asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will provide a statement showing the quantity of homegrown potatoes produced during the years 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, and 1937?

The following statement gives the estimated total production of potatoes in Great Britain in the years mentioned.

Year.			Production (tons).
Average—
1927–31	…	…	3,980,000
1932	…	…	4,450,000
1933	…	…	4,555,000
1934	…	…	4,464,000
1935	…	…	3,765,000
1936	…	…	3,804,000
1937	…	…	4,048,000

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will state the amount raised during 1937 from the levy on millers in respect of the subsidy to homegrown wheat?

I am informed that the net amount of quota payments levied on flour milled in the United Kingdom during the calendar year 1937 was approximately £480,000. In addition quota payments amounting to approximately £55,000 were, during the year, levied on imported flour.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what was the proportion of barley, not of malting quality, produced at home and imported, respectively, in 1913 and in 1937?

It is not possible, on the data available, to estimate what proportion of the supply of barley, not of malting quality, were produced at home and were imported, respectively, in the year 1913, and it is too early to estimate what were the proportions in 1937. On the latest information available, however, it is probable that about one-third of the present supply of non-malting barley is home produced and about two-thirds imported.

asked the Minister of Agriculture at what date the veterinary services to be provided under Section 24 of the Agriculture Act, 1937, will be available for the industry?

I hope it will be posible to provide the services referred to by my hon. Friend as from the beginning of the next blood-testing season, namely, 1st July.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will provide a statement showing the quantity of home-grown hops produced during the years 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, and 1937?

The following statement gives the estimated production of hops in England in the years mentioned:

Year.				Production (cwt.).
1932	…	…	…	188,000
1933	…	…	…	216,000
1934	…	…	…	259,000
1935	…	…	…	248,000
1936	…	…	…	252,000
1937	…	…	…	235,000

asked the Minister of Agriculture in how many cases the right to go to arbitration, in accordance with the Arbitration Acts, has been utilised by milk producers or producer-retailers following a decision of the Milk Marketing Board to impose upon them a penalty for infringement of the milk marketing scheme?

I am informed by the Milk Marketing Board that out of 1,610 cases in which penalties have been imposed since the inception of the scheme, references to arbitration have been made in 185 cases.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will consider the appeal that has been made to have a representative from Glamorgan and Monmouthshire industrial areas upon the Welsh Advisory Sub-Committee of the Livestock Industry Act?

The members of the Welsh Sub-Committee of the Livestock Advisory Committee were nominated by the appropriate organisations to represent their respective interests in Wales as a whole. I do not consider it practicable to provide for territorial representation.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will state the British Government directors who have been appointed since the beginning on British Airways, Limited, and the salaries received?

As regards the first part of the question, the only appointment of a Government director made to the board of British Airways was that of Lord Monsell, whose appointment took effect from 13th December last. As regards the last part of the question, the remuneration of the Government director is not payable from public funds but is included in the sum of £1,200 annually allocated by the company for the remuneration of the board of directors as a whole.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air since what date requests have been received from Governors of the West Indian Colonies, for a British West Indian air service; and what decisions have been arrived at?

I have been asked to reply to this question. The possibility of the establishment of a British air service in the West Indies has been considered from time to time since 1926, but it has not so far proved practicable to arrange for the establishment of such a service. The question is being further examined at the present time, in consultation with the West Indian Governors, but I am not yet in a position to say whether the establishment of any such service is likely to prove practicable, and, if so, when it could be inaugurated.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what were the imports of cod liver oil from Norway for the years 1929 and 1937; and whether he has any statement to make thereon?

Total imports into the United Kingdom of cod liver oil consigned from Norway amounted to 1,894 tons during 1929 and to 383 tons during 1937. Since the duty of 1s. 4d. per gallon was imposed on foreign cod liver oil under the Ottawa Agreements Act, 1932, imports from Newfoundland have increased and there has been a substantial development of United Kingdom production.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give the average prices for imported sulphite and mechanical wood-pulp per ton for 1935, 1936, and 1937, and the average prices of imported newsprint per ton for these years?

The following table shows the average prices in the United Kingdom in 1935, 1936 and 1937 of certain descriptions of sulphite wood-pulp and mechanical wood-pulp, and the average declared values of imported newsprint in those years.

Description.	1935.	1936.	1937.
	£ per ton.
Chemical wood pulp, sulphite, strong.	7·19	8·16	15·20
Mechanical wood pulp, pine, 50 per cent moist, prompt, c.i.f.	1·90	2·15	3·50
Newsprint in rolls	9·42	8·60	8·70

The prices of wood pulp are the averages of the quotations published in "The World's Paper Trade Review." Quotations for newsprint are not available.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has considered the need in the Western Islands and Highlands for direct telephonic facilities between all district nurses' cottages and the residences of local doctors, which are often many miles apart, in view of difficulties of communication at present, especially at night; and whether he will give special assistance in making the necessary arrangements?

Requests for special concessions as regards telephone charges are frequently received from doctors, nurses, nursing associations, nursing homes, rest homes, charity homes, institutions for the blind, and almshouses, as well as fire brigades, police and municipal authorities. It is not practicable to discriminate between the various classes I have mentioned, all of which can advance claims for special treatment. I am, however, informed that the Department of Health for Scotland make grants from the Highlands and Islands (Medical Service) Fund for the improvement of telephone facilities connected with medical services in the Highlands and Islands.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can state the number of Africans engaged in tin- and gold-mining in Western Africa and the areas involved?

In the British Dependencies in West Africa, tin is mined in Nigeria; and gold, and other minerals, in the Gold Coast, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. The average daily number of Africans employed during the year to 31st March, 1937, in the mining industry in the Gold Coast was 35,350, of whom 25,708 were engaged on gold reef mining, 1,383 on gold alluvial mining and 2,300 on gold prospecting.In Nigeria, the average number of Africans employed in the mining industries during the year 1936 was 45,120. Of that total, approximately 54·5 per cent. were employed in the tin industry and approximately 30·5 per cent. were employed in the gold industry.In Sierra Leone, the average number of Africans employed during 1936 in connection with prospecting and mining was 13,655, of whom 9,756 were employed in the gold industry.Tin mining and much of the gold mining in West Africa is alluvial in character, i.e. only involves surface working and not underground mining.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will give the names of the local authorities which provide telephones in the homes of their councillors; and, in each case, how far the expense incurred in connection with these telephones is borne by the local authority?

I have consulted the three associations of local authorities in Scotland and they are not aware of any authorities which provide telephones in the houses of their councillors. I understand that the larger authorities provide telephones in their offices for the use of councillors on official business.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any decision has yet been taken by His Majesty's Government with regard to the control of immigration into Palestine after the 31st of March next?

Yes, Sir. The decisions which have been taken by His Majesty's Government have been embodied in a despatch to the High Commissioner for Palestine, which is quoted below:—

"Downing Street,

10th March, 1938.

Palestine.

No. 248.

Sir,

I have the honour to inform you that His Majesty's Government have recently had under consideration the question of the procedure to be adopted for the regulation of Jewish immigration into Palestine on the expiry of the special restrictions which have been imposed for the eight months period August, 1937, to March, 1938, in accordance with the terms of paragraph 6 of the Statement of Policy of July last (Cmd. 5513).

2. I desire, in the first place, to explain the grounds on which His Majesty's Government felt it necessary to propose, in the Statement of Policy, that Jewish immigration during the eight months period August, 1937, to March, 1938, should be subject to an overriding maximum of 8,000. You will be aware that in Part II (Chapter X) of their Report the Royal Commission recommended that a 'political high level' of Jewish immigration should be laid down by His Majesty's Government and that the high level for the next five years should be fixed at 12,000 per annum. But Part II of the Report presupposed the continuance in operation of the existing Mandate, and its major recommendations have not yet been adopted by His Majesty's Government, who came to the conclusion that the best and most hopeful solution lay in a scheme of partition on the lines recommended in Part III of the Royal Commission's Report.

3. It was clear that the decision of His Majesty's Government in favour of the policy of partition could not be translated into action until after a further period of investigation and preparation, and it became necessary to consider the question of the steps to be taken to regulate Jewish immigration during the interim period. In Chapter XXII of their Report the Commission dealt with the transition period 'in the immediate future if it should be agreed to terminate the Mandate and establish a treaty system on a basis of partition. For this period the Commission proposed that instead of the 'political high level' there should be a territorial restriction on Jewish immigration. 'No Jewish immigration into the Arab area should be permitted.… The volume of Jewish immigration should be determined by the economic absorptive capacity of Palestine less the Arab area.'

4. The Commission had not, however, made any recommendation with regard to the control of immigration during the immediate interim period between the issue of the Statement of Policy and a final decision with regard to partition. As the prospective boundaries of the Arab and Jewish areas could not be predicted and must remain uncertain until a decision has been taken on the Report of the new Commission which will shortly visit Palestine, it was not practicable to adopt the procedure recommended by the Royal Commission in respect of the 'transition period' to which they refer in Chapter XXII of their Report.

5. Seeing that the declared object of their policy, as set out in the White Paper of July last, was a scheme of partition under which Jewish immigration would be confined to a limited area, His Majesty's Government felt that it was impossible, during the interim period of preparatory investigation, to allow immigration to be determined by the economic absorptive capacity of the whole of Palestine, and that a temporary and admittedly arbitrary restriction of immigration was inevitable. It was in accordance with this view that an overriding limit of 8,000 immigrants was laid down for the eight months August, 1937, to March, 1938, and powers for this purpose were conferred upon the High Commissioner by the addition of a new section (.5 A) to the Immigration Ordinance.

6. Section 5A of the Immigration Ordinance, which empowers the High Commissioner to prescribe the maximum aggregate number of foreigners to be admitted to Palestine as immigrants during any specified period, to prescribe categories and to fix the maximum number of persons to be admitted in respect of each category, expires on the 31st March, 1938, or on such later date as the High Commissioner in Council, with the approval of the Secretary of State, by notice in the Gazette may appoint'. After full consideration. His Majesty's Government have decided that there has been no such change in the situation since August as would justify withdrawal from the High Commissioner of the powers of prescription conferred upon him by Section 5A, and that the validity of this section should be extended for a further period of twelve months. If, at the end of that period, it is still considered essential that the High Commissioner should retain these additional powers, the necessary legislation will be enacted. At the same time, His Majesty's Government desire to make it known that it is their intention, once the boundaries of the various areas under an equitable and practicable scheme of partition have been defined and so long as the existing Mandate continues in operation, that the entry of Jewish immigrants shall be regulated, so far as concerns the non-Arab areas, by the principle of economic absorptive capacity.

7. Consideration has also been given to the question of the specific application after the 31st March next of the powers conferred by Section 5A of the Immigration Ordinance. This section is purely permissive, and His Majesty's Government have decided that in the first instance the power of prescription should be exercised by the High Commissioner for a period of six months only, from April to September, 1938, leaving open for later consideration the procedure to be adopted after that date.

8. As regards the restrictions to be imposed, the attention of His Majesty's Government has been drawn to various representations received from the Jewish Agency and from other sources; and they realise that there is considerable force in the contentions which have been submitted in favour of the more generous admission, on economic grounds, of persons of independent means and, on grounds of humanity, of the class of dependant defined in Section 2 (1) of the Immigration Ordinance, that is to say, wives and children of immigrants.

9. With these considerations in mind, and with a view to diminishing to some extent the element of arbitrariness which is involved under present temporary arrangements while at the same time avoiding any considerable change in the total rate of immigration in the immediate interim period. His Majesty's Government have decided that the following procedure shall be adopted for the six months period April-September, 1938:

(a) Persons of independent means. (Category A (i)—capital of £1,000.)

His Majesty's Government have decided that 2,000 shall be fixed as the maximum number of immigrants of this category. There will, however, be no objection to the admission, if you see fit, within this quota, of ten pensioners (Category A (iv)) and twenty agricultural settlers with capital of not less than £500 (Category A (v)), whose admission was recommended by your predecessor. Categories A (ii) (members of professions with capital of £500) and A (iii) (persons skilled in trades or crafts with capital of £250) will remain closed.

(b) Students. (Category B (iii).)

Students as defined in Category B (iii), that is to say, 'any student whose admission to an educational institution in Palestine and whose maintenance is assured until such time as he is able to support himself/ will be admitted without numerical restriction, subject to compliance with the conditions imposed in the Immigration Regulations. Categories B (i) (orphans) and B (ii) (persons of religious occupation) will remain closed.

(c) Labour immigrants. (Category C.)

I understand that, according to estimates prepared by the Government of Palestine, Arab unemployment in seven selected towns amounted to 21,000, and Jewish unemployment (combining whole and part time unemployment) amounted to 12,000 on the 31st December last. In the circumstances, it is obvious that at the present time the admission of additional immigrants of the labour class is not justifiable. His Majesty's Government have, however, approved of your fixing a quota of 1,000 for this category on the understanding that it will be left to you to decide, in the light of economic circumstances, whether any labour immigration shall be permitted during the six months period, and if so, when and to what extent.

(d) Dependants. (Category D.)

Near dependants, as defined in Section 2 (1) of the Immigration Ordinance, that is to say, wives and children, both of new immigrants and of immigrants who have already entered the country legally, will be admitted without numerical restriction subject to proper inquiry and investigation. As regards other dependants (parents, etc.), a quota of 200 will be allowed in order to meet individual cases of exceptional hardship.

10. I shall be obliged if you will take such legal and administrative action as is necessary to give effect to these decisions. You may furnish the Jewish Agency with a copy of this despatch, which should also be published in the Gazette.

I have, etc.,

(Sgd.) W. ORMSBY-GORE.

High Commissioner,

Sir Harold MacMichael, K.C., M.G., D.S.O."

asked the hon. Member for Swansea West, as representing the Charity Commissioners, whether the Commissioners will evolve a scheme for the utilisation of all unused balances of relief funds, so that these could be pooled and made available when necessary?

Without legislative authority it is doubtful whether the Charity Commissioners would have power to establish a scheme which would pool the unused balances of all relief funds. As there are differences of opinion on the question whether such a scheme is desirable, it appears that in view of the provisions of Section 5 of the Charitable Trusts Act, 1860, any such scheme should be established by the court.