asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the National Whitley Council agreement governing the relation between men's and women's pay in the common classes of the Civil Service is expressly without prejudice to the claim for complete equality of pay as between the sexes which is made by the staff side of the National Whitley Council; and whether the Government now proposes to change its policy of consistently refusing negotiations with the staff side of the National Whitley Council or any other body representing Civil Service staffs on the question of equal pay as between men and women civil servants?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part of the question, the policy of His Majesty's Government was announced in the House of Commons on the 6th April, 1936, and no change in this policy is contemplated.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what has been the increased consumption of milk in the families participating in the special milk schemes in the areas in which they are at present operating?

I am informed by the Milk Marketing Board that there has been an average increase of 0.13 pints, or 61 per cent., in the daily per capita consumption of milk in families participating in the experimental schemes for the supply of cheap milk to nursing mothers and children under five years of age in the Special Areas.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what further steps the Government now propose taking to keep country-born-and-bred men and women and their families from leaving the land?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a similar question asked by him on 28th October last.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can give statistics showing how many small holdings and the total acreage, respectively, in Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, and Oxfordshire have fallen out of cultivation and have become derelict during the past three years?

Statistics are not available to show the number of small

County				Changes in the number of holdings of 50 acres or less.
				1934–5.	1935–6.	1936–7.
Cambridge	…	…	…	-77	-63	-57
Huntingdon	…	…	…	-11	-71	-45
Oxford	…	…	…	-23	-63	-32
Total	…	…	…	-111	-197	-134

Changes in Total cultivated area and in Rough Grazing land.
County.			Total cultivated area (arable land plus permanent grass).			Rough Grazings.
			1934–5	1935–6.	1936–7.	1934–5	1935–6.	1936–7.
			Acres.	Acres.	Acres.	Acres.	Acres.	Acres.
Cambridge	…	…	-1,321	-150	-1,209	+572	+436	+307
Huntingdon	…	…	+1,168	-1,273	-315	-617	+33	+12
Oxford	…	…	+198	-92	-2,734	-4	-182	+55
Total	…	…	+45	-1,515	-4,258	-49	+287	+374

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will state for the latest year for which figures are available the amount of Income Tax collected on assessments upon unearned income; the amount of Income Tax collected upon earned incomes; and the amount of tax collected under Schedules A, B. and C, respectively? holdings or the total acreage of land which have become derelict, and owing to changes in the size of holdings due to amalgamation and sub-division, the reduction in the number of small holdings does not convey a reliable indication even of the extent to which land worked as small holdings has gone out of cultivation, irrespective of the use, if any, to which such land has been put. For the same reasons it is not possible to give figures of the acreage comprised in small holdings which has fallen out of cultivation. The following table shows, however, in addition to the changes in the numbers of small holdings during the three years ended 4th June last, the changes in the total cultivated area in those years in each of the counties mentioned, and also the changes in the respective areas of rough grazings. Part of the reduction in the area of cultivated land is due to absorption for building and similar purposes.

It is regretted that this information is not available. The hon. Member will, however, find particulars of the total income assessed under the several schedules of the Income Tax in the tables on pages 52 to 59 of the 80th Annual Report of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue (Command Paper 5574 of 1938).

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will state the various prices paid for the different sizes of envelopes supplied to the Library of the House of Commons for the use of Members; and the names of the company or companies which supply them?

The envelopes supplied to the Library of the House of Commons for the use of Members are obtained by His Majesty's Stationery Office under a contract which is at present held by Messrs. J. Dickinson and Company, Limited. In accordance with the long-standing practice that contract prices are regarded as confidential, I regret that I do not feel able to disclose the prices paid.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether Royal Air Force officers at present stationed in Iraq are supplied with revolvers; and whether any of these revolvers have been purchased from America?

All combatant officers of the Royal Air Force are supplied with either automatic pistols or revolvers irrespective of the country in which they are serving. The automatic pistols were purchased during the Great War and may have been made in America. They are gradually being replaced by revolvers which are manufactured in this country.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether any instructions have been given to the Air Mission to the United States of America and Canada dealing with inspection by the Aircraft Inspection Department of any aircraft which may be ordered in those countries?

