asked the Minister of Labour how many shipbuilding and ship-repairing workers, distinguishing between skilled and unskilled, were registered as unemployed at South Shields on the latest date for which statistics are available?

The available figures relate to wholly unemployed men aged 18 years and over. At 12th February, 1940, there were 107 wholly unemployed men registered at the South Shields Employment Exchange as applicants for work in shipbuilding and ship-repairing occupations. It is not possible to give separate figures for skilled shipyard workers, but the total of 107 includes 62 men registered in shipyard labouring occupations.

Is the right hon. Gentleman doing anything to assist the First Lord of the Admiralty to absorb these men?

We are doing everything we can, but there are certain difficulties, especially with regard to those who were skilled at hand-rivetting and may be elderly men.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men over 18 years of age are now unemployed in South Shields; what were the corresponding figures six and 12 months before, respectively; and how many of the men now unemployed have been unemployed for a consecutive period of more than six months?

At 12th February, 1940, there were 6,300 unemployed men, aged 18 and over, on the registers of the South Shields Employment Exchange, as compared with 6,430 at 14th August, 1939, and 8,772 at 13th February, 1939. The 6,300 men on the registers at 12th February, included 6,090 applicants for insurance benefit or unemployment allowances, of whom 1,436 had been continuously on the registers for six months or more as compared with over 2,600 in the previous February and August. Corresponding figures are not available in respect of persons not applying for benefit or allowances.

Will the right hon. Gentleman take some steps to enable these men to take the part they are anxious to take in winning the war?

The hon. Member will see that there has been a very rapid improvement, and I have no doubt that in the months ahead there will be a still more rapid improvement, but the position in that area is one of the most difficult in the whole of the last 10 years.

How many of those who have been out of work for six months are miners?

I could not say without notice.

asked the Minister of Labour to what industries chiefly do the 1,194 unemployed persons categoried as belonging to all other industries and services, out of a total of 3,473 unemployed in the Greenock area on 12th February, 1940, belong; how are they distributed among these industries; and what percentage unemployed do they represent in each case?

I am having these figures extracted and will forward them to the hon. and learned Member as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Labour whether reasonable preference is being given, where practicable, to people resident in the North Staffordshire area, who are unemployed and who desire to be employed on contracts being carried out for the Government?

The general practice in selecting applicants to fill vacancies notified to Employment Exchanges is to give preference to suitable unemployed applicants living in the area where the work is situated or within daily travelling distance. I have no doubt that this practice is being followed in the North Staffordshire area.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of registered unemployed in the Employment Exchange districts of Dewsbury and Batley, respectively, on the 1st March, 1939 and 1940, distinguishing between the number of men and women, respectively?

As the reply includes a table of figures, I will, if I may, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Minister of Labour whether it is intended to discontinue the work of the Commissioner for the Special Areas; and, if so, when and whether it is intended to make provision for the continuation of the social services, and particularly, the erection and support of nursery schools in these areas when the present arrangement terminates?

I have nothing to add to the statement I made on 12th December, 1939, when moving an Amendment to the Expiring Laws (Continuance) Bill to provide for continuation of the Special Areas Acts. In the circumstances the last part of the Question does not arise.

Will the assistance promised to the Save the Children Fund to provide nursery schools in the distressed areas now be implemented?

I will send the hon. Member the passage from my speech, and perhaps he will communicate with me on particular points of that kind.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of registered unemployed in Scotland up to the latest available date?

At 12th February, 1940, there were 184,269 unemployed persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Scotland.

In view of that high figure and the large number of Scottish people away in the Forces or on war work, does the Minister intend to make a survey of the whole position in Scotland in order to bring in some particular scheme?

I do not think there is any necessity for that, because we are well aware of the position in each area, and I have no doubt there will be as great an improvement as there has been since last year. On 12th February, 1939, the figure was 268,000.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman think that the figure is excessively high, in view of the numbers away and those on war work?

It is too high, and I shall be glad to see it lowered.

