asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he can give for the Boroughs of Acton, Brentford arid Chiswick, Ealing, Edmonton, Finchley, Hendon, Heston and Isleworth, Hornsey, Tottenham, Shrewsbury, Willesden, and Wood Green, for the district council of Enfield, and the county councils of Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Lancashire, Middlesex, and Shropshire the total number of classes in public elementary schools with not more than 30 children on the roll; the number with over 30 and not over 40, over 40 and not over 45, over 45 and not over 50; the total number of children on the roll; the total number of teachers employed, and the number and percentage of those teachers of certificated status; the percentage of children medically examined in the last year; the percentage of children assessed as of excellent, normal, slightly subnormal, and bad nutrition; and the percentage of children receiving free meals?

Following is the answer:

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he is aware that damages were granted to a 12-year-old boy, Patrick Ryan, against Miss Ellen Fildes, the headmistress of St. Austen's Boys' School, Thatto Heath, St. Helens, Lancashire, and that damages were also awarded against the school managers, and whether, as this judgment might apply to all school managers whose duty is of a voluntary character, he will consider an alteration of the law to prevent the imposition of this liability on the part of persons who give their services voluntarily and who have no jurisdiction over the actions of the school employès when administering corporal punishment to scholars?

I understand that there may be an appeal in this case and comment would, therefore, be inopportune.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps have been taken to increase the production of green foodstuffs near industrial areas in the north?

The Government's policy has been to encourage the production of green foodstuffs by means of protective tariffs. Between 1931 and 1937 the area devoted to the principal green vegetables for human consumption in the six northern counties increased by over 14 per cent.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that motor lorries normally used for the transport of furniture and other goods by Messrs. Bluestone and Elvin, of Hookers Road, Walthamstow, are now being used for carrying passengers; and whether these vehicles are licensed for this purpose?

I have no official information in this matter but I have drawn the attention of the Traffic Commissioner for the Metropolitan area to the hon. Member's question.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that British ships unloading at Tsingtao have been refused access to the wharves, all goods and passengers having to be transhipped by sampan although conditions at Tsingtao are completely peaceful and Japanese vessels are unloading alongside the quay: and what steps he is taking to protect the interests of British shipowners?

I understand that, as British ships have been unable to obtain certain wharfage and other facilities in the commercial harbour at Tsingtao within a reasonable time after arrival, the shipping companies prefer for the time being to use sampans and junks. Representations have been made to the Japanese authorities in Tokyo, and the British naval and consular authorities in Tsingtao are in close touch with their Japanese colleagues with a view to arriving at a local settlement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reasons were advanced by the Italian Government for declining to be associated with the meeting of those Powers concerned with the settlement of the Austrian foreign debt question?

On 18th May the Italian member of the Committee of Guarantor States for the Reconstruction of Austria informed the Committee that the Italian Government had decided to withdraw from the Committee. No reasons for this decision have been communicated to the Committee or to His Majesty's Government.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of persons in the various services of His Majesty who, according to the Returns supplied to the Government, have married under the ages permitted by those services and whose wives and children are drawing relief from public assistance committees?

The number of soldiers under 26 years of age known to be married is about 5,000. There are no returns from which similar information could be derived in respect of sailors or airmen, but the numbers are estimated to be 1,700 and 1,250 respectively. There are no returns showing the number of wives or children of defence personnel drawing relief from public assistance committees.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the Government has reconsidered its present policy of feeding men in the services on imported meat so as to give assistance to home agricultural interests by encouragement in producing home supplies of beef and mutton for the Navy, Army, and Air Force?

I regret that financial and administrative difficulties make it impossible to depart from the present policy, which has been fully considered by successive Governments.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, taking the estimated extra cost of equal pay for non-industrial civil servants of both sexes, discharging work of equal value, he will state its percentage in relation to the total actual cost of Civil Service remuneration?

The Royal Commission on the Civil Service (1929–31) quoted in paragraph 455 of its report an approximate estimate of £3,000,000 a year as the cost of the grant of "equal pay" when in full operation. At that time the total cost of the salaries and wages of nonindustrial civil servants was somewhat under £70,000,000 a year. The cost of "equal pay" thus represented rather over 4 per cent. of the total salaries and wages bill. Of recent years, as part of the general increase in Civil Service staffs, there has been an increase in the number of women employed. On the other hand the effect of the Whitley Council Agreement of June, 1937, was to reduce in a number of cases the differentiation at the maximum between the scales of men and women in grades where there is common recruitment and where common conditions of employment obtain. There have also been certain other factors which affect the position and a revised estimate would probably show some increase in the figure of £3,000,000, but not materially out of proportion to the revised total salaries and wages bill.

asked the Home Secretary whether refugees from Germany and Austria are allowed to practise as doctors or dentists in this country if suitably qualified; and whether the Government, in dealing with this question, consult the principal professional organisations concerned?

