asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guarantees the Treasury have stated their willingness to give under the Trade Facilities Act, 1921, since the 30th June, when the last list was published?

The statement laid before the House on the 23rd instant (House of Commons Paper No. 3) shows those agreed to be given up to the 30th September last, and the following is a statement of those agreed to be given since that date:—The Treasury has agreed since the 30th September to give guarantees in the following cases:—

	£	£
Harland & Wolff, Limited	95,000
Newfoundland Products Corporation, Limited	2,000,000
Kassala Railway Company, Limited	1,500,000
Lanner Syndicate, Limited	25,000
London Electric Supply Corporation	650,000
Dolcoath Mine, Limited	50,000
Ipswich Dock Commission	125,000
Tata Power Company	850,000
Colliery Cottage Company, Limited	55,000
Oxford Electric Company, Limited	25,000
	5,375,000
The total guarantees agreed to up to the 30th September were	18,188,645
		23,563,645

asked the Minister of Labour, as representing the Ministry of Health, if he is aware that the West Ham board of guardians have now actually paid out on account of unemployment a sum of £1,383,739 up to the 11th November; that the whole of this, with the exception of £300,000 which was borrowed from the Government, has been derived from local rates; that the West Ham board of guardians have been compelled to approach the Government for a further loan of £300,000; that other Poor Law authorities are in as bad, if not worse, position than the West Ham guardians; and whether he is prepared to receive a deputation from the various Poor Law authorities of what are known as the necessitous areas?

My right hon. Friend is aware of the difficulties experienced by West Ham and certain other unions. He has not as yet been requested to receive such a deputation as is suggested and will carefully consider such a request if it should be made.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, to avoid suffering among the unemployed men who have marched to London and in the interests of good order, the Government will assist these men to return home or will ask Metropolitan and provincial Poor Law authorities to consider the concerting of measures for aiding such a return?

The Government have every sympathy with these unemployed men individually, but they are bound to point out that the march to London was continued in spite of public notification that the whole problem of unemployment was being examined by the Cabinet Unemployment Committee and that no useful purpose would be served by the march. In these circumstances the responsibility for the return of the men would seem to rest on those who persisted in bringing them to London. The Poor Law authorities will, of course, give such assistance as they are empowered and required to give in accordance with their statutory duty of relieving the destitute.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that unemployed persons in receipt of benefit under the Insurance Act in the village of Strathblane, Stirlingshire, are compelled to make a journey of nine miles once a week to the Unemployment Exchange at Kirkintilloch; what purpose is served by the infliction of this hardship upon the unemployed; and why payment of their benefits cannot be made at the local post office?

Applicants for unemployment benefit who reside more than four miles, but not more than six miles from the nearest local office of the Ministry of Labour, are required to attend that office once each week. I presume the cases referred to by the hon. Member come under this requirement. Arrangements for payment through the local post office could not be made without considerable additional expense, and I do not think the present arrangement is unreasonable.

asked the Minister of Labour what were the returns of unemployed on the registers of the Ministry on 30th September, 31et October, and 20th November, respectively?

asked the Minister of Labour the latest figures for unemployment?

The number of persons registered as wholly unemployed at Employment Exchanges in Great Britain on 2nd October, 30th October and 13th November was 1,328,783, 1,337,186 and 1,377,153 respectively. Figures for 20th November are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) what is the total number of juveniles between the school-leaving age and 18 years of age at present registered as unemployed in the London area and in England and Wales, respectively;(2) what is the total number of juveniles who have registered themselves at Labour Exchanges since 1st August of this year in the London area and in England and Wales, respectively?

The number of juveniles (under 18 years of age) registered during the 13 weeks ended 6th November, 1922, at Employment Exchanges in the London area was 38,921, and in England and Wales 124,517. The corresponding numbers remaining registered on 13th November were 15,960 in the London area, and 70,904 in England and Wales. I would point out that for various reasons, and particularly because boys and girls under 16 are not insured against unemployment, these figures fall considerably short of the total number of boys and girls out of employment.

asked the Minister of Labour, as representing the Minister of Health, the date on which the Draft Regulations under Section 3 of the Milk and Dairies (Amendment) Act will be laid before this House for approval or criticism?

