asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the number of British able seamen, deck hands, seamen, ordinary seamen, firemen, and trimmers who were actually selected for engagement at the Mercantile Marine Office, Victoria Docks, during the period from 1st January to 31st March, 1909, inclusive, for engagement on British foreign-going ships as distinguished from seamen who were selected on board ship or elsewhere; how many such seamen signed agreements at the Mercantile Marine Office, and how many on board the vessels; whether he can state the number of Chinese able seamen, deck hands, seamen, ordinary seamen, firemen, and trimmers who were actually selected during the same period for engagement at that office, as distinguished from those selected on board ship or elsewhere; how many such seamen signed agreements at the Mercantile Marine Office, and how many on board the vessels; how many vessels completed the signing on of the crews at the Mercantile Marine Office, and how many on board ships; and whether he will state the total cost of the maintenance of the Mercantile Marine Office at Victoria Docks?

No record is kept of the number of men selected for engagement at the Mercantile Marine Office at Victoria Docks. The number of British able seamen, deck hands, seamen, ordinary seamen, firemen, and trimmers who signed agreements at the Mercantile Marine Office during the quarter ending 31st March, 1909, was 726, and the number who signed on board 1,157. During the period in question the only Chinese seamen or firemen engaged at Victoria Docks were 13 firemen engaged at the Mercantile Marine Office. The crews of 75 vessels were engaged at the Mercantile Marine Office, and those of 71 on board. The figures for the total cost of maintenance of the Mercantile Marine Office at Victoria Docks are not immediately available, but I will communicate them to my hon. Friend.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the number of British able seamen, deck hands, seamen, ordinary seamen, firemen, and trimmers who were actually selected for engagement at the Mercantile Marine Office, Poplar, during the period from 1st January to 31st March, 1707, inclusive, for engagement on British foreign-going ships, as distinguished from seamen who were selected on board ship or elsewhere; how many such seamen signed agreements at the Mercantile Marine Office and how many on board the vessels; whether he can state the number of Chinese able seamen, deck hands, seamen, ordinary seamen, firemen, and trimmers who were actually selected during the same period for engagement at that office, as distinguished from those selected on board ship or elsewhere; how many such seamen signed agreements at the Mercantile Marine Office, and how many on board the vessels; how many vessels completed the signing on of the crews at the Mercantile Marine Office and how many on board ships; and whether he will state the total cost of the Maintenance of the Mercantile Marine Office at Poplar?

No record is kept of the number of men selected for engagement at the Mercantile Marine Office at Poplar. The number of British able seamen, deck hands, seamen, ordinary seamen, firemen, and trimmers, who signed agreements at the Mercantile Marine Office during the quarter ending 31st March, 1707, is estimated at 518 and the number who signed on board at 686. During the same period 194 Chinese seamen and firemen were engaged at the Mercantile Marine:, Office, and 82 Chinese firemen on board. The crews of 51 vessels were engaged at Poplar at the Mercantile Marine Office and the crews of 30 vessels on board. The figures for the total cost of maintenance of the Mercantile Marine Office at Poplar are not immediately available, but I will communicate them to my hon. Friend.

asked what was the official average price of wheat per imperial quarter at Paris and London respectively in the week including 19th April?

The average official price of wheat sold in Paris during the' the week ending 24th April was 25.27 francs per 100 kilogrammes. equivalent to 44s. per imperial quarter. The "Gazette" average price of British wheat sold in London during that week was 42s. 5d. per imperial quarter. No official information is' available with regard to the average price. in London of imported wheat, but the average declared value of all wheat imported into the United Kingdom during the same week was 9s. 3d. per cwt., equivalent to 37s. 8d. per imperial quarter.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether an officer who hires a Government charger is permitted, on consideration of an additional payment of £10 per annum, to make use of the same for purposes of hunting; and, if so, whether the officer is in any way pecuniarily liable in the event of an accident to the charger whilst hunting

An officer who hires a Government charger at £10 per annum is permitted to use it for hunting without additional payment. The hirer is pecuniarily liable in the event of any accident to the charger when in use for hunting.