 20 years 4 months and those for the special entry, between the ages of 20 years 4 months and 22 years. At present, however, the promotion of these officers to that rank takes place a little earlier, as the training period has been shortened as a temporary measure.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state the number of engine-room artificers and stoker ratings who, in 1937, were reported on the special form from the shore-training and other establishments and sea-going ships, respectively, as likely to make suitable commissioned officers; the number on 1st January, 1937, continuing from previous years; the number terminated during the year; and the number continuing at present?

The information required by the hon. Member is contained in the following table:

Engine-Room Artificers and Stoker Ratings reported as likely to be suitable for Commissioned Rank.
Number of reports current, 1st January, 1937	34
Number of reports started during 1937, in shore establishments	12
Number of reports started during 1937, in sea-going ships	22
Number of reports terminated during 1937	18
Number of reports at present current	51*
* Includes one started in 1938.