asked the Minister of Health whether the Bath City Council has obtained compulsory powers for the purchase of an area of 17·88 acres of ground belonging to the Lyncombe Hill farm estate, the land being wanted for a public open space; whether the land has yet been acquired and at what price; and what was the rateable value of this land previous to purchase?

The purchase price in this case has been settled, I understand, by friendly arbitration. I have sanctioned the borrowing of £6,005 by the City Council for the purchase of the land referred to as a public open space. The land, being agricultural land, is not rateable; but the rateable value of the former house was £7.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can state the result of the arbitration case to decide the price of approximately 17¾ acres of land on the foreshore of the Alinora estate acquired in 1935 for the purpose of a public park; and what was the rateable value of this land previous to purchase?

The price determined by the official arbitrator for the land was £13,527. The previous rateable value was £14, the land, apart from two bungalows, being agricultural and therefore derated.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can give any information about the increase in the number of agricultural workers in Norfolk and the Isle of Ely?

Information regarding the number of agricultural workers employed on the 4th June last is not yet available, but comparison between 4th June, 1931 and 4th June, 1937, shows that the number of workers, excluding the occupier, his wife and domestic servants, employed on agricultural holdings in Norfolk decreased by 77 to 37,281, and in the Isle of Ely increased by 135 to 12,625. I am sending my hon. Friend a Statement giving the figures in detail for each year from 1931 to 1937.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he proposes to impose any limit upon the number of creameries which may be erected by the Milk Marketing Board in competition with private enterprise; and whether, in view of the large number of creameries already operated by the Board, he will arrange for an independent investigation before any extension of this system is permitted?

Under the Milk Marketing Scheme, which was approved by Parliament, the Board have power to buy and sell milk and to manufacture certain milk products. In pursuance of this power the Board have acquired 16 creameries, including separating stations. I am informed that the number of depots and factories in the ownership of persons other than the Board in respect of which allowances or manufacturing rebates are granted has increased from 512 to 649 during the period of the scheme. I have no power to intervene in the matter. I would point out that the machinery of Section 9 of the Agricultural Marketing Act, 1931, which provides for Committees of Investigation, is available for persons who desire to complain about the operation of a marketing scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware of the excessive night flying in East Yorkshire from military aerodromes and thus disturbing the rest of the local inhabitants; and will he give instructions to mitigate the noise as far as possible?

I much regret any inconvenience that may be caused but night flying is essential to the training of the Royal Air Force and the standard of efficiency laid down for pilots necessitates a considerable number of hours of night flying. It is sometimes necessary, therefore, especially in the summer months, for flying to continue until a late hour but every endeavour is made to carry out this form of training with as little inconvenience as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many Government shadow factories are in course of erection in Lancashire and how many people are being employed in their erection; and how many people it is computed will be employed when the factories are in production?

No shadow factories are at the present time in course of erection in Lancashire, though work on the extension of the shadow factory at Speke will be commenced shortly. The second part of the question does not therefore arise. As regards the last part it would not be in the public interest to state the actual numbers which are likely to be employed when the production stage is reached, but I would add that the extension to the factory at Speke is expected to increase the present capacity by more than 40 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that the Glasgow Corporation is acquiring the mansion house and policies of Castlemilk, extending to 335·121 acres, at a price of £29,650, and the remainder of the estate, extending to 1,143·201 acres, at a price of £124,350; what is the present rateable value, respectively, of these parts of Castlemilk; whether the price includes minerals and, if so, what value has been placed on the minerals; whether the land is being purchased subject to feu duty or other burdens and, if so, what is the amount of such annual charges; and, further, for what purpose the estate is being acquired?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I am informed that the present rateable values of the areas referred to are £512 and £202 respectively. The prices include the cost of minerals which, however, have not been separately valued. There will be an allocation of feu duty, stipend and land tax not exceeding £16 10s. 6d. per annum for the first area referred to, and not exceeding £56 6s. 2d. for the second. The estate is being acquired under the Housing (Scotland) Acts.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the quantity of plate and sheet glass, bevelled, silvered, and otherwise finished, imported into the United Kingdom during the past 12 months, and the quantity similarly imported during the preceding period of 12 months?

Owing to changes in classification it is not possible to furnish the precise information desired for the 12 months ended June, 1937 and 1938, but the following statement shows such particulars as are available of the total quantity of certain descriptions of glass imported into the United Kingdom during recent periods: