asked the Minister of Transport whether he will give the number of cases in which carriers' licences have been suspended or revoked on account of infringements of the provisions of Section 19 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, relating to drivers' hours?

From figures supplied to me by the Traffic Area Licensing Authorities, it appears that in 55 cases licences have been revoked or suspended by reason of breaches of licence conditions which included breaches of Section 19. In a further four cases vehicles were removed from licences.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can state the order of priority of transport sanctioned by the Traffic Commissioners in the event of an emergency?

The information is as follows:

I do not think it would be wise to lay down any exact and rigid order of priority, as circumstances are likely to vary greatly at different times and in different localities. Defence requirements and transport of foodstuffs must clearly be of special importance.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the widening of Gore Road, Darenth, Kent, entrance of A.2 road Dart-ford; whether he is aware that the local authority prepared a scheme costing £ 1,000 and that his Department asked for a scheme to cost £ 9,000 and only offered a grant on condition that the more expensive scheme was carried out; and why he was not guided by the advice of the local authority?

I have no knowledge of a scheme to cost £ 1,000, in connection with the widening of Gore Road, Darenth. In 1935 a proposal for providing a width of 32 feet at a cost of £ 5,285 was submitted to my Department. On examination, it was found that the presence of a large asylum and training colony, as well as the volume of through traffic on the existing road, required a widening to 40 feet and the provision of two continuous footpaths. A revised scheme to cost £ 9,686 was submitted and approved for grant in 1937. I understand that the work has not yet been carried out.

asked the Minister of Transport why he is insisting on the erection of an expensive roundabout at Toll Gate cross-roads junction of A.2 and A.227; and why he does not consider that the Kent County Council's proposals for traffic lights are less expensive and adequate?

An analysis made by my Department shows that roundabouts are more effective than traffic lights in reducing accidents, especially on main roads and where speed restrictions are not operative. The Toll Gate junction is on the main road from London to Chatham and the construction of a roundabout is possible there; and though the initial cost of the roundabout is larger, the difference is largely offset by the maintenance costs involved in traffic lights. In these circumstances, I am satisfied that a roundabout should be provided.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will provide a list of the compulsory acquisitions of land for public purposes made in Yorkshire with the authority of his Department during the years 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937 and 1938, together with the area concerned and the price paid in each instance, and, where known, the value as assessed for Schedule A previous to purchase?

As I explained in a letter to the hon. Member yesterday, I regret that it is not possible to supply this information.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the new Cambridge arterial road is inconveniently narrow, although there is abundant space for widening purposes, and that no widening work has been put in hand since the promise given last year by his predecessor in reply to a question on this matter by the hon. Member for West Leeds; and whether he will now give orders for widening work to begin on that highway?

Yes, Sir. But as this is not a trunk road I am not able to give orders for widening work to be put in hand. I understand, however, that the Middlesex County Council have now completed the 1½ miles of widening referred to in the reply given by my predecessor last July. The further section of widening referred to in that reply has had to be postponed until certain sewerage works can be completed. Accordingly, plans for widening two miles of road beyond this section have been prepared. The scheme has been approved and a grant is about to be made of 60 per cent. of the cost, estimated at £ 104,000.The Hertfordshire County Council have found it impossible to provide for a second 27 foot carriageway within the 100 foot width proposed for the road without either omitting cycle tracks or destroying well-established trees. The council are, therefore, considering the possibilities of a wider road.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will state the number of road accidents which have occurred at the Granta Bridge, Great Chesterford, Essex, for the year ended 1st June last?

I am informed by the chief constable of Essex that the records of road accidents involving personal injury which occurred in his district during the year ended 1st June, 1939, do not include any accidents at Granta Bridge, Great Chesterford.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has approved the new scale of fares fixed by the London Passenger Transport Board; and whether he proposes to do anything to protect the London travelling public from the increases, which in many cases will cause very serious hardships?

Under Section 29 of the London Passenger Transport Act, 1933, statutory jurisdiction over the fares charged by the London Passenger Transport Board resides in the Railway Rates Tribunal who have power, on the application of a local authority, or (in any case where the board have not themselves power to make the alteration in fares which they desire to make) on the application of the board, to revise the fares or any of them charged or chargeable by the board or modify any conditions applicable to such fares.The hon. Baronet will see that in these circumstances I have no power to intervene

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been drawn to the case which was tried at Lanark sheriff court, on 26th May, where the driver of a 60-feet tractor and trailer was admonished on a charge of careless driving; that the steersman on the trailer admitted that at certain corners it was impossible to prevent part of the vehicle being over the centre line; that the load which the vehicle had carried was stated to be an 80-ton ingot mould; and, as a vehicle of 60 feet with a load of 80 tons is too long and heavy for the public highway and bridges, what steps he will take to prevent such vehicles being used in future?

My attention had not been drawn to this case. I will make inquiries and write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the dangerous bridge known as Monmouth Cap bridge, near Abergavenny, Monmouthshire; whether he is aware that several accidents have recently occurred at the bridge involving the loss of two lives and a number of injuries; that the bridge forms part of a trunk road for which he is responsible; and whether he proposes to take immediate steps to cause to be removed the danger to traffic and life at that point?

Yes, Sir. I have made an Order under the terms of Subsection (3) of Section 1 of the Trunk Roads Act prescribing the route of a diversion of the trunk road at this point.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why, on or about 19th May last, a Dutch motor-vessel was employed to carry potatoes to Portland for the Admiralty contract department; whether in pursuance of the undertaking given by the First Lord on 29th November, 1934, Admiralty contractors are required to use British ships when moving cargoes coastwise; and, if this use of a Dutch vessel constituted a breach of contract, what action has been taken to deal with the offender?

The contract referred to by my hon. and gallant Friend stipulated that British freight should be employed for the distribution of home-grown potatoes. The breach of contract which took place arose from the fact that the consignment in question was purchased for c.i.f. delivery at Portland and the arrangement of freight was thus in the hands of the sellers who unfortunately were not informed by the purchasing firm of the stipulation concerning the use of British freight. The firm have given an undertaking that this stipulation will be complied with in future.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether consideration may be given to the institution of a medical board for senior naval officers to ensure some measure of physical fitness for those assuming appointments; and whether, having regard to the fact that in the last three years three admirals have died and six others have had to be invalided, he will institute such a reform without delay?

I will consider my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion, but medical records show that in few, if any, of the instances to which he refers would the eventual cause of death or invaliding have been detected by medical examination before the appointment was taken up.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether, having regard to their proved success in the Army and the Royal Air Force, he will institute the system of university commission entry into the Royal Navy?

There is already a system of university entry into the Royal Marines and the engineer and instructor branches of the Royal Navy. The institution of a system of university commission entry into other branches of the Royal Navy has been considered, but the difficulty is that officers so entered would be very much older when they became lieutenants than officers from Dartmouth or the public school entry.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will state the total number of Queen Bee aircraft shot down on 22nd May during the practice shoot by the "Nelson," "Rodney," "Sheffield," and "Ark Royal," respectively, and the total number of shells fired by all ships at the Queen Bee during that afternoon?

509 rounds of innocuous shell were fired in the practice referred to by my hon. Friend. This shell is specially designed to avoid damage to an expensive Queen Bee target, which was not shot down on the occasion in question.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he has taken any action to protect British shipping in the Far East?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Henley (Sir G. Fox) on 26th May this year.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will consider the institution of a selection board to deal with the promotion and selection for appointments, of senior naval officers, having regard to the fact that the present system is obsolete and frequently unfortunate in its results?

I am unable to agree with either of the suggestions underlying my hon. and gallant Friend's question. My Noble Friend the First Lord is satisfied that the present practice ensures the most authoritative examination of the merits of senior naval officers before promotions or appointments are made.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he has any information as to the number of eight-inch gun cruisers now built, building, or projected by the German Government?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the current edition of the Command Paper "Fleets." Of the five sub-category (a) cruisers, that is, cruisers with guns of 8 inch, there shown as building for the German Navy, one is known to have been completed. I have no information as to any further vessels of this category being built or projected.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education what is the present number of black-listed schools in Wales and how many of these are non-provided schools; and what proportion of the total have been designated black-listed for a longer period than 10 years?

There are at present 112 black-listed schools in Wales, of which 58 are non-provided. All these were included in the list of 268 schools with unsatisfactory premises issued in 1925. In numerous cases proposals for improvement are before the Board, while in others the most urgently needed improvements have been carried out.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the total number of people in this country who have volunteered for National Service in the event of war apart from the fighting services?

The estimated number of applications for enrolment in the various services of Civil Defence since the opening of the National Service Campaign in January last is now 900,000. The actual number of persons at present enrolled for such services is about 2,150,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what action has been taken to fill the 160,000 tons space of cold storage in this country?

The problem of cold storage space in relation to requirements in time of war is now being examined in all its aspects by the Food (Defence Plans) Department. I am unable to anticipate the result of this examination but I can assure my hon. Friend that I am fully alive to the importance of the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to which countries illegal refugees in Palestine are being deported; and whether, in cases in which such expulsions are likely to lead to great hardships and physical danger to such refugees, he will reconsider his decision with a view to their remaining in Palestine?

I would refer the hon. Member to my answers to questions by the hon. Member for Derby (Mr. Noel-Baker) on the 5th June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the contemplated legislation restricting the sale of land in Palestine will be deferred pending consideration by the Permanent Mandates Commission of the policy enunciated in the White Paper?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will assure the House that he will not promulgate restrictive land legislation in Palestine before the question of the compatibility with the mandate, of the policy formulated in the White Paper, Cmd. 6019, has been considered by the Permanent Mandates Commission and the Council of the League of Nations?

I am unable to give this assurance. The approval of the Council of the League is only required for any amendment of the Mandate for Palestine, and in the opinion of His Majesty's Government no amendment of the mandate is involved in the policy formulated in Command Paper 6019.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the police in Palestine have attempted to prevent Jews from settling Jewish-owned land since the publication of the recent White Paper [Cmd. 6019]; and whether he will take steps to prevent any further action on these lines?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative, but I am making inquiries of the High Commissioner. The second part of the question does not therefore at present arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is prepared to recommend the abolition of school fees for African children in grant-aided elementary schools in Kenya?

No, Sir. The policy of the Government of Kenya is to advise aided schools to charge fees; but reductions in or exemptions from the fees are made in necessitous cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what recent steps His Majesty's Government has agreed to for bringing Trans-Jordan nearer independent government?

As a result of discussions which I recently had in London with the Chief Minister of Trans-Jordan, His Majesty's Government have agreed in principle to the following matters which they believe will contribute effectively to the further progress of Trans-Jordan towards the goal of independence:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has considered a recently published report on the labour situation in Uganda, in which it is stated that long hours are worked in the case of small ginneries; that among 95 ginneries, 31 had 10-hour shifts, 39 had 11-hour shifts, and 6 had 12-hour shifts; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy this state of affairs?

In accordance with the recommendation in paragraph 234 of the report to which the hon. Member refers, the Government of Uganda propose to enter into negotiations with the cotton ginning industry with a view to the closer regulation of conditions of work in the ginneries. I am expecting to receive a further report from the Governor.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the recommendations of the survey on the locust pest in Africa which has just been published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, he will inquire into the possibilities of more continuous investigation and control throughout the territories affected?

Investigations into the locust problem have indicated that the most promising results are likely to be achieved by the establishment of patrols and measures to check swarming at the permanent breeding grounds of the different species. Consultations are taking place with various Colonial Governments as to their co-operation in the projected establishment of international control schemes, as recommended by the Fifth International Locust Conference in Brussels last year; and I am hopeful that negotiations will shortly take place with other interested Governments with a view to the establishment of these schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the Germans in East Africa have now demanded from the Jews who live there their share of the general fine recently imposed on all Jews in Germany, and that the envelopes containing this demand were marked Deutsche Ost-Afrika; and what steps he proposes to take to stop practices of this kind?

I have recently seen a statement to this effect, but I have no official information on the subject. I will make inquiry of the Governors concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) what immediate steps are being taken to give effect to the recommendations of the Anglo-American Committee for the settlement of Jewish refugees in British Guiana;(2)whether the understanding with the Anglo-American Committee precludes the entry of settlers to the interior of British Guiana other than those approved of and settled by that committee?

As I stated in my reply to a. question by the hon. Member for York (Mr. C. Wood) on the 26th May, I understand that the appropriate refugee organisation in this country is actively engaged in considering, in conjunction with the United States Committee, detailed proposals for a scheme of refugee settlement. Pending the receipt of these proposals, I do not feel able to consider any other schemes for settlement within the Colony.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can state the number of African mine owners in the Gold Coast; and, in respect to Nigeria, the number of Africans who hold mining prospecting rights, exclusive prospecting licences, mining rights, and mining leases, respectively?

The information requested is not available, but I will ask the two Governors to supply it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what representations have been made to him on behalf of interests and organisations in Sierra Leone against the passage of the Deportation, Sedition, and Undesirable Literature Bills, and of the Trade Union and Trade Disputes Bill; what are the grounds of these representations; and what action he proposes to take with respect to them?

I have received two telegrams relating to the legislation in question. The first protested against the Deportation, Sedition, and Undesirable Publications, the Trades Unions and the Trade Disputes (Arbitration and Enquiry) Bills; the second against the passage of the Deportation, Sedition and Undesirable Publications Bills.As regards the second part of the question, the grounds stated in the first telegram in respect of the Deportation, Sedition, and Undesirable Publications Bills were to the effect that they purported to deprive the entire inhabitants of freedom of organisation and expression of public opinion, and that they were repugnant and unwarrantable; and in the second telegram, to the effect that the Bills mentioned were unwarrantable and oppressive.As regards the third part of the question, I am informed that the Deportation Bill will be debated again on the 20th June and that the Sedition and the Undesirable Publications Bills were passed on the 23rd May with very little opposition. Before making any further statement I should wish to await a report of the discussions in the Legislative Council and to consider this with the actual text of the Bills.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that a Bill has been presented to the legislative council of Sierra Leone to regulate the deportation from Sierra Leone of undesirable British subjects, including British protected persons who are natives of that dependency, and as the Ordinance provides that a judge may in his discretion accept and act on less than legal evidence and that no writ of Habeas Corpus or other process calling in question the legality of any order made under this Ordinance shall have any effect, he will advise His Majesty to withhold his assent to this Measure?

I have not yet had an opportunity of examining the text of the Bill to which the hon. Member refers. I shall, however, have such an opportunity before it becomes law and will bear in mind the points to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether he will arrange to have planted and maintained in easily accessible spots in the Queen Mary Garden, Regent's Park, and in St. James's Park, small herb gardens, provided with identification diagrams of each herb explanatory of its medical and cookery uses?

I have been asked to reply. I hope that my hon. Friend will agree to postpone his question till next week.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will indicate the course of employment in the city of Leicester for the months of March, April, and May, 1939, by numbers, industries, and percentages, respectively?

The following table shows, for the area served by the Leicester Employment Exchange and Juvenile Employment Bureau, the numbers of insured persons, aged 16-64 years, recorded as unemployed in the principal industries at 13th March, 17th April, and 15th May, 1939, and these numbers expressed as percentages of the estimated numbers insured at July, 1938:

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what would be the combined total of the personnel of the Forces of the Crown if all Empire countries decided to mobilise simultaneously in the event of war?

The total personnel of the fighting services which would be available on the assumption suggested in this question must depend upon decisions at the time, and it is therefore impossible to give any useful figure now.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the reduction of the age limit for marriage allowances for other ranks, he will reduce the age limit for officers' marriage allowances proportionately?

The considerations which led to the reduction of the age limit for family allowance for other ranks do not apply in the case of officers, and I cannot give the undertaking that there will be a reduction of the age limit in their case.