While admitting that unemployment in Scotland has been reduced, is it not a terrible thing for the Government to admit that there are over 100,000 unemployed in Scotland? What are the Government prepared to do to alter that state of affairs?

If the hon. Member will look at the next figures, he may find that they are better.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that many young men are being kept from getting work by the prospect of being called up, but that in many cases such an event is months ahead; and will he take steps usefully to employ them in the meantime?

I am aware that some young men find difficulty in obtaining employment while awaiting enlistment in the Forces, but my information does not lead me to suppose that any considerable number are affected in this way. Special arrangements are in operation to enable any unemployed man who has registered for military service to be called up as early as possible if he so desires. Men liable for service who have not yet registered, and who are not covered by the Schedule of Reserved Occupations, can, of course, volunteer for immediate enlistment.

If I bring some cases to the attention of the right hon. Gentleman, is it possible for him to deal with them?

I shall be glad to look into them and discuss the matter with my hon. Friend.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are young men who were registered for the Navy as long ago as October last who are still hanging about and becoming more and more demoralised because they have not been called up?

There is always a difficulty, of course, in doing our best to meet the desires of men to join one particular Service and calling them up.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has yet received the reports of the Unemployment Insurance Statutory Committee on the financial condition of the Unemployment Fund for the past year; and what action he proposes to take with regard to the committee's recommendations?

I have received the reports in question. The Government have decided to accept the committee's recommendations, and the necessary draft order will shortly be laid before Parliament for approval. Copies of the reports will be available later to-day.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of rising prices, he will extend the period of operation of the winter allowances made by the Unemployment Assistance Board?

No, Sir. I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to his Question of 7th March.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman think, in view of the times we live in, that this suggestion is worthy of consideration?

I will call the attention of the Board to the remarks of the hon. Member.

In view of the exceptional severity of this winter, could not the date on which this allowance ends be extended?

That is a matter for the Board to consider. I will call the attention of the Board to the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of unemployed men, women and young persons, respectively, in the county of Durham at the latest convenient date, together with the respective totals for coalmining and shipyard workers?

I will have the available figures extracted and will forward them to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

Can the Minister say whether those figures are large or small, and when he anticipates that those persons will be engaged in useful industry?

I have not got the figures yet.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether, in view of the particular importance of first-aid in war-time, and in view of the fact that the subject is only one of many health matters dealt with in the recently-issued "Suggestions on Health Education," he will communicate with local education authorities suggesting that elementary first-aid should be taught to all children of an appropriate age?

The "Suggestions on Health Education" in which reference was made to instruction in first-aid was published as recently as January last, and the Board do not consider it necessary to draw the further attention of local education authorities to the matter at present. I should prefer, in accordance with the usual practice, to leave it to their discretion and to that of the teachers in the schools.

In view of the importance of this first-aid training, will the Minister keep his eye on the progress made?

Yes, Sir, I will. It is not our practice to do more than make suggestions, but I hope what I have said will be brought to the attention of local authorities.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education what steps the Board has taken or intends to take to ensure that children, particularly those evacuated, are not given moral instruction contrary to the principles held by their parents; and whether the Board will cause disciplinary action to be taken against teachers who offend in this respect?

I have no grounds for thinking that any such instruction is given in schools under the Board's jurisdiction.

May I ask my hon. Friend to answer my Question and say whether he proposes to give to parents of children who have been evacuated the right to see that they are educated according to their wishes?

I think I should read the answer again:

"I have no grounds for thinking that any-such instruction is given in schools under the Board's jurisdiction."

As the position stands, what rights have the parents got to see that their children who are evacuated are taught according to their wishes? Have they any rights?

I shall be sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy of my answer. This is a serious charge, and I think he ought to give me specific examples before I can possibly say more in answer to his Question.

Is the Minister aware that while some evacuated children are, no doubt, subject to the influence of persons of Fascist opinions—[Interruption].

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he is aware that a number of teachers with Marxist opinions are taking advantage of the evacuation scheme and the consequent separation of children from their parents to inculcate principles contrary to Christian teaching and morality and to endeavour to destroy all respect the children have for their parents according to the tenets of Marxism; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent this?

