asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether all candidates for the Consular service, whether for the general service, the Levant, or China, are admitted by the same examination; and, if not, which services still have separate examinations?

The examination is the same in all three cases, but the subsequent period of training is adjusted to the special needs of each service.

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether candidates for admission to the Foreign Diplomatic and Consular services are still subjected to any preliminary selection, and in what way their examination differs from the ordinary examination of Division I of the Civil Service; in the event of there still being a preliminary selection, how many candidates presented themselves before the selecting body; how many were subsequently allowed to compete in the examination; and who were the members of the selecting body?

The last examination for the Foreign Office and Diplomatic Service under the Reconstruction Regulations will take place in October next. Next year and in all subsequent years the examination will correspond to the examination for the administrative class of the Civil Service, except in so far as a high standard of qualification will be required in French and German. This examination is already in force, as from this year, for the Consular Service, but in this case the only obligatory language is French. In the case of all these services under the Foreign Office candidates are required, before competing in the examination, to appear before a Board of Selection, whose function is to decide which candidates possess suitable qualifications for the service which they desire to enter. Twenty-one candidates have presented themselves before the Board of Selection for the Foreign Office and Diplomatic Service, of whom 15 received permission to compete in the examination to be held next year or in subsequent years. Twenty-one candidates presented themselves before the Board of Selection for the Consular examination of whom 17 received permission to compete. With regard to the last part of my hon. and gallant Friend's question, the constitution of the Boards of Selection varies from time to time, but on those held in the present year, over which the First Civil Service Commissioner presided as Chairman, there were, in the case of the Foreign Office and Diplomatic Service, a Member of the House of Commons, an unofficial Member with business experience, and representatives of the Foreign Office and Diplomatic Service, and, in the case of the Consular Service, a similar unofficial member and representatives of the Foreign Office and Department of Overseas Trade. I should, perhaps, add that the regulations governing these examinations are published by the Civil Service Commission, and I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the approximate yearly saving effected by the employment as messengers at the Admiralty of girls instead of disabled ex-service men?

If the same number of messengers were employed, disabled ex-service men would cost about £20,500 per annum more than the girls. If it were found possible to get the work done by employing two disabled ex-service men in place of three girls, the extra cost would be about £9,150.

asked (1) the President of the Board of Trade whether, following the lines of the recent Treasury order, he can give any indication as to a contemplated reduction of the staff of his Department during the next 12 months; and whether he is able to state roughly the number which it may be possible to dispense with, together with the approximate saving of cost to the country?

Questions in identical terms were also addressed by the hon. Member to the Minister of Transport and the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

I have been asked to reply. The period allowed for replies to the Treasury Circular was until 31st July. As replies are received they require to be subjected to very careful examination. It is not possible to make any statement as to the economies to be effected until they have been individually and collectively so examined and discussed with the Departments concerned.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Political Intelligence Department still continues in the Foreign Office; what is its present staff; and how many of its officials were brought in from outside the Foreign Office for war work during the War?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative, the second part does not, therefore, arise. As regard the third part, 12 members of the staff of the Political Intelligence Department were brought in from outside the Foreign Office, of whom eight have retired into private life. The remaining four, three of whom were already civil servants on the establishments of other offices, have been absorbed in the regular staff of the Foreign Office.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the Report of the Sub-Committee on the alkali industry, appointed by the Standing Committee on Trusts, will be published?

It has been decided not to publish this Report. The Sub-Committee were unable, owing to the expiry of the Profiteering Act on 19th May, to conduct an exhaustive investigation, and it is not desirable to publish an incomplete report.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if his Department is responsible for the compilation of retail prices of food in various countries which appear monthly in the food prices general summary of the "Labour Gazette"; and, if so, will he consider the desirability of issuing a table showing the corresponding increase or decrease in the cost of living, calculated in terms of the £ sterling, so that it may be clearly shown what £1 will purchase in the countries enumerated at the dates when these figures are issued?

