asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what were the numbers of staff in posts in Government Departments on 1st September, 1937, under each of the following heads established shorthand-typists, including clerk-shorthand-typists; established typists, including clerk-typists; temporary shorthand-typists, including temporary clerk-shorthand-typists; temporary typists, including temporary clerk-typists; and how many of the temporary officers employed on that date were blocking permanent shorthand-typist or copying-typist posts?

The following table gives the numbers in the grades in question as at 1st April 1937:

—	Established.	Temporary.
Shorthand-typists, including clerk shorthand-typists.	4,400	850
Typists, including clerk typists	4,900	1,600

I regret that details cannot be furnished showing the number of temporary officers who were employed in permanent posts for shorthand-typists or copying-typists.