asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements he intends to make to implement the undertaking which he recently gave to examine the working of the tax imposed on living entertainment in this country before imposing it again in its present form or at its present rate?

My hon. Friend may rest assured that the undertaking to which he refers will be duly implemented.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present approximate annual revenue to the State in respect of the Government's share of wireless receiving licences and Entertainments Duty upon admissions to cinematograph theatres and dog-racing tracks; and whether, in view of the competition of these new forms of entertainment with the living theatre, he can now review the desirability of relieving the latter form of entertainment entirely from the burden of Entertainments Duty?

The present approximate annual revenue accruing to the Exchequer from wireless receiving licences is £409,000, and from Entertainments Duty in respect of admissions to cinemas £5,600,000; separate statistics in respect of admissions to dog-racing tracks are not available. As regards the second part of the question, I would refer to the answer which I have just given to my hon. Friend, the Member for the Central Division of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Mr. Denville).

asked the Minister of Agriculture (1) whether he has considered the very serious condition of veterinary education disclosed in the report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Veterinary Education published last September; and whether the urgent need for greatly increased financial aid from the Exchequer, disclosed in the report, will be met by making the necessary provision in his Department's estimates for the forthcoming year;(2) whether, in order to further the policy of the Government on the eradication and control of the diseases of farm animals, he is in a position to say that the recommendation of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Veterinary Education that each veterinary school should possess a field-station for training in preventive and curative medicine associated with farm stock, is likely to be adopted in the near future;(3) whether, in view of the importance of an adequate training for veterinary practitioners, he will consider ensuring more liberal assistance from his Department to the five centres for veterinary education in this country than has been given heretofore?

I fully realise the importance of the recommendations contained in the recent report of the Committee on Veterinary Education in Great Britain, and, having regard to their far-reaching nature, the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have thought it desirable to seek the views of the institutions and professional bodies likely to be affected. The hon. and gallant Member can be assured that the report of the committee will receive our most careful consideration. In the meantime, the maintenance grants are being increased in certain cases.

asked the Minister of Labour what numbers of men and women were registered as unemployed from the engineering trade in January, 1938, and January, 1939?

Statistics for January, 1939, are not yet available, but I will forward them to the hon. Member in due course.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the maternal mortality rate for each county in Wales for the year 1938, with the corresponding rate for 1937, and the comparative rate for England and Scotland?

The maternal mortality rates for 1938 are not yet available. As regards the other information asked for, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply to a similar question asked by him on 14th July last, a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the mortality rate from tuberculosis in each of the counties in Wales for the year 1938, with the corresponding rate for 1937 and comparative rates for England and Scotland?

The information asked for as respects the year 1938 is not yet available. As regards the other information asked for, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 14th July last on this subject, a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the construction of multi-engined torpedo boats powered by a number of high-speed light-weight motor engines is contemplated in the near future?

The motor torpedo boats already built and building incorporate high-speed light-weight motor engines. The Admiralty does not at present contemplate building any torpedo boats of any greatly different type.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will state the total amount of moneys paid out from the post offices in the city of Leicester for the year 1938 in respect of war pensions, contributory widows', orphans', and old age pensions, non-contributory pensions, and other issues under his Department, including payments to blind persons?

The following amounts (approximately) were paid out in the year ended 31st December, 1938, from post offices in the city of Leicester in respect of

asked the Home Secretary why, in view of the fact that licensees under the Act 39 and 40 Vict., c. 77, are required to send to the Home Office within 14 days of the close of each year a written record of their experiments during the year, the annual return of these experiments on living animals is not given to the House until about six months later?

I am anxious that there shall be no undue delay, but the tabulation of the reports received from the licensees involves a great deal of work, which has to be done when time can be found for it by officers who have other day-to-day work to perform.