I have been asked to reply, my Department being responsible for the compilation of the general summary of retail food prices published in the "Labour Gazette." As I pointed out to my hon. Friend, in reply to his question of 25th July, the figures given in that summary are not actually compiled in the Ministry of Labour, but are received in their present form from authoritative sources in the several countries. The "sources" in question are in most cases the respective Ministries of Labour or analogous Departments. It is not the practice of these Departments to publish, month by month along with their index numbers, the average retail prices they have actually used in the preparation of those percentages. My hon. Friend will, therefore, see that it is not practicable for me to carry out his suggestions.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in future issues of the "Labour Gazette," he will have a statement inserted in connection with the food price a general summary to the effect that the increased cost of living shown in the Returns provided by the several countries there compared do not represent the real cost of living in each of the countries concerned, but merely indicate the increase or decrease in terms of the value of the currency concerned; and if his attention has been called to the fact that the last of these Returns published would suggest to the ordinary reader that the cost of living in Germany is nearly seven times greater than it was prior to July, 1914, while for Great Britain the rise in the cost of living is given as one and one-fifth the cost it was before July, 1914, the fact being that the real cost of living is less in Germany than it is here?

I can assure my hon. Friend of my complete sympathy with his anxiety that ordinary readers of the "Labour Gazette" should not be misled by the General Summary to which he refers. I am not convinced, however, that the adoption of his suggestion would con- stitute a stronger safeguard than that already provided in the clearly worded heading of the table itself, and in the text relating to the various countries by which the table is preceded. I am aware that the latest Returns do suggest that the increase in the cost of living since 1914 has been much greater in Germany than in this country, but that suggestion accords with the facts and would remain true irrespective of any conclusion that might be hazarded from other data as to the present relative level of the cost of living in the two countries. Incidentally I may, perhaps, be allowed to inform my hon. Friend that from such data of the necessary kind as are at present available the conclusion to be drawn is that at the present time the real cost of living is not, as my hon. Friend asserts, less in Germany than in this country, but substantially greater.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware that the South Wales coalowners have refused to reinstate a number of clerks and officials, notwithstanding the fact that the collieries are now fully restored to their full working capacity; and, seeing that this is a breach of the agreement entered into between them and the Miners' Federation, will he take steps to enforce the carrying out of this agreement, and thus secure the return of these men to their usual occupations?

My right hon. Friend (Mr. Bridgeman) has not received any representations on this subject from the Miners' Federation. Should he do so, he will be glad to look into the matter.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether his attention has been called to the continued high price of coal; whether any evidence is available that the price of coal is being artificially maintained; and whether the high selling price will lead to any reduction of the £10,000,000 subsidy to the mining industry?

I have been asked to reply. As regards the first part of the question, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the answer given to questions on this subject by the hon. Members for Finchley (Colonel Newman) and Southwark (Mr. Gilbert) on the 25th July. As regards the latter part, it is not possible to estimate the effect of the present price of coal on the amount payable under the wages subvention.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that a warrant or non-commissioned officer who was serving in the Army on the outbreak of War, and who was thereupon granted a temporary commission, may retire with 15 years service on a pension of £150 a year, whereas in the case of a warrant or non-commissioned officer who had already gone to pension when the War began and came back to the Army and became a commissioned officer has his war service ignored and his pension re-assessed according to his service on his original discharge, with the result that he may only receive from £80 to £100 per year; and whether he will consider the advisability of removing this inequality in treatment?

Yes, Sir. I am aware of all these facts, and of the very full consideration that was given to them before the regulations were laid down. There are other relevant facts not mentioned in the question; for instance, that the warrant or non-commissioned officer who returned to the Army drew his pension throughout, in addition to the full pay of an officer, and received a much larger gratuity for his officer's service. I can hold out no hope of any further concessions.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether, when an officer commutes his pension, after having undergone a medical examination, he will consider a revision of the costs charged as a fee, which at present varies from £l to £10, to a uniform figure of £2, in view of the fact that this sum is said to be charged to defray the cost of the medical examination which necessarily is of the same character for all cases; and whether Clause 9 of the form of instructions to officers in the Army on this subject, dated July, 1920, may be amended accordingly?

I think that the method of charging a fee bearing some relation to the amount of the sum for which the pension is commuted is, in all the circumstances, the most equitable method, and I am unable, therefore, to revise the regulations in the manner proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether there are at present 80 Regular infantry depots, each with its own hospital, supply depot, Royal Engineer, etc., service attached; whether, having regard to the fact that future emergency expansion in time of war will be carried out through the Territorial Army organisation, the depot duties of training Regular Army recruits and mobilising reservists could be more economically and efficiently carried out by two central depots in each command; and what saving in depot headquarter personnel, etc., would be effected by the abolition of the other 70 depots?

