asked the Secretary of State for War what is the price of the two acres of glebe land in Finchley acquired by his Department for the purpose of an anti-aircraft battery; whether he has considered the local protests made against using the land for such purpose; will he reconsider his decision to carry this scheme through; and what is the price to be paid for the land?

The land referred to is required for the headquarters of an anti-aircraft brigade of the Territorial Army and the agreed purchase price is £8,000. The particular site was offered by the Finchley Borough Council as an alternative to one previously suggested by my Department. Local protests against the use of the land for this purpose have been fully considered, and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health, after a public inquiry, gave his consent to the sale of the land by the borough council.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the effort the Benton Urban District Council, Northumberland, has made to acquire land at Burradon for the sake of ensuring better access to the proposed new housing estate; and if he can state the area of the land in question, the price paid or agreed upon, and the annual value for Schedule A when last occupied?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I understand that the Urban District Council are still in negotiation for the purchase of the land. I have no information as to its area or as to its annual value for Income Tax purposes.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has granted borrowing powers to the Nottingham City Council enabling it to purchase 298 acres of land at Trent Lane, Lenton; and if he will state the price paid or agreed to be paid for this land as well as its rateable value previous to purchase?

An application for sanction to a loan for the purchase of this land at a price of £14,800 is before me, and is to be the subject of a public local inquiry on 19th July. The land is agricultural and therefore derated.

asked the Minister of Health what price the arbitrator has awarded to Messrs. Allnatt in their claim against the Brentford and Chiswick Council for the compulsory purchase of 1.8 acres of land at Field Lane, on the Syon Estate; and what was the rateable value of this land previous to purchase?

The Arbitrator's Award in respect of this land was £3,230; at the date of purchase the land was derated as agricultural land.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has granted borrowing powers for the purchase by the Borough of Widnes of land running from Steward's Brook westwards to the vicinity of Hale Road, to provide a site for a senior school, for the Kingsway playing fields, and a third portion to be developed later; what is the area of the land; what is the price paid or agreed upon; and what was the rateable value when last occupied?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The area is 52 acres and the price paid £6,050. The rateable value of buildings on the land when last occupied was £53 10s. The land being agricultural is de-rated.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the average amount of winter allowance paid to persons in receipt of unemployment assistance by the Board on 17th January last?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to a similar question on 23rd June, and of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Minister of Health what has been the increased expenditure to the Glamorgan Public Assistance Committee through unemployment for 1937 and the latest available date in 1938; and will he take steps to get additional powers to give financial aid to local authorities to meet the increased burden due to the incidence of unemployment and the enormous fall in child population who attend school?

The average weekly expenditure by the Glamorgan County Council on out-relief to persons relieved on account of unemployment during May, 1938, was £305 compared with £454 during May, 1937. As regards the second part of the question, the Exchequer assistance to local authorities through the block grant was reviewed by Parliament last year and provision made for the present grant period, including increased provision for areas with special difficulties. The gain to the County of Glamorgan as a whole in the present grant period compared with the previous period is over £230,000 a year, equivalent to a local rate of about 1s. 11d.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on what basis the approximate estimate of £3,000,000 as the annual cost of equal pay when in full operation in the non-industrial classes of the Civil Service was arrived at; whether, in addition to the grant of equal pay to the common classes, which was the subject of debate in the House of Commons on the 1st April, 1936, it also includes the concession of sympathetic increases to classes reserved to women; and whether he is aware that the cost of equal pay for the common classes would be something under £1,500,000 a year, or about 2 per cent. of the total salaries and wages bill when in full operation and considerably less initially?

The estimate £3,000,000 made allowance for the cost of possible sympathetic increases to classes reserved to women. As stated by the Treasury to the Royal Commission on the Civil Service, slightly over one-half of the total estimated cost was attributable to such classes. The initial cost would depend on the method of application of the principle of equal pay, and would no doubt be less than the ultimate cost.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether there is any intention of altering the existing arrangement with regard to the retention in the Civil Service of married women; and whether he will state the number of women who are actually so retained?