The answer to the first part of the Question is in the negative; the second part does not therefore arise. Any specific case which my hon. and gallant Friend can adduce will, of course, be investigated.

In view of the fact that a responsible organisation is prepared to give him details of complaints in five different counties, will my hon. Friend undertake to look into them and, if he finds the complaints are substantiated, see that the wishes of the parents are respected and that the children are protected from such teaching, whether it be Fascist or Marxist?

Certainly, Sir. We are against any doctrinaire teaching in schools. If my hon. and gallant Friend will give me any specific cases, they will be investigated.

Has the hon. Member any reason to believe that the hon. and gallant Member who asks the Question is associated with any responsible organisation?

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether, in view of the disclosure that bad cooking and bad meal planning result in food wastage in Army units owing to an inadequate supply of capable cooks that might otherwise be drawn from civil life, he will take the initiative and make cooking and housekeeping a more important part of the education of children in all schools?

The training of cooks for His Majesty's Forces is not a matter falling within the Board's province. Cookery has, however, long been a regular subject in the general education of older girls in public elementary and secondary schools. There are also trade schools for girls and one for boys desiring vocational training in cookery, and some 80,000 older students attend day or evening classes in the subject. The need for promoting the right use of food and preventing waste in its preparation was emphasised by the Board in a Circular dated 31st January, of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in deciding upon the number of children to be evacuated to reception areas in Wales under his new proposals, regard has been had to the household and school accommodation available in each reception area; and whether the consent of the local authorities was secured before the allocation was made?

The allocations to reception districts have been based on the returns of available household accommodation made by the local authorities themselves last year, and in Wales, as elsewhere, allowance has been made for accommodation which may already have been taken up as a result of private arrangements or otherwise. I am sending the hon. Member copies of a circular and memorandum which I have recently issued to the local authorities, from which he will see that provision is made for close collaboration between evacuating and receiving authorities and between billeting and education authorities with a view to ensuring, so far as possible, that the billeting and educational capacity of reception areas is used to the best advantage.

May I ask whether, if any local authority makes representations on the matter, the right hon. Gentleman will be prepared to reconsider them?

I am not prepared to do that this time.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make arrangements, in conference with the Minister of Transport, by which parents, whose children are evacuated at a great distance from home, may, when using the cheap fares facilities, return home the following day?

The facilities already available permit the return journey to be made the following day, where the distance between the evacuating and receiving area is such that the double journey cannot conveniently be made in one day after allowing a reasonable time to be spent in the receiving area.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the children in my area are evacuated to Exeter and that, as many of the parents have more than one child, it is impossible under the present arrangements for the parents to see their children for more than a few minutes; and can he reconsider the situation and provide some solution?

My answer applies to Exeter.

To Exeter itself?

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make arrangements in conference with the Minister of Transport, whereby parents, whose children are evacuated at a great distance from home, and whose small incomes prevent them visiting their children, even taking into account the cheap fare facilities, might periodically have free travel vouchers granted to them?

As I said in reply to the hon. Member for West Leyton (Mr. Sorensen) on 22nd February, special assistance may be granted to parents in receipt of unemployment assistance who could not otherwise afford to visit their children, and I am proposing to empower local authorities to grant similar help to parents in receipt of public assistance. I do not think that any further action would be justified at the present time.

Is the Minister aware that the fare to Exeter is about 13s. 6d. and that the parents have to pay, further, bus fares; that mothers who have to rely upon dependant allowances find it impossible to visit their children; and that there are mothers who have not visited their children for six months?

No, Sir. The maximum fare is 12s. return.

Would the right hon. Gentleman not give further consideration to this matter, as, in point of fact, it costs many parents 14s. or 15s., with bus fares, to see their children? Is it not obvious that a mother who is living on dependants' allowance cannot afford to pay that money to see her children?

I shall be glad to give consideration to any representations made to me by the hon. Gentleman.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will now give an assurance that, in the event of further evacuation of children taking place after the development of air attack, he will issue instructions that compulsory billeting shall not take place where the woman who would be responsible for the care of such children is genuinely engaged in agricultural work?

