asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will supply a list of the municipal aerodromes now in existence in this country, together with the approximate cost of each; the number of regular air services making use of them; and what was the profit or loss incurred on each during the last year for which figures are available?

I regret that the approximate cost of the aerodromes is not immediately available, but I am taking steps to obtain the information from the local authorities concerned, and will communicate with my hon. Friend when this is available. The other information required is as follows:

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give for each of the administrative counties of England and Wales the total rate in the £ levied for the financial year ending 31st March, 1938, and the similar figure to be levied for the financial year ending 31st March, 1939?[NOTE.—The amounts in the £ for each county shown in columns 3 and 6 represent the aggregates of the rate poundages for each special county purpose for which a separate rate is levied. There are areas in each county which are exempt from contributing to one or more of the special county purposes, and consequently the amounts entered in columns 3 and 6, and the totals entered in columns 4 and 7 are greater than the actual rate poundages of the precepts issued by the county council in respect of such areas.]

The following statement shows of rate poundages of the precepts of the county councils (other than the London County Council) in England and Wales for general county purposes and special county purposes in respect of each of the financial years 1937–38 and 1938–39, after deducting the block grants payable to those councils under the Local Government Act, 1929, and other credits.

asked the Minister of Health whether, taking the different boroughs in the Greater London area, he will state the extent to which overcrowding under the Housing Act of 1935 has now been actually reduced in each case?

Medical Officers of Health are required to report annually on the abatement of overcrowding in their areas. Their reports for the year 1937 are not yet available, but I will furnish my hon. Friend with the information he seeks when I am in possession of it.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can state the total estimated rate to be levied for public assistance expenditure during the next financial year in Glamorganshire, Monmouthshire, and Durham, and also for Surrey, Middlesex, and Kent?

Since 1st April, 1930, it has not been possible to state what is the equivalent rate in the £ of the cost of any particular service included in the total rate levied, inasmuch as in arriving at the latter figure account has to be taken of the block grant under the Local Government Act, 1929, which is applicable to local government services generally and cannot be allocated between individual services. The following statement shows (in column 2) for each of the Administrative Counties mentioned by the hon. Member the estimated requirements for public assistance during the year 1938–39 expressed as a rate in the £, before making any allowance for the block grant. The total amount, as provisionally calculated, of the block grant (i.e., the County Apportionment) payable in respect of the year 1938–39 to the various authorities in each of the Administrative Counties in question is shown as an estimated rate in the £ in column 3.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has considered the resolution of the Scottish Co-operative Women's Guild, transmitted to him by the hon. Member for Greenock; and what action he has taken in connection therewith?

I have received from the hon. and learned Member the resolution to which he refers. I do not propose to take any action upon it.

asked the Prime Minister whether any claim for compensation has yet been presented to the Japanese Government in respect of attacks on His Majesty's ships "Ladybird," "Cricket," and "Scarab" between Nanking and Wuhu on 13th December last, when one naval rating was killed and casualties inflicted, in addition to the damage to His Majesty's ship "Ladybird"; and, if so, whether any payment has been received?

A claim has been made in respect of the killing and wounding of two members of the crew of His Majesty's ship "Ladybird," and this has already been paid and a claim for the material damage will shortly be presented.

asked the Prime Minister whether any claim for compensation has yet been presented to the Japanese Government in respect of the damage to the two British river steamers "Tuck-wo" and "Tatung" and a British hulk on the Yangtze river on 5th December; and, if so, whether any payment has been received?

Instructions have been sent to His Majesty's Ambassador in Tokyo for a claim to be presented. No payment has yet been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs when it is proposed to issue a White Paper on the present conditions prevailing in Newfoundland; and how far proposals put forward for improving the financial and economic conditions have been given effect to, and with what results?

I hope to receive in the near future the Annual Report of the Commission of Government for 1937; it will then be published as a Command Paper. The report will describe the main features of the work of the Commission of Government during the year and will deal generally with financial and economic conditions in the Island. In the meantime I may say that, in spite of trade diffiulties in certain foreign markets, the latest figures of revenue and of employment conditions are distinctly encouraging. The relief figures during the last few months have been lower than in any recent winter and revenue for the first eight months (July-February) of the current financial year exceeded by some $1,400,000 that for the corresponding period of 1936–37.

asked the Secretary for Mines what was the approximate amount of light and heavy oil, respectively, produced from British coal during 1937; and how these amounts were divided amongst the various processes?

Complete particulars of the production of oil from coal during 1937 are not yet available. With the exception of the information relating to hydrogenation, which has been supplied by the courtesy of Imperial Chemical Industries, Limited, the figures given below are estimates.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the public anxiety on this subject, he can now inform the House of the result of his consideration of the practicability of a scheme for compensating owners of property for damage done by enemy aircraft which should be put into effect on the outbreak of hostilities; and will he publish the details of such a scheme?

I cannot at present add to the answers I gave on the 2nd and 9th November to the hon. Member for Dudley (Mr. Joel).

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will state those countries in which broadcasting services are operated by the State, those in which the State does not operate but has full power to use and exercises it, and those in which the State has nothing to do with broadcasting in any form?

I am making inquiries and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the facilities for collecting contributions for hospital purposes by arrangement, by way of deduction from the pay of workers in the Admiralty service, will be available both to industrial and non-industrial workers; and when the machinery for taking such contributions will be put into operation at the Royal Naval Torpedo Factory, Greenock?

As regards the first part of the question, the scheme of deduction from pay for hospital purposes through a central organisation will be made available to non-industrials as well as to industrial workers. As regards the second part I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply given by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 16th March.