asked the Prime Minister whether he will offer to provide a negotiator between Hungary and Rumania with a view to peaceably and satisfactorily settling any differences existing between these two countries?

The initiative in such a matter must rest with one or both of the Government directly concerned. Neither of them has approached His Majesty's Government.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will furnish a statement showing the salaried appointments created by legislation, or otherwise, since 1931, the persons appointed, and the amount of the salary in each case?

The preparation of a complete list of every appointment covered by this question would involve a great deal of research; and in those cases where the cost of the posts does not fall

Salaried appointment.	Authority for creation of appointment.	Name of present holder.	Salary per annum.
Secretary of Air Transport Licensing Authority.	Order in Council under Air Navigation Act, 1936.	Mr. D. C. Capel-Dunn	£600.
Commissioners, Commission of Government of Newfoundland.	Newfoundland Act, 1933.	Sir Wilfrid W. Woods, K.C.M.G.	1£1.500+ $4,500 (Canadian).
		Mr. R. B. Ewbank, C.S.I., C.I.E.	1£1,500+$4,500 (Canadian).
		Mr. J. H. Penson, M.C.	1£1,500+ $4,500. (Canadian).
Advisers to Secretary of State for India.*	Government of India Act, 1935, Section 278.	Sir H. Strakosch, G.B.E	£1,350 + subsistence allowance of £600 per annum to any at date of appointment domiciled in India.
		Sir R. T. R. Glancy, K.C.S.I., K.C.I.E.
		Khan Bahadur Sir Abdul Qadir Sir A. A. L. Parsons, K.C.I.E. Sardar Bahadur Mohan Singh Diwan Bahadur Sir A.
		Ramaswami Mudalier,
		Sir H. Williamson, C.I.E., MBE. Sir J.Clay, KCIE.,C.S.I.,OBE.
Advisers to Secretary of State for Burma.	Burma Act, 1935, Section 140.	Sir H. L. Stephenson, G.C.I.E., K.C.S.I.	As for Advisers to Secretary of State for India.
		Mr. J. Clague, C.M.G., C.I.E.
Chairman of Grants Committee.	Physical Training and Recreation Act, 1937.	Sir E. H. Pelham, K.C.B.	£1,000.
Secretary to National Advisory Council for Physical Training and Recreation and Grants Committee.	Physical Training and Recreation Act, 1937.	Captain L. F. Ellis, C.V.O., C.B.E., D.S.O., M.C.	£1,500.
Director of National Maritime Museum.	National Maritime Museum Act, 1934.	Professor Sir Geoffrey Callender, M.A., F.S.A., F.R.Hist.S., A.I.N.A.	£1,058 with £104 allowance.
Chairman, Road and Rail Appeal Tribunal	Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933.	Mr. Rowland Harker, K.C.	£2,000.
Members, Eoad and Rail Appeal Tribunal.	Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933.	Mr. E. S. Shrapnell Smith, C.B.E., M. Inst. T.	£1,000.
		Mr. F. C. Fairholme, A.M. Inst. C.E., J.P.	£1,000.
Chairman, Cinematograph Films Council.	Cinematograph Films Act, 1938, Section 41.	Sir Frederick Whyte, K.C.S.I	£500.
Advisers to Board of Trade.	Gas Undertakings Act, 1934 (Section12 (2)).]	Sir Charles Boys, F.R.S	£750.
		Mr. J. A. Butterfield	£750.
*These appointments replace former posts of Member of Council.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he can now make any statement as to the proper form of air-raid precautions which the city of York should adopt, in view of the considerations which have been laid before him on behalf of the city corporation; and whether, despite the fact that certain towns are not to be supplied with air-raid shelters, his Department will none the less offer advice to the respective local authorities as to what line of alternative policy they should adopt?

The proposals put forward have been considered in consultation with representatives of the city, and a communication embodying the conclusions reached has been addressed to the City Council. As regards the second part of the question, my Department are ready at all times to give to local authorities any advice or guidance in their power regarding shelter policy.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has considered the proposal sent to him by the Essex Federation of Ratepayers' Associations urging that supersession of the Essex County Council by three commissioners appointed by His Majesty's Government; and, as there is no justification for this imputation of maladministration by the county council, and the rising expenditure necessitating an increased rate in Essex is due to administrative obligations required by His Majesty's Government, what action he proposes to take in the matter?

