asked the Secretary of State for War whether any cases of smallpox have been reported recently amongst British troops in Hong Kong?

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for War on what grounds soldiers stationed in England are warned that unless they have their children immunized against diphtheria they must pay for any medical treatment if their children contract diphtheria?

Immunization against diphtheria is on an entirely voluntary basis and there is no regulation that payment for medical treatment would be enforced if non-immunized children contract this disease.

asked the hon. Member for Swansea, West, as representing the Charity Commissioners, whether any charge is made for the holding of funds by the official trustee of charitable funds or the holding of land by the official trustee of charitable lands; and, if so, what is the amount of charge?

No charge is made for the holding of funds by the Official Trustees of Charitable Funds or for the holding of land by the Official Trustee of Charity Lands.

asked the hon. Member for West Swansea, as representing the Charity Commissioners, whether any charges are made by the Charity Commissioners for the preparation or establishment of schemes for the regulation of charities; and, if so, under what circumstances such charges are made and what is the amount of any such charge?

No charges are made by the Charity Commissioners for the preparation or establishment of schemes for the regulation of charities.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Rim-rose Brook drainage scheme is being held up because the report of the scientific and industrial research department on the effect of the discharge of crude sewage into the River Mersey has not been published; and when it will be published?

The report to which my hon. Friend refers was published at the beginning of this week, and I am in communication with the Joint Committee on the matter.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is initiating a comprehensive investigation into the extent and causes of incapacitating sickness, with a view of reducing the cost to the community of such items as the 31,000,000 weeks of working time now lost annually in this country from industrial sickness alone?

The matter to which the hon. Member refers is receiving my consideration.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the average amount of grant given under the Housing (Rural Workers) Acts, 1926 and 1931, the aggregate amount of grants, and the number of grants for £100?

Up to the 31st December, 1937, the latest date for which figures are available, the average amount of grant given under the Housing (Rural Workers) Acts was about £83. At that date the aggregate amount of assistance given by. way of grant was £1,136,412. I regret that information in regard to the last part of the question is not available in my Department.

asked the Minister of Health how many applications for grants under the Housing (Rural Workers) Acts, 1926 and 1931, have been received and how many have been acceded to?

Up to the 31st December, 1937, the latest date for which figures are available, applications for assistance by way of grants had been made in respect of 24,106 dwellings. At that date assistance by way of grant had been promised in respect of 16,995 dwellings.

asked the Prime Minister whether facilities can be given to firms who wish to conduct their staff parties to Paris during the holiday weekends for educational purposes, which they have been doing for some years past, to secure temporary passports at a reduced rate, instead of being put to the expense of obtaining ordinary passports?

I regret that it is not possible to arrange for the issue of temporary passports at reduced rates to meet the requirements of parties proceeding abroad for week-end visits. Certain weekend "no passport" arrangements are available which appear to furnish the facilities which my hon. Friend desires. Full particulars can be obtained from the railway and shipping companies concerned.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether he is aware that the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square is neither architecturally beautiful nor convenient for its purpose, since there is no longer space to house the national collection; and, in view of these facts, will he consider replacing the existing building by a building more suitable for its purpose and more worthy of the finest site in Europe?

I cannot accept the hon. Member's statement as to the architectural quality and the convenience and adequacy for its purpose of the National Gallery, and I am therefore unable to contemplate replacing the building by another.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the number of persons over 50 years of age who are registered as unemployed in Lancashire and the Wigan district on 31st March, 1938, and for the years 1933, 1935, and 1937, stating the number of men and women, separately, and separate figures for Lancashire and the Wigan district?

pursuant to his reply(OFFICIAL REPORT, 13th April, 1938; col. 115o, Vol. 334),supplied the following statement:The table below shows the numbers of unemployed men and women, aged 45–54, 55–64 and 65 years and over, on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Lancashire and in the Wigan area at 4th November, 1935, and 1st November, 1937. Corresponding figures are not available for the other dates mentioned in the question. Separate figures are not available for persons aged 50 and over.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) whether he can give the figures of unemployment in the boot and shoe industry for the whole country and for the city of Leicester, respectively, at the latest convenient date;(2) the number of persons registered for employment in the hosiery and underwear trades who were unemployed, either wholly or in part, in the whole country and in the city of Leicester, respectively, at the end of March, 1938?

The table below shows the numbers of insured persons (1) in the boot and shoe industry^* and (2) in the hosiery (including hosiery underwear) industry, recorded as unemployed (a) in Great Britain and (b) at Leicester at 4th April, 1938.

asked the Minister of Health whether any local authorities have submitted schemes for the establishment of housing management commissions under the powers contained in Section 87 of the Housing Act, 1936?

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the formal licence law is being withheld from Mr. I. David Ketter, who was duly called to the Jerusalem bar in absentia on the 21st June last?

I have received no report from the High Commissioner on this subject and am consequently unaware of the facts; but the matter seems one lying within the discretion of the authorities in Palestine, with which I should not be disposed to interfere.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the fact that, in seeking the approval of growers for its amendments to the potato marketing scheme, the Potato Marketing Board has stated in a circular that the fundamental principles of the scheme will be unaffected; and whether, in view of the fact that these amendments will give the board full powers to speculate in all grades of potatoes, in contravention of the original marketing proposals, he will order a new circular to be issued making this clear?

I have seen the statement referred to, but I am not able to accept my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give the average wholesale price of British eggs for each of the 13 months ending March, 1938?

The monthly average wholesale prices (average of first and second quality) of British eggs at town and country markets in England and Wales for the period stated were as follow:

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give the average numbers of men employed in agriculture in the years 1914 and 1923 and for the period 1933–37?

The numbers of male agricultural workers employed on 4th June in the years named on holdings exceeding one acre were as stated in the table below. The figure for 1913 is not strictly comparable with those for postwar years.

asked the Home Secretary whether any steps have yet been taken to provide special protection for the oil-from-coal establishments in this country?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave yesterday to my hon. Friends the Members for Cardiff, South (Captain A. Evans) and the Moss Side Division of Manchester (Mr. W. R. Duckworth).

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many special concessions have been granted for the Greenwich Hospital pensions to lieutenants and lieutenant-commanders, retired, promoted from the ranks of the Royal Navy; and whether the Lords of the Admiralty propose to grant further concessions up to the number of 19, as promised?

The number of Greenwich Hospital pensions held by lieutenants and lieutenant-commanders ex warrant-rank is at present 14, and will eventually be increased to 19. This increase is part of a general re-allocation of the pensions, and can only be effected as pensions become available for transfer from one branch to another on the death of the present holders.