Local authorities have been directed to make sure, when allotting evacuated children to householders, that this is done in a way which will not interfere with the maintenance of the supply of agricultural labour. They may, I am sure, be relied on to give proper consideration to all cases in which the presence of evacuated children might hinder a housewife from undertaking her customary agricultural work.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in the next evacuation scheme, he will arrange that evacuated children are sent to reception areas in which are already billeted children from the same evacuable area; whether he will avoid, as far as possible, having many sets of teachers and children from different schools in one particular area; and whether he will arrange for children from Leyton and other urban Essex districts to go to the reception areas in rural Essex?

In making plans for further evacuation, we have had to take account of the results of the scheme carried out in September last. The effect of this scheme, particularly in the case of London, was to concentrate the great majority of the children evacuated in the more accessible reception areas, leaving the remoter areas comparatively little used. The bulk of the accommodation available for the new scheme is, therefore, to be found in the areas to which few children were sent last time, while the areas whose accommodation was heavily drawn upon then have less spare accommodation now. While I am in agreement with the hon. Member as to the value of the principles which he has in mind, the extent to which it may be possible to observe them in practice must be limited by the factors to which I have already referred.

May I take it that the right hon. Gentleman will encourage as far as possible in any new evacuation scheme that children from districts such as Leyton shall go to places where there is suitable accommodation, seeing that numbers of the children previously sent away have already returned home?

Yes, Sir; and I think that if the hon. Gentleman will pursue the matter and come round and discuss it with my officials, we might be able to go into this case in more detail.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in respect of new evacuation proposals, he has further considered the question of assisting the evacuation of invalids and aged persons?

Yes. Sir, but, as I announced in reply to the right hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. A. Greenwood) on 15th February, the new plans which have been made will apply to school children only, not to adults.

Can the right hon. Gentleman explain why they should not apply to adults as well, especially as numbers of these people are in great anxiety lest they be left in some vulnerable area?

The strain on billeting accommodation is already very great indeed, and I fear that we cannot add to the numbers of persons whom we intend to send out.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can furnish an approximate estimate of the cost, to the latest available date, of the evacuation of school children?

I regret that no reliable estimate of the total cost of the evacuation of school children can be given as particulars to be furnished by local authorities of the expenditure incurred by them on account of evacuation are still outstanding in a large number of cases. The main item of evacuation expenditure relates to billeting of which the estimated approximate gross cost to date is £7,000,000.

asked the Minister of Health whether any investigations are being made by his Department into the deleterious effect on the health of the people owing to lack of proper ventilation because of the black-out; and, if so, what is the result of this investigation?

Attention is being paid to the effect on the health of the people, of abnormal conditions created by the war, of which the black-out is one, but no special investigations of the nature suggested have been undertaken.

Will the right hon. Gentleman bear this aspect of the problem in mind, and is he aware that investigations have been made in some quarters which do show that health has been affected?

I shall be glad to consider any evidence which the hon. Member has.

Could not inspectors be sent round to open bedroom windows?

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department have conducted any experiments to secure better ventilation in houses, factories, offices and public buildings during the black-out, and, if so, with what results?

Yes, Sir. Experiments have been carried out by my Department, and it is proposed to issue shortly a pamphlet on Factory Ventilation in the Black-out, and specifications of means of ventilation suitable for houses, offices and public buildings.

Having regard to the fact that the Royal Air Force the other night were able to find the Unter den Linden in blacked-out Berlin, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman what advantage it is to have a black-out here?

That question has been dealt with effectively in Debate.

Does this apply to air-raid warden posts and so on, which are very badly ventilated in many cases?

Those have been attended to, for the most part.

