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Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 257, 30 October 1929, Page 7

BACK IN HARNESS

PARLIAMENT REOPENS Eager Inquiries On Important Issues At Home. FULL DISCUSSION PROMISED. (British Official Wireless.) r (Received 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, October 29. Parliament reassembled this afternoon after its three months' recess. As it was continuing the session which opened last July it settled down 1o business without the formal preliminaries. A long list of questions was down to be answered, and a large number were addressed to Mr. J. H. Thomas, Lord I'rivy Seal, and Minister in Charge of Employment, concerning the progress made with the schemes to relieve unemployment.

In answering these in bulk Mr. Thomas said that it was proposed that the vote for his salary should be put down early next week in order to give an opportunity for full discussion on the subject. He would then make a comprehensive statement. He added that he was more than ■ gratified with the response which he had received from the employers to his request for assistance. Asked what progress had been made in the promotion of the schemes of railway electrification, Mr. Thomas said that it was because so much had been done that he wished to make a full statement next week. Mr. Ben Turner, Secretary for Mines, announced that the Government hoped to make a statement on Thursday of their proposals for the reduction of hours of work in the mines. Mr. Arthur Henderson, Foreign Secretary, stated that an opportunity for discussion of the protocol providing for the resumption of diplomatic relations with Russia would be given at an early date. Mr. Gillett, for the Board of Trade, said that under the export credits guarantee scheme six contracts of a total face value of £130,270 had been entered into with exporters in this country in respect of exports to Russia. Goods covered by these contracts included coal, machinery and textiles. The percentage of risk accepted by the Department was 00.' Mr. Snowden, Chancellor of the Exchequer, who received an ovation from the Government benches when he entered the House to act as leader until the return of Mr. Mac Donald, announced tha,t the Prime Minister would attend the House next Tuesday and would make an early statement on the results of his visit to the United States. Mr. W. .Lunn, Under-Secretary for Colonies, preferred to defer any general statement on Palestine pending the inquiry now being held into the recent disorders. He said that the Colonial Office was prepared to consider the proposal that a conference he called of representatives of the Arab and Jewish leaders with a view to reaching a settlement. The Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Noel * Buxton, announced that grants from the development fund in aid of further improvements of fishing harbours, amounting to £30,750, had recently been sanctioned. The House proceeded witK the second reading of the Coast Protection Bill, which is designed to place all foreshore under the sole control of the Board of Trade and to co-ordinate .with the work of local authorities in dealing- with coast erosion. Mr. W. Graham, President of the Board of Trade, introducing the bill, mentioned that it would facilitate grants by the development commission for works, which are at present impracticable and thus help to relieve unemployment.

Mr. J. R. Clynes, Home Secretary, in answer to a question on the law relating to coroners' inquests, said it was only brought up-to-date in 1926. The law officers advised that it would be a mistake, so soon, to make fundamental alterations owing to happenings in one or two exceptional cases and conditions. Inqif/ries into cases of murder and manslaughter embodied the common law, and in view of the thousands of inquests held the criticisms were remarkably few. Therefore, he "did not propose to amend the inquest law.

Mr. Snowden said that a bill to raise the minimum school leaving age to fifteen, would certainly be introduced.