asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether wages of industrial employes in Malta are based on a cost-of-living scale; if so, will he give particulars of such scale?

The wages of locally entered industrial employés in His Majesty's Dockyard, Malta, consist of a basic element plus bonus. The bonus has been assessed in the light of conditions prevailing generally at Malta, and not entirely on cost of living. The scales of bonus are as follow:

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the provisions of Admiralty Fleet Order No. 235, of 1938, apply, for the purposes of revised pay, in the case of those established shipwrights who served 12 years in the Royal Navy and then returned to dockyard employment, under the provisions of Admiralty circular 1,112 / 99, dated November, 1898; and whether their seniority as established shipwrights counts from the age of 18 years?

The provisions of A.F.O. 235/38 apply to the established shipwrights referred to in the same way as to other shipwrights in the Dockyard. Time served by these men in the Royal Navy from the age of 18 is reckonable for Civil Superannuation purposes as if it were time served in the Dockyard. The Board have ruled that it may likewise be reckoned for determining their relative seniority.

asked the Prime Minister what Departments are engaged in considering plans to meet the slump in trade; how frequently inter-departmental consultations on this subject are held; and when the last such meeting took place?

As the Prime Minister indicated in reply to the hon. and learned Member on 22nd June, the Government do not accept his description of the present state of trade. The Government have at all times and continually under review the possibility of improving the situation. Representatives of the different Departments concerned study the ques- tion and discussions are arranged from time to time between them as may be necessary. Suitable arrangements have been made for liaison between the Ministers concerned, but no specially constituted body holding formal meetings is requisite for this purpose.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will take steps to put a stop to the present discrimination by the Japanese against British shipping at Tsingtao; and is he aware that officers and through passengers of British ships are not allowed to land, whereas these facilities are granted to Japanese and German shipping, and that the Japanese Navy is over-riding normal customs procedure at Tsingtao by insisting on naval permits in respect of all movements of cargo, thereby prejudicing trade?

The matter is still under active consideration, and I am at present unable to make any statement.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether his attention has been called to the proposal to remove to America the historic building known as Castle Lodge, Ludlow; and whether he will take steps to have it scheduled in order to prevent this removal?

I have not received any information about the threatened demolition of this building, but I will have inquiries made.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether details of the constitutional reforms made by the Government of Cochin will be communicated to the other Indian States with a view to their possible adoption elsewhere?

The States have the power to initiate reforms themselves. The Paramount Power would in ordinary circumstances confine itself to tendering advice when consulted. I therefore do not think it likely that the Crown Representative will take the action indicated by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Air to what extent the officially recognised air routes over this country are generally used by scheduled air traffic; what representations he has received from the operators of such traffic as to routes which should be recognised; what is the present route mileage of the officially recognised air routes; whether there has been any advance in the mileage during the past 12 months; whether any complaints have been received from the users of these routes; and whether any action has been taken in response to such complaints other than straightening out the Portsmouth-Isle of Wight air route?

Officially recognised air routes were originally provided to minimize, in conditions of bad visibility or low cloud, the risk of collision between aircraft flying on a route in opposite directions, aircraft being required to keep the officially recognised air route on their left. These routes still serve the same purpose, but their use for this purpose has diminished with the development of radio guidance and air traffic control. The officially recognised air routes in the London-Continent Airway Area are now used by scheduled air traffic only in certain conditions of bad visibility and then only to a small extent. The officially recognised air route between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight is more regularly used, in particular by one of the services of jersey Airways, whose direct route coincides with the officially recognised air route and by the Portsmouth-Ryde service on which the aircraft used are not fitted for radio communication. In no case is the use of an officially recognised air route obligatory to aircraft on particular journeys, and the extent to which such routes are used by scheduled air traffic cannot, therefore, be stated more precisely than has been indicated.Representations were received at one time for the establishment of an officially recognised air route in the neighbourhood of Southampton, on the assumption that this would safeguard civil aircraft from collision with Service aircraft, but the difficulties giving rise to this request were met by other means. The extension of the Southampton Controlled Zone is also to be promulgated and this, with the use of the Directional System of flying in bad visibility, will overcome difficulties in the Southampton Area, I hope, to the satisfaction of all interested parties.The present route mileage of the officially recognised air routes in this country is 127. There has been no increase in this mileage during the past 12 months.In connection with the representations for an officially recognised air route in the Southampton Area complaints were received that such routes are not reserved for scheduled air traffic. Such a course would not be practicable and other means had, therefore, to be found.Other complaints referred to the diversion involved in following the recognised air route between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight at a time when this route was not a direct line. The route originally diverged from a direct line in order to avoid the Portsmouth Prohibited Area but the abolition of this area enabled the route to be straightened.