No proposal of this kind has reached my right hon. Friend from the Essex Federation of Ratepayers' Associations, but in any case he has no power to act as the question indicates.

asked the Minister Health why the report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Anti-tuberculosis Service in Wales and Monmouthshire was not laid before both Houses of Parliament, recorded in the Journals of this House, and issued as a Command Paper in the ordinary way as in the cognate case of Reports of Investigations into Maternal Mortality in Wales and England (Cmd. 5422 and 5423) but was instead issued as a non-Parliamentary Paper?

As my hon. and gallant Friend is aware, copies of this report have been placed in the Vote Office in accordance with the promise given by the Prime Minister on 16th March. The publication of the report as a non-Parliamentary Paper is in accordance with practice.

Approximate Comparative Prices of certain building materials in London.
—	Price (Delivered Site) at approximately
	Date of first report.	31st March, 1939.
Bricks:
Common—Flettons (per 1,000)	61s. 3d. (May, 1924)	49s. 6d.
Facing (per 1,000)	106s. (Picked Stocks) (May, 1924).	95s. (First Stocks).
Cement, British Standard specification (per ton).	46s. (August, 1932)	42s
Light Castings:
Rainwater pipes (per yard lin.)	2s. 4¼d. (July, 1926)	2S. 11d.
Rainwater gutters, (per yard lin).	1s. 4¼d, (July, 1926)	1s. 9d.
Soil pipes (per yard lin.)	4s. 7d. (July, 1926)	3s. l0d.
Kitchen Range (36 inch)	£4 8s. 6d. (July, 1926)	£4 7S. 6d.*
Bath	£4 5s. (July, 1926)	£4*
Earthenware Pipes, 4 inch diameter (per yard lin.).	2s. 9d. (May, 1936)	2s.9d
Dampcourses, etc., (per yard super.):
5½	10¾d. (May, 1937)	9d.
7 lb. hessian base	11¼d. (May, 1937)	10d.
5½ lb. fibre base	10¼d. (May,1937)	9d
Astos Asbestos Standard	1s,3d. (May.1937)	1s,3d
Astos Asbestos Lead Lined	2s. 5d. (May, 1937)	2s. 5d.
* Nearest article to original.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that some approved societies pay benefit for dental treatment, but no benefits for optical treatment; that others pay benefits for optical treatment, but no benefits for dental treatment; while some pay both optical and dental benefits; and will he take steps to make it compulsory in the near future that approved societies will pay for both optical and dental benefits and is there any difference in the additional benefits, dental and optical, paid to men and women members?

As regards the question of making dental and ophthalmic benefits available to all insured persons I would

asked the Minister of Health whether he can state the prices of the following building materials in London in 1923 or when first reported upon by the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Prices of Building Materials, and their present price: bricks, light castings, cement, salt-glazed earthenware pipes and fittings, damp-proof courses, and roofing felts?

Following is the answer:refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given on 16th March to the hon. Member for Pontypool. These benefits are at present additional benefits and can be given only by those societies which on valuation are found to have surplus funds available. It is for the members of a society to decide on what additional benefits the available surplus should be spent. Where men and women are in common insurance in a society giving dental and ophthalmic benefits, they receive equal assistance towards the cost of treatment and appliances. If a society has decided that the funds of its men and women members should be valued separately, the additional benefits given to the two groups depend on the result of the separate valuations.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Italian Government have now accepted His Majesty's Government's view of the legal position with regard to the provisions of Article 11 of the St. Germain Convention relating to missionary activities; and whether the British and American missionaries who were requested to leave Abyssinia during 1937 have since been permitted to return?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. As regards the second part, my Noble Friend is not aware that requests for permission to return to Italian East Africa have yet been made to the Italian authorities by any of the British or American missionaries who were requested to leave during 1937.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what customs duties are imposed by the Government of Soviet Russia on the importation of fish from the United Kingdom; and what quota restrictions are placed upon importation into Russia of fish of British origin?