What is the use of a black-out in the West of Scotland when there are iron works blazing up every night? Why cannot I have an answer to that question?

asked the Home Secretary whether he has considered a resolution from the education office of Bilston asking for a commission of inquiry into the question of the proportion of air-raid precautions costs that should be paid by the Home Office, and by local authorities, respectively; and what action he proposes to take?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 29th February to Questions by the hon. Members for Cheltenham (Mr. Lipson), Stratford (Mr. Groves) and West Leyton (Mr. Sorensen).

asked the Home Secretary whether he has considered the resolutions of the Essex Education Committee concerning inadequate grants for air-raid precautions in schools; how many similar representations he has received from local authorities; whether he is aware that the Essex County Council has to levy a rate of approximately 4½d. in the £ to meet air-raid precautions expenditure, largely to safeguard schools; and, in view of the increasing burden on Essex ratepayers and the disproportionate expenditure in respect of vulnerable eastern counties as compared with other counties, he will increase the percentage grant for school air-raid precautions and equalise the financial burden as between all counties?

I have received a copy of the resolutions passed by the Essex Education Committee and similar representations from some 120 other local education authorities. My attention has been drawn to a statement that the precept of the Essex County Council on the rating authorities for the coming financial year has been increased by 4d., but I have no knowledge how far this increase is attributable to the cost of protective work at schools. As regards the last part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on 29th February last.

Does the right hon. Gentleman's answer mean that he is going to reconsider the matter or not? Is he aware that the whole of the Essex County Council feel very strongly indeed that a larger share of these burdens should be borne by the State rather than by the ratepayers?

I have already said that the matter would be considered on its merits, in connection with discussions that are about to take place with the Association of Local Authorities regarding the burden of Civil Defence costs.

When will those discussions take place?

I shall be communicating, I hope, with the Association of Local Authorities within the next few days.

asked the Home Secretary how many active burning pit-heaps there are in Northumberland; and what steps are being taken to extinguish them?

I am informed that, as a result of the measures taken to deal with the burning pit-heaps in the county of Northumberland no pit-heap in the county is now seriously on fire, though six are still liable to flare up on occasion.

Will the right hon. Gentleman make further inquiries into this matter, because whoever is responsible cannot have seen some of the burning pit-heaps recently? I can assure the right hon. Gentleman that some of them are showing a thousand lights in the darkness.

I should be very glad to have any information which the hon. Gentleman has in his possession. My information was quite recent. I am aware that 30 pit-heaps in the county of Northumberland are under continuous inspection, but, as I have said, they are liable to flare up from time to time.

Does that apply throughout the country?

Yes, Sir. Steps are taken throughout the country to deal with burning pit-heaps by methods which have been worked out during the past year.

asked the Home Secretary which scale of Civil Service expenses payments are given to the Civil and Assistant Civil Area Commissioners?

I assume that what the hon. Member desires is particulars of the Civil Service rates of expenses to which I referred in my answer to his Question on 7th March. The rates are those applicable to senior civil servants, and I am sending particulars to the hon. Member.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the expenses are taken by all the Commissioners, or are some of them not taken?

I think the House knows that some of the Commissioners are not drawing the salaries allowed by the Statute.

I was not asking about salaries. I was asking about expenses.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has considered resolutions of protest against the announcement of his intention to revoke the Order-in-Council of October last providing for the earlier closing of shops; and whether he proposes to take any action on the lines of the proposals of the shop assistants, warehousemen and clerks that their working hours should be reduced to 48 per week?

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the appeal made to the public by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to avoid all unnecessary spending, he will continue the regulation for the earlier closing of shops after 17th March, and so prevent people being tempted to buy goods; and whether he will extend the regulations to include confectioners, tobacconists and public-houses?

As I explained in the Debate on 24th January, and in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Durham (Mr. Ritson) on 29th February, the regulation for the earlier closing of shops was made in view of the special conditions arising out of the black-out, and I am advised that there is no power to continue it during the summer when day light lasts until 8 p.m. or later. The general question of the regulation of wages, hours and conditions of employment in the distributive trades is a separate matter which my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour is considering in consultation with organisations representing employers and workpeople in those trades.

Does the right hon. Gentleman not realise that it is no use trade unions securing decent weekly hours for our men if at the same time the Government are encouraging later hours?