There are 68 infantry of the line depots in the United Kingdom. In addition to the duty of training Regular Army recruits, these depots have the duty of training Militia recruits, and form the place of assembly for regular reservists on mobilisation and for militia battalions on embodiment. This entails the care and custody of the clothing and equipment of regular reservists and militiamen. While the amalgamation of existing depots offers some advantages in the way of economy of supervising personnel there are difficulties in finding the accommodation for the central depots. Such accommodation could only be provided by building. In addition, the effect on recruiting has to be taken into consideration, as the elimination of a number of depots might result in a loss of recruits, but the suggestion will be examined with other endeavours to reduce administrative expenses.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many medical officers in the Army hold appointments, inclusive of India, where they are not practising their profession in the direct treatment of human ailments and injuries?

The total number of medical officers in the Army at home and abroad (excluding India) who are not practising their profession in the direct treatment of human ailments and injuries is 166—the whole of the remainder being employed in direct treatment of human injuries and ailments. The 166 officers include those employed as professors and instructors at the Royal Army Medical College and elsewhere; those employed in preventive medicine, hygiene, and other scientific subjects, and in the medical examination, inspection and training of recruits; and also 26 officers doing duty in territorial schools of instruction and in administrative medical posts with territorial divisions. I regret that similar information for India is not readily available, and could not be obtained without reference to that country.

The 1913–14 figures are converted to sterling at par rate of exchange.

Under the 1920–21 heading, the amounts are converted to sterling at the average rates of exchange during that period.

( a ) One Supplementary Vote included—a further Vote may still be granted to meet deficits.

( b ) Including Supplementary Estimates.

( c ) In addition, a Supplementary Vote of £2,490,742 (at 1920 average rate), has been asked for by the French Government.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many medical officers in the Navy hold appointments, whether administrative or clerical, where they are not practising their profession in the direct treatment of human ailments and injuries?

Eight medical officers of the naval service hold appointments of a clerical or administrative nature where they are not called upon to undertake the direct treatment of human ailments or injuries, but I may point out that the duties of these officers include the examination of candidates for entry and the survey of invalids, etc., which is essentially work for a medical officer. There are also five naval health officers, whose work, while not involving direct treatment as defined by the hon. and gallant Member, should be classed under the heading of preventive medicine.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the Naval Estimates of the United State, Britain, France, and Japan for 1913–14 and 1920–21, respectively?

According to the latest information available, the figures are as follow:—

The French financial year is from January to December.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the masts at Leafield are but 300 feet high, whereas at Lyons they are 900 feet high; and, under these circumstances, even if an arc equipment is installed similar to the power of the French station, how is it possible that the power of these two stations is, in any way, comparable?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, but the height of the highest masts at Lyons is about 650 feet and not 900 feet. If by "power" my hon. and gallant Friend refers to the range of the station, it is the fact that the range of the Lyons station is probably the greater, but as I have already stated the range of the Leafield station is adequate for its purpose.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the total cost of the operation by the General Post Office between the 30th June, 1920, and 30th June, 1921, of Continental wireless services via Stonehaven; whether replies are received at Stonehaven or the General Post Office; and whether, in order to compete with private enterprise, the Post Office send messages over the cable at very much reduced rates to ordinary messages.

The total cost of operation (including engineering maintenance, interest and depreciation) of the Stonehaven wireless station for the year ended the 30th June is estimated as between £13,000 and £14,000. It is expected, however, that this cost will be largely reduced during the next 12 months, owing to the reduction of the bonus, and to the introduction of new arrangements for working the station. The reception of messages from communicating stations on the Continent is conducted partly at Stonehaven and partly by means of a receiving station at the Central Telegraph Office in London. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative. The wireless rates to the Continent are exactly the same as the cable rates, except that the wireless rate for Press traffic for Denmark is Id. a word, as compared with the Press rate by cable of 1¼d. a word.

asked the Secretary for Scotland what was the cost to the nation of the Crofters Commission till it was superseded by the Land Court, the total reductions per cent, made, and at what cost per £ of rental were these reductions effected; if he can give the same information regarding the Land Court up to the latest available date; and whether he can give this information so far as applicable to the county of Zetland?