My right hon. Friend hopes to be in a position to make the necessary Order under Section 3 of the Act within the next few days. The Order will then be laid before the House as required by Section 6.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to the first Interim Report of the Irish Distress Committee, stating that the difficulties of its operations are greatly complicated by the delays which have taken place in the settlement of claims for damage and malicious injury; and, in view of the date when the Shaw Commission, dealing with such claims, was appointed, will he say how many claims have been presented to that Commission, how many have been dealt with up to 15th November, and what measures are being adopted to speed up the work of the Commission?

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) whether he is aware of the Interim Reports on its work presented to the late Government by the Shaw Commission, and giving its opinion on the length of time that it would be necessary to take to hoar all the undefended pre-Truce awards for compensation that might be brought before it; and is it the intention of the Government to publish these Interim Reports;(2) how many sittings of the Commission, presided over by Lord Shaw, have been held with the President in the chair since its appointment in May of this year; how many pre-Truce undefended awards for compensation has it revised of cases where either British or Republican troops wore responsible for the damage; and, as the result of its recommendations, in how many cases has compensation been actually paid by either Government?

Proposals for facilitating their work have been submitted by the Commission to His Majesty's Government and have been approved, with the result that there has recently been a very large increase in the number of claims dealt with by the Com- mission, an increase which I have every reason to hope will be progressive. The number of claims submitted to the Commission is approximately 30,000, of which it is expected that approximately 20,000 will be found to be within their terms of reference. Of these the Commission had dealt with 1,250 up to the 25th instant, the total amount of compensation awarded being £1,041,000. As regards payment, the Provisional Government, who are solely responsible for payment in the first instance, are advised that in view of the large proportion of cases in which assignments and other charges have been given in respect of these decrees, it is necessary in every case to advertise their intention to pay for a reasonable time before actual payment is made. £130,175 has up to date actually been paid, advertisements of intention to pay I further £267,000 have been issued and are now expiring, and advertisements are about to be issued covering a further £500,000 in respect of cases which were only reported to the Provisional Government by the Commission on the 26th instant. In addition the Provisional Government have paid sums amounting to over £330,000 in respect of advances and payments under policies of insurance, made in a number of cases by insurance companies and underwriters.I have no information as to the number of sittings held by the Commission under Lord Shaw's Chairmanship, but I regret to inform the House that Lord Shaw has found it necessary to resign the Chairmanship of the Commission. The thanks of the Government are due to Lord Shaw for his very valuable services in initiating the work of the Commission. Pending the appointment of a successor, the Commission is continuing its work without interruption. As regards the publication of the Commission's Reports, in view of the fact that these Reports consist partly of administrative recommendations which have now been adopted and put into operation, with great advantage to the work of the Commission, and partly of lists of awards which are of no legitimate public interest, His Majesty's Government do not think it necessary to incur the expense of publication.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the Malicious Injury (Ireland) Act, 1920, has been repealed by the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State; whether such repeal received the Royal Assent; and whether pre-Truce awards for compensation can only be brought before the Shaw Commission on the application of either the British or Irish Governments?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative and the second part does not, therefore, arise. As regards the third part of the question, it was originally provided that awards could only be brought before the Commission on the application of the British or Irish Government, but both Governments have now agreed to waive this requirement and in future the Commission will have cognisance of all decrees or claims within their terms of reference without any such reference being required.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is intended to include in the expression "other public servant" in Article 10 of the Irish Treaty all persons who draw their salary from public funds and who are already pensionable?

I have no authority to decide upon the application of Article 10 of the Treaty; but I am advised that the words "other public servant" therein should properly be given a significance not less wide than that given to the words "Irish officer" in Section 58 of the Government of Ireland Act, 1920. Whether any particular case comes within the provisions of Article 10 of the Treaty must necessarily depend upon the circumstances of that case.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is the intention of His Majesty's Government, pending the grant of responsible government to Southern Rhodesia, to offer a form of Crown Colony government; and whether, in order to remove any misapprehension on this matter, His Majesty's Government is prepared to say what steps it is pro- posed to take to give early effect to the wish of the Rhodesian people as expressed in the results of the referendum?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. It is not possible so soon after the referendum in Rhodesia to make any statement in regard to the second part of the question, but the matter is necessarily receiving the careful consideration of His Majesty's Government.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, seeing that it is now nearly two years since Lord Cave issued his award in connection with Southern Rhodesia, and that this award was subject to two deductions for lands alienated to the Chartered Company itself without payment and to third parties for considerations other than cash, he will say whether any action has yet been taken to arrive at the value of these extensive alienations of the best-lands in the territory by independent valuations; and, if not, what steps does His Majesty's Government propose to take in the matter?

