asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what proportion of the ex-service temporary civil servants employed in his Department on clerical duties are home service and overseas, respectively; and how many are men who did not sit for the recent special establishment examinations?

The number of ex-service temporary civil servants employed at the Admiralty on clerical duties on the 1st April, 1923, was 703.

The details asked for are not available, but on a former occasion when the number was 751, approximate details were:

Home service	58
Overseas	693

The number who did not sit for the special examination was then 327, which number has since been reduced owing to a further examination having been held.

The number employed at the outport establishments was 671 on the 1st April, 1923. No details of this figure are available.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can state the number of ex-service men who have received a Government grant to enable them to finish their education at a university; how many of these have obtained a degree; of those so educated how many have applied to the Appointments Department of the Ministry of Labour for assistance in securing employment; how many through this agency have secured employment what was the nature of the employment thus secured; and how many are still registered with the Appointments Department awaiting employment?

The number of ex-service men who have received a Government grant to enable them to finish their education at universities or colleges of similar standing in Great Britain is approximately 19,850, of whom up to the present about 10,110 have obtained a degree or a diploma. Of the men so educated, 4,357 have registered with the Appointments Department, and 1,845 have secured employment through the agency of that department. The employment found was, generally, of a professional, technical or commercial character. There are at present 579 men so educated registered with the Appointments Department as requiring employment.

asked the Minister of Labour how many ex-service men who have received grants to complete their education at a university and who have registered themselves for employment through the Appointments Department have by these means received appointments as secondary school teachers, and how many as metallurgical chemists at home and abroad, respectively?

While precise figures are not available, it is known that, of the ex-service men who received grants towards their education at a university or college of similar standing in Great Britain, over 500 have been placed by the Appointments Department as secondary school teachers at home and four abroad; over 27 have been placed as metallurgical chemists at home, and one abroad. There are at present on the register of the Appointments Department 53 men so educated requiring posts as secondary school teachers and 31 requiring posts as metallurgical chemists.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the total amount of public expenditure which has been incurred up to date on the training of ex-service and civilian women, respectively, for other careers than that of domestic service apart from funds provided from the Central Committee on Women's Employment, and not obtained from taxation; what figure has the total expenditure on similar training for ex-service men reached to date; and whether the non-combatant home-service men employed in such units as Army pay and records offices were eligible for the latter, and had, in fact, received them?

The expenditure incurred by my Department to date on the training of women is approximately £292,000. Separate figures are not available for the expenditure upon ex-service and non-ex-service women or upon training for domestic and other careers. The expenditure incurred by my Department to date on training ex-service men is approximately £21,600,000. In addition, considerable sums have been expended by other Government Departments upon the training of ex-officers and men. No distinction has been drawn by my Department between home and overseas service when deciding eligibility for industrial training, but the conditions laid down (such as inability on account of disablement to follow pre-War occupation) have in practice excluded nearly all home-service men.

asked the Minister of Labour what arrangements, if any, were made through his Department for the absorption of ex-service men, overseas and home service, respectively, demobilised from the forces from 1918 to October, 1920, into posts in the temporary Civil Service?

I have been asked to reply. In accordance with the recommendations in the Second Report, dated May, 1918, of the Gladstone Committee on the Recruitment to the Civil Service after the War, preferential treatment in filling vacancies in temporary posts in the Civil Service was accorded to such disabled and demobilised men as were from time to time available. In September, 1919, following upon the Report of the Committee on the employment of disabled men in Government Departments, steps were taken to secure employment for disabled men in each Department to a number representing not less than 8 per cent. of the temporary staff, male and female, employed on 30th June, 1919; and all future vacancies in temporary posts, other than those excepted in the Report, were reserved for disabled men, or, failing disabled men, for demobilised men. As regards the latter category, preference was given in accordance with the recommendation of the Committee to men with service overseas. The First Report, dated August, 1920, of Lord Lytton's Committee recommended the institution of Departmental Substitution Committees and a central co-ordinating body, with a view to increased substitution of the existing temporary staff by ex-service men, among whom preference was accorded in the first place to disabled men, and, in the second, to those with service overseas, and those recommendations were adopted.

asked the Minister of Health if he will inquire from the different boards of guardians throughout, the country how many disabled men they have afforded shelter and relief to during the last six months; and how many such men were receiving such assistance on 21st April, 1923?

I assume that my hon. Friend refers to disabled ex-service men. I doubt whether it is practicable to obtain information on the lines suggested and of any value on this subject, but I will consider the matter further and communicate with my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Health if he has received a communication from the Poplar Board of Guardians calling his attention to the fact that the Ministry of Pensions has transferred five ex-service disabled men to the charge of the Poor Law guardians of that union, and protesting against this treatment of ex-service men and the transference of the State's obligations to the shoulders of the local authorities; and what does he propose to do in order to assist the ratepayers of the Poplar Union in this matter?

I do not appear to have received the communication to which the hon. Member refers. When it reaches me, I will give it my attention. In the meantime, I am unable to express any opinion on the matter.

asked the Minister of Health what proportion of the ex-service temporary civil servants employed in his Department on clerical duties are home-service and overseas, respectively; and how many are men who did not sit for the recent special establishment examinations?

Of a total of 531 ex-service temporary men clerks at present employed in the Ministry of Health, 36 are home-service men and 495 served overseas; 74 in all did not sit for the recent special establishment examination.

asked the Minister of Labour the amount of money that has been expended on the Time Equation Committee of the Retail Bespoke Tailoring Trade Board; the number of tests made; the results of those tests; and why they have not been put into force?

The cost of attendance of members of the Trade Board at the Log Equation Committee has been, approximately, £150. 400 tests have been made by officers of the Department in the course of their ordinary duties, and 3,500 tests have been made without expense to the Exchequer by employers' and workers' associations. The tests do not show a result which can be stated concisely, and the detailed results were obtained in many cases in confidence. In reply to the last part of the question, the trade board have not, up to the present time, been able to reach a decision upon the use which should be made of the results of the tests.

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to the formation of the West of England Empire Settlement Scheme for collective migration to the Dominion of Australia; if so, whether His Majesty's Government has been asked to contribute towards the cost of the scheme; what contribution, if any, was promised; and whether he can state what progress has been made in respect of emigration under the auspices of the scheme referred to?

I have been asked to reply to this question. My attention has been called to the recent formation of a Migration Committee for Devon and Cornwall. I understand that this Committee has arranged for Lieut.-Colonel S. F. Newcombe, D.S.O., R.E., to proceed, as their representative to Western Australia, to discuss the possibility of a joint county settlement scheme with the Oversea Authorities, and that he left this country on the 9th March for this purpose. His Majesty's Government has not been asked to make any pecuniary contribution, nor have the Committee's proposals reached the stage at which any such question would arise. This matter will come up for consideration on Colonel Newcombe's return from Australia.