asked the Minister of Labour when the Gloucestershire Education Committee may receive a reply to its inquiries re the insurance against unemployment of supplementary teachers and part-time school cleaners, made by letter on 6th November and 23rd November and by telegraph on 8th December?

The letters from the Gloucestershire Education Committee raise points of difficulty upon which it is necessary to obtain formal decisions. An interim reply has been despatched.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) if disabled ex-service men now acting as sorting clerks have been given notice that their engagements may be terminated at the end of January next; and why these notices have been given;

(2) if substitution committees have been set up throughout his Department in accordance with the recommendations of the Lytton Committee and pledges officially given to ex-service men's organisations; and if he will give an undertaking that no ex-service men will be discharged unless and until substitution committees properly constituted have been set up;

(3) if notices have been given to the War Temporary Staff in his Department throughout the country terminating their engagements on 1st January next; and if, in view of the widespread unemployment, he will give the House an assurance that these discharges will not be carried into effect in any case where overtime may be necessitated by such discharges?

On the main question of the discharge of temporary force from the Post Office, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to similar questions by the hon. Members for Central Southwark (Mr. Gilbert) and Smethwick (Mr. J. Davison) on the 15th December. Ex-service men are not eligible for direct appointment as sorting clerks and telegraphists, posts of this nature being filled from the lower grades of the Post Office. They must first enter the regular service of the Post Office in a subordinate capacity and they can then take part in the limited competitions for these posts. It is necessary therefore to terminate the employment of ex-service men as temporary sorting clerks and telegraphists, but such men are equally eligible with other ex-service men to become established postmen. The ques- tion of setting up substitution committees in the large clerical departments of the Post Office is under consideration. No ex-service temporary clerks are being discharged from the Post Office at present. The Report of the Lytton Committee does not apply to the manipulative staff of the Post Office.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that important business arrangements dependent upon the signing of Peace are entirely held up pending the Order in Council being made; and whether he can state when the Order in Council fixing the date of the termination of the War will be made?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to a similar question on the 22nd November last.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been called to the practice obtaining in the Irish prison service of compelling one officer to remain locked up for any period, day or night, with a convict awaiting the execution of a death sentence; and if he will take steps to see that this practice is at once discontinued?

The Irish prison rules provide that a prisoner under sentence of death shall be placed by day and night under the constant charge of a prison officer. The English rule is similar, and I see no reason for any alteration in the rule or the practice.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether in the English prisons service a Class 1 engineer is appointed in all prisons with cell accommodation exceeding 400; whether the prisons of Belfast and Maryborough possess that accommodation; whether a Class 2 matron is appointed to all female prisons in England with a prison population up to 60; if so, in view of the fact that full assimilation has now been sanctioned in the Irish prisons service, will he take immediate steps to have the same appointments made in Belfast and Maryborough and in all Irish female prisons that fulfil the necessary conditions; on what conditions the rank of foreman of "works is established in the English prisons service; and whether the Irish service possesses the necessary condition for that rank?

The basis on which engineers are allotted to English prisons would only permit of a Class 1 engineer at Mountjoy Prison, out the appointment of this class has been conceded to Belfast and Maryborough as well. Class 2 matrons are, I am informed, only appointed in England where the female population falls between 61 and 125, and this practice is being followed in Ireland. I am not aware of the actual conditions other than that of size which entitle a prison to have a foreman of works, but it has been clearly shown that the English conditions do not obtain in Ireland. A strict assimilation of both services would operate over harshly at times against the Irish service. Various factors must therefore be carefully weighed when any attempt is being made to equalise pay, posts and conditions of service.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether his Department are conducting a hostel for women at Well Hall, Eltham, in the hutments which were used during the War as a hostel for female munition workers; if so, to what class of the community accommodation is afforded, and on what terms: what is the cost of the staff; whether these hutments would be put to better use by being converted into dwellings for families to meet the prevailing housing shortage or providing office accommodation for some of the Departments now accommodated in the public parks; and what is the estimated value of the hutments, furniture, and fittings which is thus withheld from realisation by the Disposals Board?

The administration of the hostel in question was taken over by my Department from the Ministry of Munitions during the year, and it is hoped that arrangements will shortly be made enabling my Department to take over all responsibility in regard to future policy in respect of this and other buildings similarly transferred. The hostel is occupied by some 150 women workers (many at present unemployed) who were allowed to remain in occupation by the Ministry in deference to the views of housing authorities after the decision had been taken to close the hostel. They pay 4s. 6d. a room per week. The cost of the staff is about £35 a week. The question of policy is being considered, but my Department would prefer to transfer the responsibility for looking after such accommodation to local authorities, presuming reasonable terms for the transfer of the property could be arranged. The value placed on it by the Ministry of Munitions is £24,000, and for some time efforts have been made by that Department to dispose of it, but without success.