It was not possible to deal with these matters pending the determination of the future of Southern Rhodesia, but, now that the result of the referendum is known, they will come up for early consideration.

asked the Under Secretary of State for War whether large numbers of Army chaplains, acting on the introduction of the War Office, had their banking accounts at McGrigor's; and whether, under the special circumstances of the case, the Government are prepared to do anything for those who have suffered owing to the bank's failure?

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the situation produced by the failure of McGrigor's Bank; whether it is the intention of the Government to guarantee the depositors against loss: whether he can make any statement with regard to the general position of the concern; and what steps the Government propose to take to prevent a similar situation arising?

I would refer my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave on Friday last to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Yeovil (Mr. A. Herbert).

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will cause to be prepared a return showing the number of occasions since 1918 on which British bombing aircraft have been employed against people with whom this country was not officially at war, for what purpose such aircraft were employed on each occasion, the character and extent of the damage inflicted, if any, the number of persons killed or wounded, and the estimated cost to this country of all such operations?

I imagine that the hon. Member has in mind the action of aircraft in Iraq. If this be the case, I would refer him to the reply which my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies has given to-day to the hon. Member for Nottingham Central (Mr. Berkeley).

asked the Home Secretary whether he proposes to reconsider the case for the employment of women police; and whether he will investigate the possibility of altering the police court-practice of convicting women for social offences on the sole evidence of police constables?

As regards the first part of the question, I am considering this matter, but am not yet in a position to make any statement. As regards the latter part of the question, it is for the courts before which these cases are heard to decide what evidence is necessary to justify a conviction.

asked the Home Secretary whether the Government have in preparation a Measure to continue the Aliens Act with such modifications which will give additional protection to the workers of this country against cheap Continental labour, especially in view of the alleged readiness on the part of many thousands of German workers who are waiting for the relaxation of the law against aliens to flood this country as in pre-War days?

I am glad to have an opportunity of removing some misapprehension which, I think, exists upon this subject. The provisions of the law which are continuing in force give complete power to impose restrictions on aliens. Under this power alien immigration can be controlled to any extent which the needs of this country require from time to time, from the point of view of the labour market, public health, law and order, and otherwise. I can assure my hon. Friend that care will be taken to see that those interests suffer no damage from the expiration at the end of this year of certain special provisions in regard to former enemy aliens. Those provisions were never an essential part of the machinery of alien control and, as I have explained, their expiration does not necessitate any further legislative provision.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total value of trade between Great Britain and Russia, imports and exports, for 1921, and for such months of 1922 as the figures are available?

The following statement shows the values of the import and export trade between the United Kingdom and Russia (including Russian territory both in Europe and Asia) in the year 1921 and the nine months ended 30th September, 1922:—

	Year 1921.	First nine months of 1922.
	£	£
Imports into the United Kingdom	2,694,674	3,189,898
Exports of produce and manufactures of the United Kingdom.	2,181,007	2,756,022
Re-exports of foreign and colonial merchandise	1,210,283	622,894

asked the President of the Board of Trade the output of coal per man in 1910, or other selected year of normal conditions, for Great Britain and the United States of America, and the similar output for 1921?

The output of coal per person in the United Kingdom in 1910 was 257 tons: in 1921, when all pits were idle for three months, it was 144 tons. In the 12 months ended September. 1922, the latest period for which figures are available, it was 216 tons. In the United States the output of coal (including anthracite) was 618 tons per person in 1910, and 549 tons per person in 1921. The hon. and gallant Member is no doubt aware that coal-mining is so much easier in the United States than in this country that it is impossible to draw any trustworthy inference from a comparison of the figures.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the increasing dissatisfaction in the tailoring and kindred trades in consequence of the injury to small employers as well as to part-time workers by the operation of the Trade Board; and whether, in view of this and also of the urgency for facilitating employment of part-time workers during this period of unexampled unemployment, he will press forward legislation based upon the recommendations of Viscount Cave's Committee, and in the meantime suspend or modify the operation of the Orders already in force?

I am aware that complaints have been made that certain Trade Board rates pressed hardly on small employers in some of the clothing trades, but my information is that these complaints have been largely met by the substantial reductions and revisions of rates made by the Trade Board during the last 12 months. I am not aware of any complaint that Trade Board rates hamper the employment of part-time workers. With regard to the second part of the question, the Government are carefully examining the working of the Trade Boards Acts in the light of the Report of Lord Cave's Committee.

asked the First Commissioner of Works when it is proposed to remove the remaining War-time buildings now in St. James's Park and to refill the lake?

