asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that, under the Merchant Shipping Act, persons in command of certain fishing craft are required to be in possession of a certificate, he will consider the advisability of applying the condition to coastwise vessels?

No, Sir. Fishing vessels make voyages extending far beyond the coasting and home trade limits, and, as I informed the hon. Member on the 21st June, there is no evidence to show that the absence of a requirement that coasting and home trade cargo ships should have certificated officers is unsatisfactory.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the unsatisfactory position which arises when a coasting vessel commanded by a certificated officer is involved in a casualty with one navigated by an uncertificated person; and whether, in view of the fact that the latter is immune from penal consequences to which the certificated officer is liable, he will take steps to ensure that certificated officers of coasting vessels shall not be placed in an unfair position?

I am not aware that any unsatisfactory position arises in the circumstances quoted, but if the hon. Member will furnish me with particulars of any case he has in mind, I will make further inquiries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any information regarding the proposal to erect a wireless beacon as an aid to navigation near the port of Aberdeen; whether he will use his influence to expedite the erection of such a beacon; and whether such beacons in the United Kingdom are usually under the control of the Commissioners for Northern Lights or the equivalent English body?

Under the Merchant Shipping Acts, the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses, as the General Lighthouse Authority for Scotland, are responsible for the provision of the necessary aids to general navigation on the coasts of Scotland. In their opinion a wireless beacon at Aberdeen is not required in the interests of general navigation. They have no information as to whether the Local Harbour Authority consider a wireless beacon necessary for the needs of the local traffic or whether the local authority propose to take any action in the matter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what factors can be attributed the decline in the British share of the shipping in the River Plate trade from 51.3 per cent. of the total of that trade in 1935 to 40.5 per cent. in 1937, as reported in the sixth report of the tramp shipping administrative committee; and whether any steps are being taken to restore this trade?

As the number of British tramp ships laid up in the year 1937 was negligible, the decline in the share held by such vessels in the River Plate trade in 1937 appears to have been due to the fact that employment, presumably on more acceptable terms, was being found in other trades. In these circumstances, the second part of the question does not arise, but the hon. Member may rest assured that the position of British tramp shipping is being carefully watched by the Board of Trade.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps His Majesty's Government propose to take to remedy the acute shortage of junior officers and engineers in the British Mercantile Marine reported in the sixth report of the tramp shipping administrative committee; and whether, in view of the urgency of this matter, both for British trade and for the defence of the realm, he will undertake an inquiry into the conditions and service and remuneration of officers and engineers in the Mercantile Marine?

I am informed that there is no general shortage of junior navigating and engineer officers, and I hope that the revised regulations for the examination of engineers, which will come into operation in September next, will encourage engineer apprentices to take the Board's examination for certificates of competency as engineers in the Mercantile Marine.Questions relating to the conditions of service and remuneration of deck and engineer officers in the Mercantile Marine are primarily matters for the consideration of the appropriate panels of the National Maritime Board, and I know of no grounds for instituting a special inquiry.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the revision made in the selling prices of tinplate, whereby the basis f.o.b. price for certain export markets is now Io½d. per basis box below the f.o.t. price for home trade, whereas previously it was 4¼d. higher to cover extra cost of packing for export and carriage works to port; and whether steps will be taken to ensure that the price ex-works in this country to Continental users should not be less than the price ex-works to home users, when such Continental users are competing with home users in canned products in this market?

I am aware that adjustments have recently been made in the price of tinplate both for the home and for the export markets. For certain export markets the price has been reduced to conform to the level established by foreign producers in those markets, in order to maintain British sales. I see no advantage of any British industry in an attempt to enforce higher export prices for Welsh tinplates than those charged by foreign producers.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the continued severe depression in the tinplate and steel-sheet industries; that the number of works open in May of this year was 32 less than in the same month last year; that the percentage of unemployment is now 34 per cent. higher than a year ago; and if he can indicate what steps he is taking to deal with this situation?

I am aware of the position in the tinplate and steel-sheet industries and, as I informed the hon. Member on 10th May, I am prepared to consider any proposals which the industry wish to put before me.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether representations have yet been made to the Egyptian Government with respect to the increased import duties on cotton goods; and, if so, what has been the outcome of such representations?