Pennission has been given in a limited number of cases to refugee doctors and dentists from Germany to practise their profession after admission to the British medical and dental registers. The question of admitting a further number of refugee doctors and dentists from Austria is now under consideration and before reaching a decision my right hon. Friend proposes to consult representatives of the medical and dental professions in this country.

asked the Home Secretary the number of Russian men and women refugees who entered this country from 1st March, 1917, onwards, the number of those who were adults and children, respectively, at the date of their arrival who obtained permanent residence here, and the number of each who were subsequently naturalised?

No statistics in the form asked for are available. The first recorded figures of aliens registered in the United Kingdom show that on the 30th May, 1921, there were 93,224 (45,498 males and 47,726 females) registered as of Russian nationality, who were for the most part pre-war residents. The number registered on the 30th May last was 49,684 (25,617 males and 24,067 females).It is not possible at this date to say how many arrived in the United Kingdom from the 1st March, 1917, as refugees.The number of certificates of naturalisation granted since 1916 to Russians is 9,311.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the remarks of the coroner at an inquest held at Port Talbot, on the 17th instant, into the death of a gas-producer man employed at the Port Talbot Steel Works, to the effect that the circumstances surrounding the employment of gas-producer men should be brought to the notice of the Home Office, as there was sufficient evidence to justify the conclusion that death was due to gas poisoning arising out of the atmospheric conditions under which the man was employed; and whether he will institute an inquiry into the conditions of employment of gas-producer in the steel trade, with a view to bringing this class of employment within the jurisdiction of the industrial diseases schedule of the Workmen's Compensation Act?

I have seen Press reports of the inquest in this case, but they contain no statement attributed to the coroner that there was sufficient evidence to justify the conclusion that death was due to gas poisoning arising out of the atmospheric conditions under which the man was employed. The verdict was heart failure, due to flabby heart, accelerated by acute bronchitis and emphysema.As regards the last part of the question, I understand that gassing by carbon monoxide is already compensated as an accident and on this and other grounds the Departmental Committee on Compensation for Industrial Diseases, which specially investigated the question of scheduling carbon monoxide poisoning in 1933, did not feel justified in recommending that it should be scheduled.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the case at Chester assizes, on 23rd June, of Thomas Harold Thorn, who pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to murder; and whether he will make a statement as to the circumstances of Thorn's discharge from Broadmoor in 1935, after having been convicted of murder and attempted murder in 1921 and ordered to be detained during His Majesty's pleasure

In May, 1921, Thom was found guilty but insane on a charge of murder and was ordered to be detained during His Majesty's pleasure. He was accordingly removed to Broadmoor and was detained there till March, 1935. During those 14 years Thom showed no signs of insanity or of epilepsy. He was an extremely well behaved and tractable patient. He showed a capacity for regular and consistent work and took an active part in the social activities of the institution.

asked the Home Secretary what steps have been taken by the Metropolitan borough councils to adopt a bylaw in respect of street musicians and singers to replace the Metropolitan Police Act, 1864; and whether he is satisfied that the Metropolitan Police have sufficient legal powers to enable them to protect residents from disturbance by street musicians and singers?

After full discussion between the Home Office, the Standing Joint Committee of Metropolitan Borough Councils and the Commission of Police, I am glad to say that an arrangement has been made under which the police will be prepared to act on their own initiative in streets to be specified by the borough councils, and agreement has been reached upon a form of by-law, which will enable the police to act accordingly. It is open to the borough councils to adopt this form of by-law. Before confirming it, it will be the duty of my right hon. Friend to consider any objections which may be raised.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the arrival at the London Zoological Gardens of a consignment of black widow spiders a bite from one of which results after convulsions in a painful death in a few hours; whether he is aware that these insects have recently bred and added to their number; whether he is satisfied that the public are adequately protected from the serious dangers which would be involved by the escape of any of these insects; and whether their retention in London is because of their use for scientific or medical purposes?

The attention of my right hon. Friend has been called to the importation of these insects, but he is informed that the two adult specimens, which are on exhibition to the public, are securely caged and that the young spiders are kept in a private laboratory from which they cannot escape. The reason for having these insects is, I understand, the same as the reason for having cobras, rattlesnakes and other dangerous creatures—the interests of zoology.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will give the number of attendances of each of the visiting magistrates at the Maryhill Division juvenile court during the last 12 months?