The arrangements with regard to the employment of married women in established posts in the Civil Service are set out in the Regulations of 12th June, 1934, of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy. There is no intention of altering these arrangements. Since the date of the Regulations in question retention on marriage has been agreed to in the case of nine established women civil servants (including, in the case of scientific staff, persons under the Federated Superannuation Scheme for Universities).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the grounds on which the Commissioners of Customs and Excise acted in connection with the London Casino case?

The Commissioners of Customs and Excise took proceedings in the High Court to establish that Entertainments Duty was payable in respect of entertainments at the London Casino, as they were bound to do since the liability which they were advised existed was disputed. Judgment having been given for the Crown, it was the duty of the Commissioners to collect the arrears which had accrued since the date when liability commenced.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that H. Ward, No. 201,740, York and Lancaster Regiment, of 34, Devonshire Street, Doncaster, has been an inmate of the Ministry of Pensions Hospital, Leeds, from 5th March to 30th June, suffering from gunshot wounds, arid was discharged, though unfit to follow his employment; and whether he will take immediate steps to secure this man's re-entry into the hospital?

This man was not discharged from hospital until it had been ascertained that so far as his condition was affected by his war wound, no further treatment was required. A subsequent examination has confirmed this. I am, however, making further inquiries into the case and any further treatment found to be necessary will be at once provided.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he can state the total number of ex-soldiers awarded pensions for disabilities suffered prior to the 1914–18 War; the annual cost to raise

Date	Maximum Amount.	Maximum Period of Repayment.	Purpose.
	£
19th March, 1934	5,000	1 year	Ordinary expenses. (Overdraft.)
5th November, 1934	5,500	20 years	New pumping plant at Fiskerton.
I2th June, 1935	2,000	Period ending 31st March, 1938.	Ordinary expenses. (Overdraft.)
5th March, 1936	7,500	20 years	New pumping plant at Stixwould.
28th May, 1938	1,100	20 years	Improvement works in the Stainfield area.
I4th June, 1938	3,000	Period ending 31st March,1941.	Ordinary expenses. (Overdraft.)

No Exchequer grant is made towards the charges arising out of any loans raised under the authority of these sanctions, but the improvement works in the Stainfield area, for which sanction was given to borrow £1,100, formed the subject of an application for grant under Part III of the Agriculture Act, 1937, the £1,100 representing the estimated cost of the works to the Drainage Board after deduction of the Exchequer grant.

There are approximately 5,400 pensions in issue to men disabled in former wars. I am glad to say that all cases eligible for increased pension have had, and still have, the opportunity of obtaining such increase under the Ministry's Warrants applicable to men disabled in former wars. These Warrants were drawn with a view to meeting the increased cost of living which had determined the scales of the Great War Warrants and aim at giving this class of pensioner such increase of pension as the degree of his disablement or other circumstances are found to justify. In these circumstances the latter part of the hon. Member's question hardly arises.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what loans to the Third Witham Internal Drainage Board were sanctioned by the Minister; and if he will state the terms on which such loans were granted and the amounts of Exchequer grants in this connection?

I have sanctioned borrowing by the Witham Third District Internal Drainage Board as follows:The grant approved was 50 per cent. of £ 1,355and 33⅓ per cent. of £654, but the actual cost of approved grant-aided work will probably not exceed £900.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will state the amount expended on drainage works within the area of the Third Witham District Internal Drainage Board by the Witham and Steeping Rivers Catchment Board and the nature and situation of these works?

I regret that the information required is not in my possession.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will state the amount of revenue raised by the Third Witham District Internal Drainage Board from its ratepayers in each year since its formation; and how each year these amounts were expended by the board?