Yes, Sir. Representations have been made and discussions are taking place with the Egyptian Government.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the increased imports of cotton and rayon textiles into this country; and, in view of the unemployment in the cotton industry, what action he proposes to curtail these imports?

In the first five months of this year, the imports of cotton piece goods were greater, and those of rayon piece goods less, than in the corresponding period of last year. Imports of both classes of goods are small compared with United Kingdom production. If the British interests concerned consider there is a case for further protection, it is open to them to apply to the Import Duties Advisory Committee.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can make any statement as to the trade agreement recently negotiated between Mexico and Germany and, in particular, how British interests are affected?

Inquiries have been made and I understand that no trade agreement has been or is being negotiated between Germany and Mexico.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the food imports coming into Lancashire ports was retained in the county; and whether any steps were being taken to replace these by home-grown products?

I regret that the information asked for in the first part of the question is not available. The subject raised in the second part of the question is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the declared values of the retained articles of food and drink separately imported into the United Kingdom for the 12 months ended at the last convenient date?

During the year 1937 the declared value of the United Kingdom retained imports of articles of food (including living animals for food and feeding-stuffs for animals) and of beverages (including cocoa preparations) was £360,000,000 and £42,000,000 respectively.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that children's cotton shorts and overalls from Japan are being sold in this country at a cost of 4s. 6d. per dozen and 6s. 3d. per dozen, respectively, whereas the price at which these can be produced by British manufacturers is 13s. 6d. per dozen shorts, and 9s. 6d. per dozen overalls; and whether he proposes to take any action to prevent such goods being imported into this country?

I have not received any representations on this matter but if the British interests concerned consider that there is a case for further protection it is open to them to apply to the Import Duties Advisory Committee.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (I) what was the average c.i.f. price of imported pearl barley before the duty was imposed; and what is the present price c.i.f. including duty;(2) the approximate average monthly quantities of pearl barley imported for the year previous to the imposition of the duty of £3 10s. per ton and the approximate monthly quantities since the imposition of the duty?

Owing to a change of classification in the United Kingdom trade

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give the quantity and declared value of tin ore and concentrates, and of tin blocks, etc., consigned from British and foreign countries, respectively, imported into the United Kingdom for the years 1935 and 1936?

The hon. Member will find the desired information on pages 8o and 171 of Volume II of the "Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom" for 1936.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will provide a statement showing the imports and exports between Great Britain and the Dominions and Colonies for the years 1929, 1932 and 1937, respectively, showing the percentage increase or decrease between 1929 and 1937?

The following table shows the total declared value of merchandise imported into and exported from the United Kingdom in trade with British countries during the undermentioned years:returns, statistics of imports of pearled barley since 1st January, 1936, are not strictly comparable with those for earlier periods, but the following particulars give such of the desired information as is available:

asked the President of the Board of Trade what nett additional storage accommodation for wheat has been erected or acquired in the United Kingdom by the Government or by firms or bodies engaged in that business since the Government decided to make purchases of wheat?

No additional storage accommodation for wheat has been erected or purchased in the United Kingdom by the Government or by firms or bodies acting on behalf of the Government since the decision to make Government purchases of wheat. The Board of Trade have no knowledge of any additional storage accommodation having been erected or acquired by the grain trade since that date. Arrangements have been made for the storing of the wheat reserve by hiring accommodation in existing warehouses, the capacity of which is in excess of normal requirements.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give the estimated amount of British capital invested and the estimated value of British property in Hong Kong, in Shanghai, and in the whole of China?

The only information I have on these subjects relates to the nominal amount of capital invested in Hong Kong, Shanghai and China by individuals and institutions domiciled in the United Kingdom. With regard to securities quoted on the London markets, the nominal value of these was estimated by Sir Robert Kindersley in an article in the Economic Journal for December, 1937, to have amounted to £41 million at the end of 1936. This figure, however, does not include the considerable amount of unquoted and private investments also held in the United Kingdom. Sir Robert Kindersley estimates that the inclusion of these would probably bring the total nominal amount of British capital invested by residents and institutions domiciled in the United Kingdom to approximately £130 million.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the cure of schizophrenia by cardiazal injections; whether this cure is being applied in all public mental hospitals; how many hitherto uncured cases have been cured by this method of treatment; and whether the Board of Control has an approximate estimate of the number and proportion of patients who are likely to be cured or effectively relieved by the treatment?