I think the hon. Lady must know that what is being asked for will require legislation, and I think it is pretty clear that such legislation would be acutely controversial.

Would it be in order for me now to ask my question regarding the black-out?

Not on these Questions.

May I ask if there is any demand from the general public that those regulations should be enforced?

As I have explained to the House on previous occasions, the point is that it would be ultra vires of the Emergency Powers Act to continue the regulations in force after the period of short days.

Is it not possible to issue an order under the Defence of the Realm Act for early closing, as was done in the last war?

What was done in the last war was to fix hours which are the hours provided for now under the ordinary law.

Does not this experiment show that people do not want to shop late, that the late hours have not been made use of, and in view of that fact, will the right hon. Gentleman consult with the Minister of Labour in order to get this legislation through?

That is another question altogether.

asked the Home Secretary what relaxation of the black-out restrictions will be permitted during the summer months for windows, skylights, etc., in private houses, shops, factories and other premises; and, further, whether he will approve a type of light for use within buildings which would be of negligible assistance to aircraft although detectable at ground level?

The black-out remains an essential part of our defences, and I could not hold out any hope of relaxation of the restrictions applicable to the interior lighting of premises of all kinds. As regards the last part of the Question, I know of no satisfactory form of general interior lighting which is invisible from the air if windows are not obscured.

Is the Minister aware that we have a great ironworks in the heart of Glasgow and one just outside Glasgow which are blazing forth and lighting the heavens every night in the midst of the black-out?

It is recognised as a great disadvantage. Power was taken under the Civil Defence Act to deal with such cases, but they require structural alteration, and that takes time.

Will the right hon. Gentleman carry out that Act in regard to this case? I can see the light when I am miles away outside Glasgow.

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that in certain parts of Scotland although the black-out on the land is effective, there seems to be no regulation governing the ships in the harbours? I can give some instances where it is quite absurd to black-out places and have the ships all lit up.

That is a matter for another authority.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that a further death by drowning has taken place at Greenock Harbour, bringing the total during the black-out to 21; that, beyond modified lighting, no further steps have been taken to secure the safety of those whose duties require their attendance at the harbour during the hours of the black-out; that this state of matters is continuing to cause dissatisfaction; and what further steps he proposes to take to eliminate this black-out menace?

I am informed by the chief constable that there have been no deaths from drowning in Greenock Harbour since I answered the hon. Member's Question on 22nd February. A body has since then been recovered from the harbour, but it appeared to have been in the water for some weeks. Fencing has already been erected to keep unauthorised persons away from the harbour premises, and I understand that the local naval authorities and the harbour authority are considering the question of erecting further safety barriers inside the harbour. I will bring the hon. Member's representations to the notice of my right hon. Friends, the First Lord of the Admiralty and the Minister of Transport.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that all responsible authorities in Greenock consider the position extremely serious, and that since this Question was put on the Order Paper two men have fallen 20 feet into a motor boat at the East India Dock in the dark—I received that news this morning; and is he also aware that every civic representative in Greenock considers that the whole of the docks should be—

The hon. and learned Member must not make a statement. He had better send it to the Minister.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that an auxiliary fireman was fined £20 at a London police court, on the 8th instant, for exceeding 20 miles per hour when driving an Auxiliary Fire Service car; and, in view of the fact that the man's weekly wage is £2 18s. 5d. per week, that prior to this offence he had a good driving record, and that driving a fire brigade car was an extra and unpaid duty for which he volunteered, will he review the circumstances with special regard to the means of the defendant?

I am having inquiry made about this case, and am not in a position at present to make any statement.

Will my right hon. Friend tell the magistrates why this particular regulation, for a 20 miles speed limit in the black-out, was brought in under the Defence of the Realm Act, because misunderstanding is arising?

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that, in fact, this penalty is 20 times larger than penalties for similar offences under the ordinary law?

I think it better that I should not offer any comment without due deliberation with the magistrates concerned.

asked the Home Secretary how many prosecutions and convictions there have been for exceeding the 20-mile speed limit during the black-out in the Metropolitan Police District since the limit was imposed on 1st February?