The only remaining building in St. James's Park has been handed over to the Disposal Board, who are now obtaining tenders for its demolition. The question of the refilling of the lake is under serious consideration, and I hope that it will be filled by the early summer.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many conciliation committees are at present in existence, and in how many cases the decisions of such conciliation committees have been registered?

The number of conciliation committees now in existence is 61. Five of these committees have submitted wages agreements for confirmation, and 11 agreements have been confirmed. In addition, 50 committees have made agreements which have not been registered, but I am informed that, though unconfirmed, these agreements are generally observed by farmers within the areas concerned.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he can see his way to publish as soon as possible a handbook containing all the necessary data concerning the regulations and scales of pensions and allowances for the informa- tion and guidance of the Members of the House and all others concerned with the administration of war pensions?

A concise handbook for the information and guidance of War Pension Committees is now in preparation, and will be very shortly issued. I will see that arrangements are made by which copies will be supplied to all Members who desire to have them.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether the Government is prepared not to reduce the present rate of flat-rate disablement pensions, widows' and dependants' pensions; and whether it, will stabilise such pensions for a further three years?

The Government have decided that the present rates of flat-rate disablement, widows' and dependants' pensions shall not be revised under Article 24A of the Royal Warrant on account of the fall in the cost of living for a further period of three years from the 1st April, 1923.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether the Government are prepared to treat all ex-service men who have served in His Majesty's Forces and' have been discharged suffering from mental trouble not as pauper lunatics?

When the mental condition is due to or aggravated by service, the men are cared for at the expense of my Department, either in Ministry Neurological Hospitals or, if the unfortunate disability is of such a nature as to require certification under the Lunacy Laws, in mental asylums on the footing of private patients.

asked the President of the Board of Education what was the total number of fee-paying and of free places in the secondary schools of Wales in the year 1913 and in the year 1921, respectively, and the proportion of fee-paying and of free places in such schools for the two years named?

On 1st October, 1913, the total number of pupils in secondary schools in Wales recognised for grant was 17,411, of whom 7,670, or 44 per cent, of the total number, were holders of free places under vine Regulations for Secondary Schools. On 1st October, 1921, the total number of pupils was 30,627, and the number of free place holders 14,643, or 47·8 per cent, of the total number.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that managers of non-provided schools are in many cases dismissing their married women teachers on account of the example, set by their local education authorities; and what steps he proposes to take in the matter?

I am aware of the fact stated in the question. I have no authority to interfere with the discretion of school managers in this matter.

asked the President of the Board of Education the amount of capital expenditure on schools, elementary and other, by local authorities during each of the last four years and during the year 1913–14?

The capital expenditure of local education authorities is, as a rule, defrayed from loans. The sums expended out of loans for the years 1912–1913 and 1918–1921 are as follow:

—	Elementary Education.	Higher Education.	Total.
	£	£	£
1912–13	2,289,594	844,053	3,133,647
1918–19	85,233	24,192	109,425
1919–20	298,700	498,533	797,233
1920–21	843,749	1,226,713	2,070,462

I regret that, owing to the suspension during the War of the collection of statistics of expenditure, I cannot give figures for the year 1913–1914, and have accordingly substituted those for 1912–1913. The corresponding information for the year 1921–1922 is not yet complete. It must not be overlooked that the actual expenditure out of loans in a given year frequently represents commitments incurred in the previous year.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the action taken by the governing bodies of certain charitable and institutional schools in calling upon local authorities to undertake the burden of providing educational facilities for the children resident therein: and whether, in view of the burden that this will impose upon local authorities, he will favourably consider the introduction of amending legislation to remove this anomaly?

I am fully alive to the difficulties which have arisen in this connection. As the hon. Gentleman will recognise, the matter is one of some complexity, and I am not in a position to commit the Government to the introduction of amending legislation.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India how many chambers of commerce and other commercial bodies in India has stated that they are in favour of the administration of the East Indian and the Great Indian Peninsular Railways continuing to be entrusted to company management and against their transfer to State management?

No, Sir, but I will inquire of the Government of India.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what steps are being taken to improve the standard of the degrees given by Calcutta and other Indian universities; and whether, failing improvement, orders will be given for the discontinuance of the Government grant?

The hon. and gallant Member will find general information on the subject in the Annual Report on Indian Education, a copy of which I shall be happy to send to him if desired. I am not in a position to supply more detailed information. The matter is one for which the Ministers in charge of education in the several provinces and the Provincial Legislatures are now responsible.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he can give a list showing the number of members of the Legislative Assembly who voted in the majority in support of the Motion of Censure on the late Prime Minister in September last; whether they were Christians, Mahommedans, Jews, or Hindus; and what province they represented?

The hon. and gallant Member will find this division list on page 344 of the Official Report of the Legislative Assembly Debates of 8th September, 1922, a copy of which is in the Library. I understand that of the 48 members who voted in the majority, 7 were Mahommendans, 2 Parsis, and the remainder Hindus or Sikhs. They included representatives of all the provinces.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if there is any rule, express or implied, which bears upon the right of an Indian feudatory prince to render assistance to one of the parties to a parliamentary contest in this country?

There is, so far as I am aware, no rule that can be said to have any bearing on this question.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if any of the Provisional Governments of India are in possession of typical household budgets from the families of officials, showing the cost of living in an Indian district in relation to the current scales of pay in the public Services; if he can produce any of these budgets or state their general tenor; if they indicate the existence amongst the servants of the State of a condition of penury and strait-ness of means incompatible with the efficiency of the Services; and if he will consider the advisability of having this question submitted to inquiry by a Committee fully representative of Indian and non-official opinion, so that the people of India and of this country may have an opportunity of knowing of the conditions under which those who serve the State in India are compelled to live?

Yes, Sir, I have seen a note on the cost of living in one province, which contains particulars of the kind described in the question. It is not an official document, and I regret that I cannot lay it on the Table. The difficulties which members of the Services are experiencing owing to the rise in prices are fully recognised, and the whole question is receiving most careful and sympathetic consideration by the Secretary of State.

asked the Under-Secreretary of State for India if he is aware that the Jubbulpore Municipality presented an address of welcome to the Civil Disobedience Committee on its arrival there and hoisted the revolutionary flag over the municipal buildings while the Governor of the Central Provinces was present in the station, and that no action was taken by the latter: and what action has been taken in the matter by the Government of India?

I am aware of the incident of the hoisting of the Swaraj Hag in the circumstances referred to, though I have no official information as to whether or not the Governor was present at the time. My information is that the visit of the Civil Disobedience Committee to Jubbulpore had attracted very little public interest and that it was decided not to take any action which would give undue notoriety to insignifi-can individuals. But I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that consideration is being given to the action that should be taken should incidents of this kind be found to recur hereafter.

asked the Minister of Labour, as representing the Ministry of Health, the actual costs, so far as they are available, of all the houses built under the Government's various housing schemes, and the average price paid for each house?

According to a return which has recently been furnished by local authorities who are carrying out housing schemes, the average all-in expenditure on houses for which contracts have been made will work out at, approximately, £1,090 a house. The final settlements of costs which have been made to date relate only to small schemes, covering only 11,000 houses. The average cost of building in these oases, exclusive of land development, professional fens and expenses, works out at £908 a house.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Government intends dealing with the Rent Restrictions Act; if he is aware that the Manx Legislature have passed an Act to extend for a further two years the Rent Restrictions Act and to reduce the increased rentals of 50 per cent, above the pre-War figure to 20 per cent.; and if he will take action in the matter?

I am aware of the action taken by the Manx Legislature referred to by my hon. Friend. The Government propose to re-appoint the Departmental Committee set up by the late Government to inquire into the steps which should be taken to amend or extend the present Rent Restrictions Act.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether his attention has been drawn to the closing of Chalk Lane, Epsom, to motor traffic, and to the many cases consequently brought against drivers for the infringement of this order; and whether some better sign than a red disc can be erected which can be immediately recognised and generally understood?

I am aware of the facts quoted by my Noble Friend. I would explain, however, that immediately below the red disc to which he refers a notice board is displayed, measuring 24 inches by 15 inches, which states in bold type that mechanically propelled vehicles are prohibited. I consider that such a notice can be both immediately recognised and generally understood.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether an Inquiry was ordered by his Department into certain fares charged by the underground railways of London; if so when was the Inquiry ordered and commenced: has any Report yet been presented thereon; and, if so, the purport of the same?

