asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Secretary of State has made any communication, or tendered any advice, to the forthcoming meeting of the princes at Bombay on the question of federation or otherwise?

No, Sir, and my Noble Friend has no information as regards the meeting referred to, apart from what has appeared in the Press.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether any scheme for the transfer of part of the civil and military station of Bangalore to the Mysore Durbar is now being considered; and whether the Anglo-Indian and domiciled European Association are being consulted as to the details of the proposals?

His Majesty's Government are awaiting from the Crown representative the Resident's proposals as regards retrocession in the light of discussions now proceeding with Mysore. The Resident is in touch with the inhabitants of Bangalore as regards these proposals and their views will be taken into account both by the Resident in formulating his proposals and by His Majesty's Government in considering them.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that there is considerable discontent with the bad service provided by his Department in Barking both through continual late delivery and frequent loss of mail and parcels; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy the matter?

I am not aware of the existence of any considerable discontent with the postal services in Barking. There have been isolated complaints regarding loss, damage or delay to letters and parcels, but the number does not suggest that the local organisation is defective.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the committee set up to consider the question of prices under noncompetitive agreements has completed its work; and whether he can make a statement with regard to the conclusions reached?

Discussions with the manufacturing interests concerned are still proceeding and I regret therefore that I cannot yet make a statement on this matter.

asked the Prime Minister (1) whether, at the time of his decision to go to Berchtesgaden to see Herr Hitler, he was aware of the decision of an official conference in Germany for the date of the solution of the Sudeten-German problem; and, if not, was he informed of this date during his discussion;(2) whether His Majesty's Ambassador in Berlin was at any time informed of an official conference of the German Government on 28th May, 1938, at which the Sudeten-German problem was discussed and a date fixed for its solution; and, if so, what was the date fixed?

The answer to both questions is in the negative.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has any statement to make with reference to the attack on and beating of Miss Dallas Bayford in Vienna by Nazi youths as a result of which she was rendered unconscious and taken to hospital where she received 17 stitches; and what steps he is taking to provide protection for her and other British subjects in Vienna in future?

My Noble Friend has received a report from His Majesty's Consul-General at Vienna on this incident. The Consul-General has requested the local authorities to investigate the circumstances of the attack on Miss Bayford.With regard to the second part of the question, I would remind the hon. Member that, as the Prime Minister stated in reply to the hon. Member for Derby (Mr. Noel Baker) on 14th November, His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires in Berlin has already requested the German Government to draw the attention of the competent authorities to the rights of British residents in Germany.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will state the total sums paid up to date by the various members of the Non-Intervention Committee; those States which are in arrears at the present time; and the period during which the work of the committee can continue with funds at present available?

The funds of the Non-Intervention Committee are controlled by a company, constituted according to the requirements of British law, called the International Council for Non-Intervention in Spain. The accounts of the council are not published, and I regret that I am therefore not in a position to give the hon. Member the information which he desires.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the serious hardship and distress suffered by tenants of houses who, through adverse circumstances, are in arrears in the payment of rents and have their homes broken up through the landlord instructing bailiffs to enter their homes, he will consider taking powers to amend the law giving to landlords only similar privileges as are afforded to ordinary creditors?

I have already set up a Committee under the chairmanship of His Honour Judge C. W. Lilley to advise whether the protection against distress for rent now afforded to tenants of controlled houses by Section 6 of the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1920, should be extended to the tenants of decontrolled houses and other houses of a similar class, and to make recommendations on any other questions in relation to distress for rent in premises of the above classes which may seem to be of importance. I am not in a position to make any further statement until I have received the report of that Committee.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the widespread damage caused by grey squirrels and their rapid increase in many parts of the country, he will take similar steps to those taken to deal with musk rats in order that they may be exterminated?

My hon. and gallant Friend will recollect that at the time when the Grey Squirrels (Prohibition of Importation and Keeping) Order was before the House in 1937, an indication was given that it was not then the intention of the Ministry itself to undertake the destruction of grey squirrels as was done in the case of musk rats under the Destructive Imported Animals Act, 1932, but to rely on voluntary agencies as the best means of dealing with this pest. In order that the position may be reviewed, I have recently asked county councils and county borough councils for information regarding the extent of the infestation of lands within their areas, and as to the measures that are being taken by occupiers of land to destroy this animal.

asked the First Commissioner of Works what has been the result of the negotiations over the wages at the Bridgend Royal Arsenal, and whether the position of labourers was considered with that of skilled men?

I understand that the Grading Commission of the Joint Council for the Building Industry which has been considering the position has agreed that an increase of 1d. per hour for craftsmen, with a proportionate increase to the labourers, shall be put into force for six months as from the 25th November.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether it has been brought to his notice that the walls and structure of Oystermouth Castle are in need of repair; and whether he has considered taking this building over as an ancient monument?