Yes, Sir. This treatment has already been investigated by two Medical Commissioners of the Board of Control and their report is in preparation. The treatment, which is still in the developmental stage, is being applied in a considerable number of public mental hospitals but information is not at present available upon the remaining points raised in the question.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider taking steps to achieve the amalgamation of Bradford and Shipley, which was approved by a Committee of the House of Commons?

I would refer the hon. Member to Section 140 of the Local Government Act, 1933, from which he will see that my right hon. Friend has no power to take action in the direction suggested.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the number of work-people registered as employed in the cotton trade in April last and October, 1937?

The total number of insured persons classified as belonging to the cotton industry are ascertained for one date only in each year, namely, the beginning of July. The estimated number of insured persons, aged 14–64, in the cotton industry in Great Britain at July, 1937, was 432,560. The numbers of such persons recorded as unemployed at 4th April, 1938, and at 18th October, 1937, were 102,626 and 43,137 respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour what is being done by the South-West Durham Improvement Association, the Commissioner for Special Areas, or the Durham County Council with a view to draining the waterlogged coal areas in South-West Durham where over 13,000,000 tons of coal are lying submerged?

As the hon. Member is aware, the Commissioner for the Special Areas has financed an inquiry into means of mitigating the effect of subterranean flooding of the Coal Measures of South-West Durham. As a result two schemes have been suggested: the first for revising and improving existing pumping and drainage arrangements and the second for preventing the intrusion of surface water from the River Gaunless and its tributaries. The first scheme is, I understand, under discussion by the colliery interests concerned and the Commissioner proposes to defer consideration of the second (and smaller) scheme until it is known whether progress can be made with the larger.

asked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence if he will state the present position with regard to arrangements for co-operation between the Government and trade unions; and what proposals for a joint body representing the Government, employers, and employés have been put forward?

The steps initiated earlier this year for the purpose of accelerating production in the engineering industry were designed to lead to the consideration of the methods of effecting this object through the appropriate representatives of employers and trade unions within the industry. This matter is at present the subject of discussion between the employers and the trade unions. As regards the second part of the question no proposals of this character have, so far as I am aware, been made, though suggestions as to the exchange of information concerning labour requirements have been made informally.

asked the Secretary for Mines what is the effect on the accident rate, fatal and non-fatal, where safety classes are held for boys working in the mines?

I regret that it is not possible, from the general statistics at present available, to assess the effect of safety classes on accident rates to boys in the coal mining industry as a whole, but a recent special investigation in the Yorkshire Coalfield indicates that the boys there who have qualified for safety badges after undergoing a course of safety training have a considerably lower accident rate than those who have not. The investigation will be extended shortly to another large coalfield.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he can now state the result of the investigations into the Vrooman safety stemming plug as a device for the prevention of blown-out shots in coal mines?

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies which I gave to his previous questions on 24th May and 14th June, to which I have nothing to add.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he can explain why certain welfare schemes under the auspices of the Miners' Central Welfare Committee are held up; and why so many collieries are being laid idle at the present time?

If the hon. Member will say to which welfare schemes he refers, I will make inquiries. As to the second part of the question, normal seasonal variation in trade, together with some falling off in demand during the last three months, have caused some temporary closing down of pits.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has any information of the effectiveness of the Land Fertility Scheme up to date; and what steps he proposes to take to remove the anxiety of producers that, under present circumstances, if they produce more they will run the risk of overstocking the market, as has recently been the case with regard to mutton and lamb?

It is too early to judge the effectiveness of the Land Fertility Scheme. As regards the second part of the question, the position of the home producer in relation to an increase in production resulting from an improvement in the fertility of the soil of this country is already safeguarded in respect of a number of products by direct subsidies, price guarantees, tariffs or import regulation. The position in regard to sheep and lambs has been explained in several recent replies

asked the Minister of Agriculture what is the number of bulls in respect of which licences have been refused since the Livestock Improvement (Licensing of Bulls) Act became law?