The Rates Advisory Committee was asked on the 27th July last to consider and advise the Minister what, if any, modification should be made ii; the fares charged under the provisions of the London Electric Railways (Fares, etc.) Act, 1920. The Committee advised on the 27th October that proposals made to them by the companies for the reduction of ordinary fares, with corresponding reductions in workmen's faros, might reasonably be accepted as sufficiently meeting the circumstances of the case at the present time, and that they should be brought into operation ore the 1st January next. The companies undertook to bring the reduced ordinary and workmen's fares in question into operation on that date, and, as the hon. Member is aware, they have advertised particulars of the reductions, which include reductions in certain season ticket rates. It has been arranged that the Committee shall present a further Report in final discharge of their reference in the course of the early months of next year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that on the merging of the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway into the Southern Railway Company, £12,800 is to be paid to two directors who will suffer loss by the abolition of their office, and that, owing to the amalgamation of the North Eastern and Great Central Railways, six directors of the Great Northern Railway will receive between them £23,657, four years' purchase of their 1922 fees, £25,000 will be shared by the retiring directors of the North Eastern Railway, and that six retiring directors of the Great Central Railway also share £20,000, four years' fees, and £6,000 will be divided amongst the directors leaving the Great North of Scotland Railway; whether any of the above grants will in any way be borne by the Government; and if he will take action in the matter?

Power is given under Section 3 (1) (d) of the Railways Act, 1921, for the payment of compensation to directors whose office is abolished, from the assets of a company. The compensation will not in any way fall on public funds, and no action by the Government is required.

asked the Postmaster-General if it is his intention to close the sub-post office in Gaythorne Road, West Bowling, Bradford; if so, whether he is aware that this sub-office is conveniently situated for the use of a large industrial population: that 140 old-age pensioners and a large number of sailors' and soldiers' dependants draw their weekly pensions there; that the nearest sub-post office to the one in question is inconveniently situated for the business proposed to be added to it; that a petition against the closing of the sub-office has been signed by about 1,400 residents of the district concerned, which petition has also been signed by the managers of the large dyeworks in the district known as Ripley's Dyeworks, a branch of the Bradford Dyers' Association; and, if it is his intention to close the sub-office referred to, whether he will reconsider the matter?

It was decided in September last to close this sub-post office on the recent resignation of the sub-postmaster. The representations to which the hon. Member refers have been considered; but in view of the fact that there are three other offices within a distance of half a mile, I regret that I should not be justified in maintaining the Gaythorne Road sub-office having regard to the present need for economy.

asked the Postmaster-General, in view of the liability of his Department for compensation for the loss of a registered packet, why the Post Office endeavours to obtain money from the public by inviting them to register their letters and parcels without taking steps to inform them beforehand, by some special means other than rules and regulations laid down in the Post Office Guide, that the extra payment they make is merely given to increase the emoluments of the Post Office, and in no case is the Post Office liable for any loss they may incur?

I cannot accept my hon. Friend's description of the Post Office practice as regards compensation. The Post Office accepts liability for the loss of a registered packet in the post, subject to certain conditions, which are specified in the Post Office Guide. If the hon. Member has any ease in mind in which be considers that compensation for a letter or parcel has been improperly refused, perhaps he will be good enough to furnish me with details.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that the regulation that postal packages bearing a halfpenny stamp, which in a very large number of cases contain only invoices, must be posted in the industrial towns in the North of England before 3 o'clock in the afternoon in order to be delivered in London on the following day is causing serious inconvenience to traders, owing to the fact that goods referred to in such invoices despatched by rail at or near 6 p.m. on the day of the posting of the invoices are delivered in London on the day following despatch, and cannot be dealt with owing to the non-delivery of the corresponding invoices; and will he take steps, in the interest of the trading community, to cancel the regulation in question and to ensure that postal packages bearing halfpenny stamps put into the post office before 5 p.m. in the North of England shall be delivered in London on the day following the despatch of the same?

The receipt of large quantities of circulars, etc., late in the evening gives rise to considerable expense and inconvenience. In order, therefore, to secure earlier posting the reduction of the minimum rate on printed papers to ½d was limited to packets posted before a specified time in the afternoon. This restriction, which is on the lines recommended by the Geddes Committee, has resulted in substantial economies and improvement in organisation. I would remind the hon. Member that urgent packets which cannot be posted before 3.30 p.m. will be dealt with after that hour if they are prepaid at the old rate of 1d. for the first 2 ozs.