The need for specific instructions on this matter has not yet arisen. If and when it is decided to purchase aircraft from the United States of America or Canada, adequate arrangements will be made with the manufacturers and the authorities regarding inspection in the countries concerned.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is aware that in the Air Ministry outstations, out of a total clerical staff of approximately 2,500, nearly 1,500 are employed as temporary clerks on a flat weekly wage of 58s.; that they have served from one to four years in that capacity; whether this is in conformity with the normal practice of permanent work being performed only by established civil servants and for temporary clerks to be employed only for casual work of approximately 18 months duration; and will he take steps to alter this state of affairs?

Prior to 1st October, 1937, temporary clerks at Air Ministry outstations were considered for establishment on the basis of the Temporary Staffs Committee's Reports of 1932 and 1934. As a result of discussions with representatives of the staff concerned, an agreement has been reached which provides that at intervals of six months the temporary clerks at Air Ministry outstations who have rendered four years' aggregate Government service as temporary civilian clerks, including a minimum of two years' service as temporary civilian clerks under the Air Ministry shall be reviewed for establishment provided they satisfy the usual conditions as regards age, health and character. If ineligible for establishment on grounds of age or health, they will be considered for permanent unestablished employment. I see no reason to vary these arrangements at the present date.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will take action to prevent the holding of motor-cycle races and similar events in quiet country parishes on Sunday?

My right hon. Friend has no power to take action of the nature suggested.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will indicate the average number of days sick leave taken by prison officers, principal officers, and chief officers in His Majesty's prisons during the last 12 months for which statistics are available; and the maladies from which officers of these grades most frequently suffer, as disclosed by Returns in the possession of his Department?

The average number of days sick leave taken by prison officers during the year 1937 is as follows:

Men
Officers	9.2	8.7
Principal Officers	7.6
Chief Officers	5.2
Foremen of Works and Engineers	4.0
Women.
Officers	10.0	9.6
Principal Officers	9.6
Matrons	4.4
Chief Officers	10.0

I regret that the information asked for in the last part of the question is not available and could not be obtained without an unjustifiable expenditure of time and money.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the statement by the Recorder of London that the Marble Arch is a sort of clearing-house for blackmailers; and whether the police are taking any special supervisory action?

I have seen Press reports attributing this statement to the Recorder. The neighbourhood of the Marble Arch is constantly under supervision by the police, who are well aware of their duties in relation to offences of the kind mentioned.

asked the Home Secretary how many foreign Jews have been given leave to land in and to reside in the United Kingdom since the date of the last Census?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridge University (Sir J. Withers) on the 2nd instant.

asked the Home Secretary what is the estimated number of persons of foreign extraction now resident in the United Kingdom?

I presume that my hon. and gallant Friend has in mind not only persons who were not themselves British at birth, but also British-born persons of whom the parents or one of the parents was an alien. I know of no statistics which would enable me to supply the desired information.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can make any statement as to the result of the action taken by his officers to adjust the differences in the cinema industry due to the endeavour of the electrical trade union to insist on claims which are not supported by the recognised trade union in the industry; and whether, if no result has been hitherto achieved, further action can be taken to avoid the continuance of sabotage and damage to cinemas which is now in progress by disaffected workers?

The differences in the cinema industry have not been reported to my right hon. Friend by any of the parties concerned, nor has he been asked to intervene. I understand, however, that conversations are proceeding which will, I hope, enable a settlement to be reached. I have no information which supports the suggestion contained in the last part of the question.

asked the Minister of Transport how many 2½-ton motor-lorries are licensed to run on the roads at the nearest convenient date, and what proportion of these are running on the roads for commercial purposes; and whether he can state the comparative figures at the nearest convenient date prior to the passage of the Road Traffic Act of 1930?

The number of goods vehicles of an unladen weight exceeding 2 tons but not exceeding 2½ tons for which licences tinder the Roads Act, 1920, were current at any time during the quarter ended 30th September, 1937, was 99,080, compared with 10,514 in the quarter ended 30th September, 1929, the nearest convenient date prior to the passage of the Road Traffic Act, 1930. I am not clear what my hon. Friend has in mind by the words "commercial purposes."

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will give the number of permits used in respect of alien females, women and girls, to enable them to take up domestic work in this country for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date; and what is the original nationality of these persons?