The number of bulls in respect of which licences have been refused in England and Wales since the Improvement of Livestock (Licensing of Bulls) Act, 1931, came into operation on the 1st August, 1934, is 20,380. The number licensed during the same period is 131,092.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will state the number of authorities who have made grants towards building non-provided schools, stating the names of the authorities, the percentage grant made by each to Church of England, Roman Catholic, or any other denominational school, in connection with the reorganisation of senior schools (Haddow Report), 1936 Act?

Following is the answer:

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education what offers of land have been made to the Leamington Town Council for the provision of a new garden for the Clapham Terrace School, and at what price; if the council has succeeded in obtaining this needed ground; and what is the area, the price, and the previous rateable value of the land acquired?

The Board have no information of any proposal to provide a new garden for the Clapham Terrace School at Leamington.

asked the Home Secretary how many civilians have been appointed as air-raid precautions organisers up to the present in Great Britain?

The number of such appointments in Great Britain is about 264. All are held by civilians in the sense that none of the holders are active members of the fighting services. The information furnished to the Home Office by the local authorities does not show how many of them have previously served in the Forces.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the inferior service given by the automatic telephones at the House of Commons; and will he investigate the possibility of improvement?

The telephone service provided for Members is under the closest supervision and I am not aware of any general dissatisfaction with the working of the automatic service at the House. I should be glad if my hon. Friend would let me know of any specific trouble and I will investigate the matter in collaboration with the appropriate officer of the House.

asked the Postmaster-General why a telegram, London, T. 20, took 55 minutes to be delivered in London, S.E.22; whether he is aware that there is a post office for telegrams, etc., in Lordship Lane, S.E.22, but that telegrams are sent out from Forest Hill, S.E.23; and is he further aware that a messenger could do the return journey by omnibus in less time?

I am sorry that the telegram to which the hon. Member refers suffered delay. If he will let me have particulars of it I will have inquiry made and take what steps are possible to prevent a similar mishap occurring. Telegrams for Lordship Lane are delivered from Forest Hill Post Office by motor cycle messenger and a satisfactory service should be afforded. The Lordship Lane Post Office is not a telegraph delivery office and the circumstances do not warrant the considerable expenditure that would be involved in setting up delivery arrangements there.

asked the Lord Advocate whether, in light of a recent High Court decision in Scotland in which a conviction was quashed on the ground that the full indictment had not been read at the commencement of the proceedings, he is prepared to issue instructions through the Crown Office that in all such cases in future no reference is to be made by the clerk of the court to any previous convictions libelled against the accused until a conviction has been entered and sentence is about to be given?

The decision to which the hon. Member refers did not relate to proceedings on indictment but to a summary statutory prosecution, and the objection which was sustained did not relate to previous convictions, but to the omission of that part of the complaint which narrated the statutory penalties. The procedure as regards libelling and referring to previous convictions is already fully covered by the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act, 1887, the Summary Jurisdiction (Scotland) Act, 1908, and the Circuit Courts and Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act, 1925.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he can give, from the Valuation Rolls or otherwise, any information as to increases or decreases in agricultural rents in the various counties of Scotland during the post-war period?

I regret that it would not be possible, without considerable expenditure of time and money, to make a comprehensive analysis of the movements of agricultural rents in Scotland during the post-war period. I am, however, sending the right hon. Gentleman a copy of a recent paper published by the Agricultural Economics Society which contains some data of the kind he desires based on an examination of a number of farms in the Border area.

asked the Lord Advocate whether he is aware of the practice whereby Press publication is made of inventories of deceased persons, thereby causing pain and embarrassment to those immediately concerned; and what steps is he prepared to take to obviate such happenings in future?

Inventories are open to public inspection at a fee of 1s. each under Act of Sederunt of 16th July, 1929, made by the Court of Session under statutory power to regulate fees with the concurrence of the Treasury. The matter is primarily for the consideration of the court but I am informed that, in consequence of representations made to the court, inquiries are being made with a view to the matter being submitted to the Sheriff Court Rules Council for consideration.