asked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence the number of Government factories, in connection with the rearmament programme, established in each of the divisions of the Ministry of Labour, separately, and the number of workmen employed at such factories in each division on the last date for which such information is available?

The particulars asked for by the hon. Member are given in the following table:

asked the Home Secretary whether he will indicate to local authorities the inapplicability of by-laws empowering three householders taking proceedings against a neighbour for a nuisance caused by a loud-speaker when only two householders are adjacent, when the nuisance, although affecting neighbours on each side of the offender, cannot or does not affect a third householder further away, or when the loud-speaker or similar nuisance affects only the neighbour on the other side of the wall where it is placed; and whether he will advise local authorities to amend their by-laws so as to cover these cases?

There is a distinction between private nuisances for which remedy should be sought by civil procedure and general nuisances which can properly be made the subject of criminal proceedings, and the limitation in the existing by-laws has been adopted because of this consideration and not from any failure on the part of local authorities to recognise that there may be cases of annoyance which are not covered by the by-law.

asked the Home Secretary how many persons during the past 10 years have been warned or prosecuted under Section 14 of the Metropolitan Police Act, 1839; and how many of these have been in connection with loud speakers?

The hon. Member no doubt has in mind paragraph 14 of Section 54 of the Act mentioned. I regret that the information for which he asks is not available, as no separate record is kept of these particular prosecutions.

asked the Home Secretary whether, so as to encourage factory owners to provide air-raid precautions arrangements for their employés, he will consult with all Government Departments concerned with a view to making such arrangements in industrial establishments which they control?

I can assure my hon. Friend that the Departments concerned are not overlooking their responsibilities in this matter.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will state the total number of the Borstal population; the name and situation of each institution; and the number in each institution?

Particulars about Borstal institutions are given in the Directory published by the Home Office of which I am sending a copy to the hon. Member. Since that Directory was published a new institution has been started at Hollesley, Woodbridge, Suffolk. The present population of each of the institutions is as follows:

asked the Home Secretary whether he will state the number of regulations which are in use for the guidance of prison governors, warders, and prisoners?

There are 214 statutory rules for the government of prisons. In addition there are some 1,100 standing orders which cover the whole range of prison administration, for example, the treatment of prisoners, education, duties of governors, medical officers, chaplains, clerical work, prison accounts, etc. Such rules or orders as are necessary for prisoners to know and general information for the guidance of prisoners relating to such matters as aid-on-discharge and the procedure for lodging appeals, are communicated to them by means of cards placed in each cell.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will give the total number of boys and girls in approved schools; the name and situation of each school; and the number in each, respectively?

The total number of boys and girls in the approved schools on 25th June was 9,153. There are 105 schools and the full postal addresses and certified accommodation of each will be found in the official Directory of Probation Homes, Approved Schools, etc., of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy. It may be taken that, with a few exceptions, the certified accommodation of each school is fully occupied.

asked the Home Secretary whether he can state the cause of the accident at Thorpe Bay, Southend, Essex, on Wednesday last, when a man was killed and another injured while working in a sewer; and whether the trench was properly timbered?

The accident was due to the collapse of a trench, the primary cause of which has not so far been ascertained and further investigation is being made. The evidence at the inquest indicated that the trench had been properly timbered and all usual precautions taken.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will state the terms of the draft by-law agreed between the Home Office, the standing joint committee of the Metropolitan borough councils, and the Commissioner of Police, with a view to the abatement of noise caused by street musicians and singers; and whether he will specify the authorities in the Metropolitan police district which have adopted the by-law, identifying those cases in which such action has been confirmed by him?

I will send my hon. Friend a copy of the by-law. I have confirmed by-laws made by the Kensington and Paddington Borough Councils in the agreed terms. Several other borough councils are in process of adopting similar by-laws, but they have not yet reached the stage at which they are ready for confirmation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the decision to postpone the introduction of the Wheat Bill, he can give an assurance that this Measure will be introduced and passed in sufficient time to deal with next year's wheat crop?

As was stated in the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Sir P. Hurd) and my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Tiverton (Lieut.-Colonel AclandTroyte) on 14th June, legislation to amend the Wheat Act will be introduced as soon as possible after the Recess. My hon. Friend will appreciate that it is not possible, nor would it be proper, for me to give an assurance that Parliament will pass the legislation by any given date.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the price of mutton and lamb is about 4d. per pound less than it was a year ago; and, seeing that the farmers who suffer in this case are for the most part small hill-farmers who have hitherto derived hardly any benefit from the various subsidies granted to the industry, whether he has any statement to make with regard to the position of these farmers?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a similar question by my hon. Friend the Member for Denbigh (Sir H. Morris-Jones) on 30th June.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is satisfied that the recent fall in the price of mutton and lamb may be attributed to the fact that the volume of imports has been sufficient to cause an excessive supply in the home market; and whether he proposes to take any action under the Livestock Industry Act to effect a limitation of imports to assist British farmers?

So far as I can judge, the recent decline in the price of home killed mutton and lamb cannot be attributed to any single cause, but, as regards the suggestion in the first part of the question, I would point out that prices of imported supplies this year have been steady, at or above last year's levels, and that total imports of mutton and lamb in the first five months of this year were some 150,000 cwts. less than in the corresponding period of 1937. With regard to the second part of the question, the arrangements at present in force in regard to imported supplies of mutton and lamb were given in reply to questions by my hon. and gallant Friends the Members for Buckrose (Major Braithwaite) and Tiverton (Lieut.-Colonel Acland-Troyte) on 9th May last, to which I have at present nothing to add.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the Livestock Commission have received a nomination as producer-member of the certifying authority at Malton; and whether a producer-member has yet been appointed?

I understand that the Livestock Commission have been informed by the National Farmers' Union that they waive their privilege on this occasion of nominating a producer-member for the certifying authority at Malton. The Commission appointed as producer-member on Friday last a farmer who, on the nomination of the National Farmers' Union, had previously acted as a deputy member at Malton.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will state the names of the islands of the Western Islands of Scotland having post offices or a post office but no public telephone kiosk available for a 24-hour daily service; and what steps he is taking to increase the telephone facilities in these islands?

As the islands concerned are numerous I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate details in the OFFICIAL REPORT. On the general question I am sure he will appreciate that the first objective is to bring the Western Islands within the scope of the telephone system. The Post Office has for some time been concentrating on this, and despite technical difficulties has made great progress.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that young women in Greenock are being sent from the Employment Exchange to local omnibus firms, where they have to work for two weeks without remuneration, and at the end of that time are frequently told they are not suitable, with the result that they lose two weeks unemployment benefit; and whether he will consider the position with a view to such girls having their lost benefit restored to them?

The question whether benefit should be paid in such circumstances was carefully examined by the Royal Commission on Unemployment Insurance, and I would refer the hon. Member to paragraph 427 of their report.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he will state the number of tin mines operating in October, 1937, and April, 1938, in the county of Cornwall?

At the end of the September quarter, 1937, ten mines in Cornwall were producing tin ore and development work was being carried on at four other mines. Comparable figures for the end of the March quarter of 1938 were nine and three respectively.

asked the Minister of Transport what authorities outside the London special traffic area are responsible for fixing the sites of omnibus stopping- places and erecting the signs; and what use has he made of his powers of direction or advice in this matter?

Where it is necessary to fix compulsory stopping-places for omnibuses outside the Metropolitan traffic area, the most suitable sites are selected by the Traffic Commissioners, in conjunction with the police and local authorities, who must have regard to the safety and convenience of all classes of users of the roads. Signs are erected either by highway authorities or, with their consent, by the operators. Conditions vary so greatly in different areas as to make general directions inappropriate.