I regret that I have no official information on this subject.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider introducing cheap rates of installation and reduced charges in cases where the Highland county councils decide to meet the urgent need for district nurses to have direct telephone contact with hospitals and doctors in rural districts?

I have every sympathy with the work of district nurses, and quite appreciate their need of the telephone; but many requests are received for cheap telephone rates from doctors, nurses, nursing associations, charity homes, institutions for the blind, almshouses, fire brigades, police and municipal authorities, and I regret that it would not be possible to justify special treatment only in the case of nurses. A telephone in the house of a nurse is charged at the residence rate, provided that nursing is not carried on at the premises and that the telephone directory entry makes no reference to the subscriber's profession.

asked the Postmaster-General how many trunk lines there are between Birmingham and Edinburgh; and whether he will consider increasing them?

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that there was a delay of over one hour and 20 minutes on the trunk telephone lines between Birmingham and Edinburgh on the evening of 19th June; and what steps he will take to prevent this occurring in future?

I am aware that there is some congestion on the trunk route between Birmingham and Edinburgh although normally it is only for a short period that the delay is as much as 6o minutes. There are at present two direct telephone trunk lines between Birmingham and Edinburgh and arrangements were made some time ago for the provision of three additional lines. It is anticipated that the new lines will be working at a comparatively early date.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that complaints are made by the workmen employed by a contractor carrying out work for his Department in Hirwaun, South Wales, that they are not being paid the district rates of wages for this work, and that workmen residing in the vicinity where the work is in progress were put off work, whereas men brought in from another district were asked to work over- time; and whether he will make inquiries into this matter with the view of the district rate of wages being paid to those men?

The failure to pay the appropriate wage was due to an over-sight for which the contractor has ex-pressed regret. He has undertaken to rectify the error and pay arrears due. I am informed that certain men were paid off because their work was not satisfactory; also that the overtime required was almost all on the duties of four key men and could not have been avoided.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the complaint made by unemployed men in Hirwaun, South Wales, against a contractor who is carrying out work for his Department in that district, that a number of workmen were brought in from another district to do this work when a large number of unemployed men were available on the spot; and will he see that instructions are given to con- tractors that preference should be given to unemployed men resident in the districts where the work is carried out?

I am informed that all the labour concerned in the contract in question was recruited from Hirwaun or Merthyr, with the exception of four key men who were brought from another job which the same contractor was carrying out. Contractors are enjoined to notify the appropriate Employment Exchange when additional labour is required to carry out a contract. It is not possible to dictate to them the source from which they should recruit their labour, but most of them, I think, act on the principle that local labour should be employed as far as circumstances permit.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether consideration is being given to the appointment of a shipbuilder to the position of director of dockyards?

The present Director of Dockyards is Vice-Admiral C. P. Talbot, C.B., D.S.O., who was selected for the post last year. No change in the appointment is contemplated.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any repair work for the Navy is being given to the dockyards at Haulbowline; and whether it is intended to give other repair work to the western yards?

No repair work for the Royal Navy is being given to the dockyard at Haulbowline, which was taken over by the Eire authorities in 1923. I am not clear what the hon. Member means by the term "western yards." Repair work for the Navy will continue to be carried out in the Royal Dockyards at Portsmouth, Devonport, Chatham, and Sheerness.

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to a trade dispute now in progress at the works of Messrs. Bluestone and Elvin, cabinet manufacturers, of Hookers Road, Walthamstow; and whether he is taking any action to promote a settlement?

My Department has been in touch with the parties concerned in this dispute and will continue to take any action that may be possible to promote a settlement.

asked the Minister of Health what was the result of the inquiry held at Norwich on 24th May, 1934, when the council was seeking compulsory powers to purchase land for allotments which was then being leased to the corporation for £28 a year and for which the owner was claiming £1,785 as purchase price?

I have been asked to reply. The inquiry was held by an officer of my Department, but an agreed settlement was subsequently reached between the parties and the application for confirmation of the Compulsory Purchase Order was accordingly withdrawn. I understand that the purchase price agreed upon was £1,500.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, which counties have created small holdings under the Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1926, giving in each case the number of schemes and their area; the number of holdings and persons thus settled; how far latest statistics indicate that these schemes are an economic success and provide a fair living to the occupants: and how many holdings have now been given up?

The following statement gives the required information, so far as it is available. The particulars relate to the position at the 31st December, 1937.My Department has no statistics in its possession as to the financial position of the individual tenants, but I have every reason to suppose that the number who have left owing to their failure to make a living is very small.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what are the average rents per acre which are charged by county councils for the small holdings under the Small Holdings and Allotments Act of 1926 in Yorkshire, Norfolk, Essex, Kent, Berkshire, Devon and Monmouth?

The required information is given in the following statement: