asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of his recommendation to householders and industrialists to provide their own splinter-proof air-raid shelters, he will take appropriate steps to prevent any increase on this account of the rateable value of premises thus equipped?

The basis of assessment for local rates has been prescribed by Statute and the determination of assessments in accordance with the Statute is a matter entirely for the local assessment committee, subject to a right of appeal to the courts. My right hon. Friend has no jurisdiction in the matter.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware of serious delays in the acceptance by local authorities of the building plans of private air-raid shelters submitted to them for approval, due to the inexperience of their staff in these problems; and whether he will consider approving certain types of standardised shelter construction so that these delays may be reduced and construction expedited?

I am not aware of the delays to which my hon. Friend refers but I shall be very glad to look into the matter if he will give me particulars.

asked the Home Secretary the number of junior station inspectors trained in the police college for the Metropolitan Police, and the number of these students now serving with the Metropolitan Police?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend to a question by the hon. Member for Lambeth, North (Mr. G. Strauss) on 3rd March.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that Dr. L. Grunis, of Peckham, was summoned for leaving his car outside a house for 15 minutes when visiting a patient, and was fined 10s. at the Old Street police court on 25th February last; and, in order that doctors may carry on their professional duties, will he instruct the police not to bring actions of this kind against them or, alternatively, will he take steps to get the law altered?

The law relating to the obstruction of the highway applies to all vehicles alike. My right hon. Friend has no authority to advise the police to refrain from enforcing it against any particular class of the community, nor does he on present information see grounds for the introduction of legislation on the lines suggested. So far, however, as is consistent with their duty to prevent obstruction of the highway, the police already endeavour to allow a reasonable latitude to drivers who have good reason to leave their vehicles waiting on the streets for short periods.

asked the Home Secretary whether he can state the number of cases in which pedestrians have been prosecuted by motorists for negligence during the last 12 months?

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that during 1937 one pedestrian was prosecuted by the police for failing to cross the road on a pedestrian crossing with reasonable despatch, but he is not aware of any prosecutions of pedestrians by motorists. I regret that I have no information about the rest of the country.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has received notification of the intention of the Italian Government to grant independence to the province of Gojam, which is recognised by the Abyssinian declaration of 1925 as a British sphere of influence?

I am unaware of any such intention on the part of the Italian Government, or of any Abyssinian declaration of 1925 such as that referred to by the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will state the total amount of money that was paid to Imperial Airways, Limited, during the Government financial years 1935, 1936, and 1937, and the estimated amount for 1938?

The amounts paid to Imperial Airways in respect of the carriage of mails for the years ended 31st March, 1936 and 1937, were £580,000 and £685,000, respectively; the estimated amount for the year ending 31st March, 1938, is £740,000. I regret I am not in a position to say what payments are likely to be made to the company for the year ending 31st March, 1939.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the total cost of payments made for postal services to the British mercantile marine, to foreign railway companies and Governments, and to Imperial Airways, respectively?

The total payments made by the Post Office in the calendar year 1937 for the services mentioned were approximately as follow:

	£	£
British Mercantile Marine		680,000
Imperial Postal Administrations	475,000
Foreign Postal Administrations	740,000
		1,215,000
Imperial Airways		735,000

No direct payments were made to foreign railway companies other than the National Society of Belgian Railways which operates the parcel post services in Belgium. The payment to the Belgian Railways under this head (about £16,000 a year) is included in the figure of £740,000.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any licences have been issued for the supply of war material to Japan since 1st February; and, if so, whether he can give details?

Yes, Sir, two. As regards the second part of the question, I would refer to the reply given by my right hon. Friend on 15th February to the hon. and gallant Member for Nuneaton (Lieut.-Commander Fletcher).

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that according to the figures in Table 280 of the Statistical Abstract, just published, the imports to the United Kingdom from the Dutch West Indies rose from £182,350 in 1923 to £12,543,691 in 1936, and that the imports from the British West Indies over the same period have only risen from £5,886,473 to £8,007,651; to what he attributes the comparatively favourable development of trade with the Dutch West Indies; and what steps are being taken to ensure that trade with the British West Indies develops along equally satisfactory lines?

I am aware of the statistics to which my hon. Friend refers. The explanation lies in the development in the Dutch West Indies of facilities for refining the crude petroleum produced in the adjacent parts of Venezuela. Almost the entire volume of imports from the Dutch West Indies consist of petroleum which accounted for £12,530,000 in 1936. Apart from the exports of oil from Trinidad worth £908,000 in 1923 and £2,315,000 in 1936, the exports of the British West Indies consist in the main of agricultural products which already enjoy considerable margins of preference.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any report has been received by his Department as to the cause of the recent deaths on board the liner the "Llanstephan Castle "?

Yes, Sir. Three members of the crew are certified to have died in Port Sudan Hospital on the 13th, 14th and 16th February of malignant malaria. Another member of the crew died on board the vessel on the 8th February and the primary cause of his death is stated in the log to have been amoebic dysentery. As a result of his inquiry into this death, the Superintendent of the Mercantile Marine Office has endorsed the log to the effect that there is not sufficient evidence available to enable him to say whether the statement of the cause of death in the log is in his opinion true or not.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is aware that in the Handbuch Der Luftfahrt, recently published in Germany, detailed figures are given of the numbers of British first-line and reserve aircraft of different categories, as at 1st March, 1937. together with an estimate of the position at the end of 1937; and how the figures were available in Germany when it is not considered in the public interest to disclose them to Parliament in this country?

I am acquainted with this publication; but the hon. Member would do wrong to assume that the figures to which he refers accurately represent the position.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will give a specified list of the miscellaneous grades of the civilian staff of the Air Ministry, of whom 35 per cent. are established?

The following is the list:—

• Assistants, Grades I, II and III, in the Meteorological Office and the Joint Directorate of Research and Development.
• Architectural and Civil Engineering Assistants.
• Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Assistants.
• Draughtsmen.
• Examiners.
• Laboratory Assistants.
• Stores and Accounts Officers.
• Retired Officers.
• Translators.
• Surveyors' Clerks.
• Meteorological Office Clerks.
• Air Service Clerks, Grades I, II and III.
• Temporary Clerical Staff.
• Telephone Typists and Phonogram Operators.
• Packers and Storeman.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state the compassionate grounds on which discharge by purchase would at present be granted in the case of engine-room artificers, 4th class?

At present, the discharge of trained men cannot be approved except where there are very strong compassionate grounds or other circumstances of a quite exceptional nature. Instances vary so widely that it is impracticable to state what compassionate grounds would be regarded as justifying discharge, but each application is examined very fully on its merits.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider introducing legislation to allow of aged persons who are housed in local authorities' special housing schemes for same, and whose pensions are now retained by the local authorities, to receive their old age pensions without deductions?

I was not aware of the existence of the practice to which the hon. Member refers and, if he will furnish me with particulars of a specific case, I will look into the matter.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the number of days each year given as holidays with pay by the Westminster City Council?

Local authorities are not required to give me information in this matter, but I have communicated with the Westminster City Council, and am sending the hon. Member a copy of their reply.