The number of permits issued for the employment of foreign females in domestic service in this country during the 12 months ended 31st March, 1938, was 13,576. The nationalities of the foreigners concerned were as follow:

Number of		Nationals of permits.
America, United States of	…	8
Austria	…	7,007
Belgium	…	31
Bulgaria	…	2
Czechoslovakia	…	354
Danzig	…	3
Denmark	…	559
Egypt	…	1
Estonia	…	60
Finland	…	26
France	…	133
Germany	…	1,267
Greece	…	13
Hungary	…	787
Iceland	…	2
Iran	…	1
Italy	…	159
Japan	…	1
Latvia	…	12
Lithuania	…	3
Luxemburg	…	10
Netherlands	…	168
Norway	…	371
Palestine	…	2
Poland	…	36
Portugal	…	16
Roumania	…	20
Spain	…	24
Sweden	…	203
Switzerland	…	2,210
Turkey	…	1
Uruguay	…	1
U.S.S.R.	…	2
Yugoslavia	…	68
Stateless	…	15
	…	13,576

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will now make a further statement respecting the recent disturbances in Jamaica; when the Special Commission is likely to make a report; and what action he proposes to take to deal with the distress and destitution, and the questions of wages and labour, in the island?

According to the latest information my right hon. Friend has received, the situation at Frome remains quiet and work has been resumed. There is still some labour unrest at Kingston but there has been no further disorder. The Governor has appointed three Special Commissioners, two of whom had already been appointed as Commissioners to inquire into labour conditions, to report on the disturbances at Frome. Their report will be made with all possible expedition consistent with the fullest inquiry. In general, consideration of the action to be taken must await the presentation of their report, but the Governor states that the Public Works Extraordinary and Loan Works programme is being considerably extended and expedited.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the effort of the Government to place ex-service men leaving the Army in official positions suitable to their capacity, his attention has been called to the appointment as inspector of doorkeepers at the Post Office of an ex-police officer receiving a pension of £275 a year; and whether, among all the ex-service men on the Employment Exchanges, there is no one capable of filling the post, especially in view of the experience which many of them have had in connection with patrol work when in the Services?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the replies given on the 14th and 26th of April to questions by the hon. Member for West Willesden (Mr. Viant). It was essential to appoint a man with an intimate knowledge of the Post Office.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will give figures for the latest date on which comparable figures are available of the number of telephones in use per 1000 of the population of London, Berlin and New York?

The number of telephones in use per 1,000 of the population of London, Berlin and New York last year was, approximately, 158, 127 and 217 respectively.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that in the Province of Orissa a civil servant of the same Province has been nominated to act as Governor during the absence of the Governor on leave; and whether he is satisfied that it is in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution of India Act that an official ordinarily subordinate to the Provincial Ministry should be placed even temporarily in a superior office?

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he can say why the Governor of Orissa cancelled his leave; and can he make any general statement as to the political situation in Orissa?

As soon as the Ministry in Orissa were informed of Sir J. Hubback's intended departure on leave and of the selection of Mr. Dain to act in his place, they at once represented to the Governor that they would find great difficulty in serving under Mr. Dain, who was actually serving as an officer of the Provincial Government and therefore subordinate to them. Shortly afterwards the Congress Central Working Committee adopted and published a resolution of protest on the same grounds and about the third week in April the Governor was formally notified by his Ministers that they intended to resign if Mr. Dain assumed charge. In these circumstances the Governor did not feel justified in leaving a temporary successor to deal with the situation of political instability which his departure on leave last week would certainly have created, and accordingly cancelled his arrangements. I gladly take this opportunity of expressing the great appreciation of my Noble Friend for this public spirited action at the sacrifice of his own convenience.The difficulties of a Provincial Government in such circumstances are appreciated and they will not be lost sight of in making future appointments. This, however, does not imply any change in the Government's view as to the suitability of members of the Indian Services for Governorships whether temporary or otherwise. That view should be clear from the appointment of nine members of the Indian Civil Service during the past 14 months to acting or substantive Governorships.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether it is proposed to publish at an early date the report of the Professor of Agriculture and Rural Economy of the University of Durham who was recently invited by the Commission of Government of Newfoundland to advise them on agricultural development in the island?

I will inquire of the Governor as to the intentions of the Commission of Government in this respect, and will communicate with the hon. Member on receipt of the Governor's reply.