I have not received a recent report on the condition of Oystermouth Castle. The castle is the property of the Corporation of Swansea, who have power, under the Ancient Monuments Acts, to incur the expenditure necessary for its preservation.

asked the Home Secretary over what period members of the women's voluntary services organisation have been performing voluntary clerical work in the Air-Raid Precautions Department of the Home Office; the numbers so engaged at the end of each month during the present year; the amount of wages and salaries saved by the Department as a result of this voluntary work; whether the voluntary workers have been employed separately from the paid Civil Service staff or mixed with them; whether the voluntary workers observe the same hours and days of employment as the paid Civil Service staff; how and by whom the voluntary workers were recruited for the work, whether by examination, interview, or otherwise; the qualifications and experience required; whether he is satisfied that administrative functions laid down by Act of Parliament are properly carried out in this way; whether volunteers are employed on comparable duties in any other Department of the Home Office; and what distinction, from a Civil Service point of view, lies between this and other functions of the Department?

The women's voluntary services for air-raid precautions is a voluntary organisation officially recognised by the Air-Raid Precautions Department whose purpose is to assist the local authorities in the enrolment of women volunteers for their air-raid precautions services and to help in the information and instruction of women in air-raid precautions. It is not a part of the Air-Raid Precautions Department and the questions asked by the hon. Member do not therefore arise.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the unemployment figures for the Stalybridge and Hyde Division for this July and October, respectively, and the percentage decrease or increase in unemployment?

The available statistics relate to unemployed persons registered at Stalybridge and Hyde Employment Exchanges. The numbers of such persons, aged 14 and over, on the registers of these two Exchanges at 18th July, 1938, and 17th October, 1938, were 5,489 and 4,715 respectively, showing a decrease of 774 or 14.1 per cent.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the percentages of unemployment at the last available date covering the Hindley, Horwich and Westhoughton Employment Exchanges, and for similar dates for the previous five years?

pursuant to his reply (OFFICIAL REPORT, 17th November, 1938; col. 1027, Vol. 341) supplied the following statement:The following table shows for a date in October in the years in question the percentages which the numbers of insured persons aged 16–64 (exclusive of agricultural workers) recorded as unemployed at the Hindley, Horwich and Westhoughton Employment Exchanges bear to the approximate number of unemployment books exchanged at those offices:

Date.	Hindley.	Horwich.	West-houghton.
17th October, 1938.*	43.3	9.3	35.7
18th October, 1937.*	34.2	8.6	23.0
26th October, 1936.	32.5	11.6	27.4
21st October, 1935.	36.9	13.4	30.7
22nd October, 1934.	45.3	15.5	33.9
23rd October, 1933.	42.2	17.8	27.1
* The figures for 17th October, 1938, and 18th October, 1937, are affected by the change in the procedure for counting the unemployed introduced in September, 1937, under which persons subsequently found to be in employment at the date of the count are excluded from the figures.

A number of insured persons register when unemployed at local offices in Hindley and Westhoughton whose books were exchanged at other local offices, thus tending to give higher percentages than would be indicated by the state of employment in the areas named.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the case of the boy of 13 years of age who, having admitted he had caused the death of a four-year-old girl, was acquitted of murder by reason of his age; whether any sort of supervisory control was then imposed in his case; and, if so, of what nature?

I am informed that this boy was brought before a juvenile court on the 24th November under Section 61 of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933, as being in need of care or protection and has been ordered to be sent to an approved school.

asked the Secretary of State for Air (1) whether he can give an assurance that every club operating the Civil Air Guard scheme will have, at least, one B-licence instructor on the staff;(2) whether Civil Air Guard pupils are allowed to be sent off for their first solo flight on the recommendation of an A-licence instructor, or whether they must be tested by a qualified B-licence instructor, before their first solo flight;(3) whether he will consider appointing two persons to visit the aero clubs operating the Civil Air Guard scheme, with the object of testing junior A-licence instructors?

These questions are now under consideration. I hope shortly to be in a position to give my hon. Friend definite answers if he cares to put them down again.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many hours are necessary to enable an A-licence pilot to instruct under the Civil Air Guard scheme?

250 hours flying as a pilot: this is a general requirement which applies to all instructors.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many B-licence instructors are now unemployed?

Information on this question is not recorded in the Air Ministry but I am informed by the two associations representing professional air pilots that, so far as is known, six B-licence pilot instructors are at present unemployed.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many flag officers on the active list of the Royal Navy were on full pay for the period 28th September to 2nd October last, and, of these, how many were, respectively, in appointments afloat, in shore appointments, and unemployed; and what were the numbers of serving warrant officers, officers promoted from warrant rank, and of chief petty officers who were surplus to requirements in the same period?

I regret that it would not be in the public interest to give these details of naval mobilisation arrangements.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether as the belief expressed in the Majority Report of the 1928 Commission on Legal Aid in Civil Cases that the number of centres with a poor man's lawyer would be rapidly enlarged has not been realised, he will consider setting up an inquiry into the facilities at present available to provide legal aid for poor persons in civil and criminal matters, and the extension of such facilities to cover applicants whose total income from all sources does not exceed £3 per week, and/or whose goods do not exceed £100 in value and to cover county courts and inferior courts?

I have been asked to reply. My Noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor is considering the appointments of a committee to inquire into the giving of legal advice to poor persons. With regard to the latter part of the question, the hon. Member will probably bear in mind that there was an inquiry by the very competent Committee to which he refers and that the circumstances in relation to that part of the question have not substantially altered since that date. The possibility of rendering assistance to poor persons in relation to certain special matters is being carefully considered at the present time. In these circumstances my Noble Friend does not think that an inquiry by a Committee would be of assistance to him in his consideration of the difficult and important questions raised by the latter part of the question.