The rates of duty on fish (except preserved in hermetical packing)

Imports into United Kingdom consigned from Soviet Union.	1934.	1935.	1936.	1937.
	£'000.	£'000.	£'000.	£'000.
Total imports of fish	1,693	1,208	1,231	1,313
Of which, canned salmon	1,520	1,049	1,014	1,062
Value of imports of canned salmon actually handled by trading organisations of the U.S.S.R.	228	291	113	159

As regards the last part of the question, the position of the herring industry will be borne in mind in the course of any commercial negotiations with the Soviet Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that investigation has proved that flax fibres, as a reinforcement of plastics for the manufacture of aircraft struts and other parts, has been highly satisfactory in Germany, since the tensile strength of 31,500 lbs.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether in view of the fact that the Government of Soviet Russia exports fish to the value of over £1,000,000 sterling annually to the United Kingdom, he will endeavour to arrange for the preferential treatment of British fish, including salted herring, imported into Russia?

A large proportion of the imports into this country of fish consigned from the Soviet Union consists of salmon from Japanese canneries situated in Soviet territory. The importance of this factor can be gauged from the following figures:per square inch is about 10,000 lbs. more than duralumin and steel; whether he will consider the benefits that might accrue by an increased use of this material in speeding up aircraft production; and whether it is proposed to adopt for use in this country the hydraulic moulding process for the manufacture of material for this purpose as used by the firm of Siemelkamp of Krefeld?

I am aware that flax and other fibres are being used in Germany to reinforce plastics in the manufacture of certain aircraft parts, but definite information as to the results obtained is not available. I cannot, however, accept my hon. and gallant Friend's statement as to the relative tensile strength of this material compared with that of duralumin and steel. Research and experiments in the use of this material for aircraft production are being encouraged by my Department, and experimental components are now being made by the hydraulic moulding process.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has considered the letter from the county council of Stirling, calling his attention to the severe state of poverty so prevalent among old age pensioners, and appealing to His Majesty's Government to increase immediately old age pensions to such an extent as to allow these old people to live in comfort; and what answer has been returned?

I have noted the terms of the resolution adopted by Stirling County Council. As the hon. Member is aware, the question of increasing the amount of old age pensions is a matter for the Treasury, and I am afraid that I am unable to add to the statement made by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 23rd November last.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the end of the civil war in Spain, he proposes to make representations to the Italian Government concerning the immediate withdrawal of Italian troops and material from Spain, in accordance with the undertaking of the Italian Government?

As the House is aware, the Italian Government have given an undertaking to withdraw all Italian volunteers and war material on the termination of the civil war in Spain. I have no reason to suppose that the Italian Government will not honour that undertaking.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Pearl River, closed to com- mercial traffic since 13th October, has yet been reopened to British shipping; and, if not, what further steps he proposes to take to secure the reopening of commercial communications with Canton and to protect British trade in this area?

No, Sir, but His Majesty's Government are taking all possible steps to secure the reopening of the river at as early a date as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can state the acreage in the United Kingdom, exclusive of Northern Ireland, that was under flax cultivation in the years 1916, 1917, and 1918; in which counties was it found suitable to grow this crop; how many flax mills were then in use; and how many are there in working condition to-day?

The acreages returned as under flax (for fibre or linseed) in Great Britain in 1916, 1917 and 1918 were respectively 928, 2,516 and 19,742. The crop was grown in 1918 to some extent, in almost all counties of England and Wales, but the largest acreages were to be found in the counties of Essex, Somerset, the East and West Ridings of Yorkshire, West Suffolk, Dorset and Fife, which together accounted for 60 per cent. of the total acreage under flax in Great Britain. So far as I am able to ascertain there were no mills in use in 1916 and 1917 and 13 mills in use for dealing with the 1918 crop. At the present time three mills are in operation.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will now make public the main features of the report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Supply of Flax if farmers are to be encouraged to plant this spring; what quantity of treated seed is available so that effective measures may be taken to improve the industry in the shortest possible time; and whether it is proposed to consult with the National Farmers' Union executive so that the requirements of the Government may be communicated to those county branches where experience has shown flax can be grown?

The committee referred to by my hon. Friend was a sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence and it would be contrary to accepted practice to publish its report. As regards the remainder of the question, though the Government would of course on general grounds welcome an extension of the area under flax, their view has been that, having regard to the extent to which substitution for flax products is possible, the defence interest in flax growing is not sufficient to necessi- tate any special action on defence grounds, over and above arrangements which have been made for continuance of work at the Norfolk experimental and research station and arrangements to establish suitability for service purposes of unretted flax. The matter is, however, at present under further consideration. I regret that I have no information as to the quantity of seed of the kind referred to available in the United Kingdom.