asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the annual report of the port medical officer of health for Liverpool states that dirty crew quarters is distressingly high on British ships and that 100 more were found verminous than in the preceding year; and whether, as a similar situation may be found in other ports, he is calling the attention of the owners concerned, with a view to remedial measures?

I have seen the report mentioned. Paragraph 30 of the Crew Space Instructions of 1937, a copy of which I am sending to the hon. Member, provides that a master of a ship should Satisfy himself by frequent and regular inspection, the results of which should be entered at least once a week in the official log, that the crew's quarters are maintained in a proper condition, that the quarters are cleaned daily and that every effort is made to detect the presence of vermin and to deal with it immediately.Copies of the Instructions were circulated by the shipowners' organisations to their members with a request that they should provide each of their masters with a copy and call special attention to paragraph 30 and to the Introductory Note to the Instructions which contains an extract from the report of the Merchant Shipping Advisory Committee stressing the necessity for the master to make it his business to take a personal interest in all questions relating to the accommodation of his crew, and to receive express instructions to that effect from the owners. In addition, the Board's marine superintendents affix a copy of paragraph 30 to all new copies of official log books.The question of cleanliness is primarily for the owners, officers and crew. The Shipping Federation and the National Union of Seamen have a joint committee considering methods of improving the standard of cleanliness and comfort in crew's quarters.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the steamship "Tuscania" has recently been transferred to a foreign flag; what company owned this vessel prior to transfer; and whether the owners informed the Board of Trade of the proposed transfer?

Yes, Sir. This ship was owned by the Anchor Line, Limited, and was sold to Greek owners for trading. The Anchor Line informed my Department in December that they were negotiating sale abroad, as they had built new tonnage and the "Tuscania" was surplus to their requirements, while the sale was part of the financing of the new construction. In these circumstances no objection was raised.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any information as to the amount of new tonnage which has been contracted for under the subsidy scheme?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given yesterday to the hon. and learned Member for Greenock (Mr. R. Gibson).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, with a view to assisting our balance of trade and our costs of production, he will consider allowing a return to the natural functioning of money rates?

I am not clear why my hon. Friend thinks that money rates are not functioning normally at the present time. It continues to be the policy of the Government to favour as cheap money as possible in order to encourage production both for domestic and for foreign markets.

asked the Prime Minister whether the former British residents and merchants at Kiukiang have yet been allowed to return to their property; and, if not, what steps he is taking in the matter?

No, Sir, but every opportunity is being taken to press the matter with the authorities concerned.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can state the number of summonses issued for the collection of tithe payments in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Kent, since the 1st January, 1939?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for South-West Norfolk (Mr. De Chair) on the 27th April, in which I stated that information as to the number of applications to the court for the recovery of arrears of annuities and tithe rent charge is not available.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider proposing to European Powers the recognition of non-military zones in the country of each Power in which areas old people, women, children, and the sick and wounded could be housed?

A scheme of this kind would only be feasible in connection with a general agreement on aerial warfare which would necessarily be preceded by an international conference. I regret that at the present moment there would seem to be no encouraging prospect for the holding of such a conference.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress is being made with regard to the electrification of the London and North Eastern Railway between Manchester and Woodhead?

I am informed by the London and North Eastern Railway Company that work on the electrification of their line between Manchester and Woodhead is progressing satisfactorily in accordance with a programme which contemplates its completion about the end of 1940.

asked the Home Secretary whether in view of the reports for 1938 of the Inspectors of Constabulary for England and Wales, he can state whether any progress has been made in the merging of small police forces and in the reorganisation of many others?

No voluntary arrangements for the merging of small police forces have been made in recent years, and it has not been found possible to introduce legislation to provide for compulsory amalgamations. As regards the second part of the question, the organisa- tion of all police forces is constantly under review, and many developments are taking place, some of which are referred to in the reports of His Majesty's Inspectors of Constabulary.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that an attempt was made recently to meet a demand for women workers in the confectionery trade at Norwich, by offering the work to unemployed women and girls in the North of England, and that the employment was refused by the unemployed persons to whom it was offered; and whether he will take steps to provide that unemployment benefit should not be paid to unemployed persons who refuse to accept transfer to suitable employment at satisfactory wages under satisfactory conditions?

I am aware that vacancies for 30 confectionery workers at Norwich were recently brought to the notice of persons who were available in Northumberland and Durham, some of whom were claimants for unemployment benefit. The vacancies were filled and three additional applicants were engaged, but in a number of other cases, the offer of employment was refused. It is for the Statutory authorities to decide whether a claimant who has refused an offer of employment is disqualified for the receipt of benefit. Of 23 cases which were referred to Courts of Referees in Northumberland and Durham benefit was disallowed in 20 cases, two claims were allowed and in one case I have not yet heard the result.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons were arrested in Scotland in 1938 for drunkenness believed to be due to methylated spirits; whether he can give comparable figures for previous years and whether he is satisfied with the working of the Methylated Spirits (Sale by Retail) (Scotland) Act?

The Act referred to came into operation on the 1st January, 1938, but the local returns relate to six-monthly periods commencing on 1st May and 1st November, and comparative figures for the whole year are not therefore available. The latest returns show that in the course of the six months from 1st May to 31st October, 1938, 297 persons were charged with offences of the nature referred to as compared with 1,243 persons in the corresponding six months of 1937. It is satisfactory that the figures show such a substantial decline since the Act came into operation.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether he is aware that speeches and comments in the House of Commons are not always audible to the members of the Press Gallery; and whether he will consider the advisability of installing microphones and headphones in the Press Gallery in order to facilitate correct reporting?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which was made yesterday to a question put by the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent (Mr. E. Smith). The same objections unfortunately hold good in the case of an amplification system for the Press Gallery as in the case of a general amplification system.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can now give the date of the publication of the report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Abortion?

The report of the committee is now in the hands of the printers and it is expected that it will be published towards the end of this month.