The figures required (to the nearest £ in each case) are as follow:

1934–35 (8th February, 1934, to 3Ist March, 1935)—
		£
Revenue from Rates (including Penalties)		7,884
Expenditure on Revenue Account—
	£
Loan Charges	307
Works	2,710
Administration	1,629
Catchment Board's Precept	1,222
	——	5,868
1935–36—
Revenue from Rates (including Penalties)		7,977
Expenditure on Revenue Account—
	£
Loan Charges	573
Works	3,173
Administration	1,316
Catchment Board's Precept	1,737
Other Expenditure	753
	——	7,552
1936–37—
Revenue from Rates (including Penalties)		7,810
Expenditure on Revenue Account—
	£
Loan Charges	860
Works	4,057
Administration	1,452
Catchment Board's Precept	1,733
Other Expenditure	120
	——	8,222

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that all the Government-owned motor vehicles used by the United States of America Postal Department are equipped with governors limiting the speed of the vehicles to their statutory limits; and will he consider a similar procedure for the motor vehicles of his Department as a contribution to road safety?

I am aware that the vans of the United States of America Postal Department are so fitted and a similar device is incorporated in some of the heavier vans and all the motor cycles for telegraph delivery used by the British Post Office. Such devices however limit engine power and they can only be used in circumstances where full engine power is not required.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will give guaranteed times of posting for letters despatched by air mail to East Africa at the end of the week in order to ensure their being carried by certain specified air liners, in the same way as guaranteed times for posting letters are given for the beginning of the week?

The desirability of announcing a posting time for the Friday and Saturday air services to East Africa, in the same way as a posting time is announced for the Wednesday service, is fully appreciated but I regret that I am not yet in a position to make such an announcement.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that letters by air mail to East Africa are taking as long as eight days in some instances to reach Nairobi from London; and whether he can take any steps to improve the air mail service between this country and East Africa?

The actual time required for the conveyance of a letter by air from London to Nairobi is approximately four days. There are three services weekly which leave Southampton early on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. If a letter is posted too late for the Saturday service it may take as long as eight days to reach its destination owing to the fact that the next following service is on Wednesday. When first-class mail for East Africa was sent by surface transport the time of transmission was approximately three weeks and I am not at present in a position to arrange for a further acceleration of the service.

asked the Postmaster-General whether arrangements will be made for additional air liners to be placed in the East African air-mail service, in order to ensure that, in the event of there being a particularly heavy mail at the end of the week, all letters posted at the end of the week do leave London by the scheduled air mail leaving at the end of the week?

There are three air services each week to East Africa and, apart from the Christmas period when special arrangements have to be made, experience of the incidence of postings does not point to the need for additional services or the duplication of existing services.

asked the Tinder-Secretary of State for India whether any and, if so, how many of the persons released as political prisoners during the past 12 months have been re-convicted?

The information is not available in this country but I will inquire.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has received any recent reports on the economic and social condition of St. Helena; and what special steps are being taken to improve the present condition of the island?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second, proposals by the new Governor for improving rural housing conditions are now under my consideration. I also expect to receive from him, as soon as he has had time to complete his examination of the local position, comprehensive proposals for improving the present unsatisfactory conditions in the island. It may be added that, in view of the difficulties with which the local flax industry is faced owing to the depressed condition of the world market for fibres, every effort is being made by the local Government, who are assisted by a trained Agricultural and Forestry Officer, to find other crops of economic value for cultivation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the Governor of Bermuda prohibits the marriage of persons who have been divorced; and whether he will give directions that any such prohibitions shall be immediately withdrawn?

I am not aware that the Governor of Bermuda prohibits the marriage of persons who have been divorced, but I will make inquiry in the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why restrictions have been placed upon the work of Swedish evangelical missionaries amongst Ethiopian refugees in Kenya; and whether any such missionaries have been refused permission to go to Palestine to work amongst Ethiopian refugees in Jerusalem?

So far as I am aware, no formal application has been received for permission for Swedish missionaries to work among the Ethiopian refugees in Kenya. In reply, however, to a tentative inquiry a few months ago, a Swedish missionary was informed that the Governor of Kenya had reported that, in view of the adequate arrangements already made, no further missionary could usefully be employed in the refugee camp. I am not aware of any similar inquiry having been made as regards Palestine.