The total cost of the Crofters Commission from its institution on 25th June, 1886, till it was superseded by the Scottish Land Court on 1st April, 1912, was £148,268 16s. Id. The cost of the Land Court from the latter date to 31st December, 1920, amounted to £118,804. In respect of £78,822 of old rent, the Crofters Commission fixed fair rents at £57,378, representing an annual reduction of 27.2 per cent., and in respect of £10,649 of fair rents, they fixed revalued fair rents at £10,118, representing an annual reduction of 5 per cent. The Land Court in respect of £21,708 of old rents fixed fair rents at £16,373, representing an annual reduction of 24 per cent., and upon revaluation of fair rents of £14,212 mainly fixed by the Crofters Commission, fixed the revised fair rents at £12,582, representing an annual reduction of 11 per cent.; in respect of £23,829 of old rents of statutory small tenants' holdings, they fixed the equitable rents at £19,337, representing a reduction of 19 per cent., and upon revision of equitable rents of £618 fixed by the Court, they fixed the revised equitable rents at £696, representing an increase of 12 per cent. In the county of Zetland the Crofters Commission fixed fair rents at £8,809 in respect of old rents amounting to £11,291, representing a reduction of 28 per cent., and for fair rents of £209 fixed revalued fair rents at £203, a reduction of 3 per cent. The Land Court in respect of old rents of £3,227 and of fair rents of £2,559 fixed fair rents at £2,618 and revalued fair rents at £2,246 respectively, representing reductions of almost 19 per cent, and 12 per cent., and for old rents of statutory small tenants' holdings amounting to £207 fixed equitable rents at £160, a reduction of almost 23 per cent. It is not possible to state the cost per pound of rental of the reductions effected either by the Crofters Commission or the Land Court. The fixing and revision of fair rents represent only part of the work undertaken by either body, and there is no differentiation in the departmental books between the cost of that part of the work and of the other operations of the Commission and the Court.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the complaints of dairymen to the effect that milk churns are often transported in guards' vans and luggage vans which are not suited to the carriage of milk in hot weather, with the result that much milk is wasted because it turns sour in transit, and that the health of the infant population suffers from the shortage; and whether he can take any steps to induce railway companies to provide better facilities for the conveyance of milk?

I have been asked to reply to this question. Neither my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health nor I have received any complaints of the nature indicated, but I shall be pleased to inquire into any specific instances which may be brought to my notice.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the disgraceful condition of the surface of the main road between Cricklewood and Edgware; that, in spite of the frequent promises, etc., for the repair of the road, nothing has been done, and that in many places the tramway lines stand up some three or four inches above the surface of the road, making it extremely dangerous for vehicular traffic, apart from the wear and tear which is caused to such traffic; and whether he can make any definite statement as to when anything is to be done?

I am aware of the worn condition of the carriageway of the main road between Cricklewood and Edgware. I am informed that a contract for its reconstruction has been let by the highway authority responsible, and that they expect to begin the work in the early part of August.

asked the Chief Secretary whether Principal Warder Grace, of Mountjoy Prison, was exclusively performing disciplinary duties at the date of his promotion to his present rank and is still performing the same duties; if so, will he direct that he be paid the bonus applicable to his rank; whether this officer submitted a memorial relative to his position on the 5th March last to His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant; and whether any reply has yet been forwarded to this officer regarding this matter?

The difficulty which has arisen in the course of assimilation to the English prison service in the case of this warder is being specially considered along with the cases of others similarly circumstanced. Pending its settlement, it has not been possible to send a definite reply to the warder's memorial.

asked the Home Secretary upon what official devolves the duty of acquainting a prisoner with the fact of the existence of a Court of Criminal Appeal; and, in the event of a prisoner desiring to resort thereto, is he debarred after discharge from appealing to any prison records as evidence detailing circumstances which may have arisen during the period of his detention?

In every prisoner's cell there is a notice giving full information of his rights under the Criminal Appeal Act. If a prisoner can show reasonable ground for believing that the production of prison records would assist his appeal, it is open to him to apply for their production to the prison authorities.

asked the Home Secretary whether Mr. Morris Hillquit, the American lawyer, was, on arriving in England recently with his wife and daughter, detained for 24 hours at Dover by the police authorities; and by whose orders and for what reason they were so detained?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to my reply to a similar question on the 25th ultimo.

asked the Home Secretary whether Dr. Armand Hammer, an American citizen, who arrived recently in this country on his way to Europe, was detained for three days on the steamship "Aquitania" at Southampton before being permitted to land; by whose orders and for what reason Dr. Hammer was so detained; and what expense was incurred in paying for Dr. Hammer's board and accommodation on the "Aquitania" during those three days, and from what public fund such expense was defrayed?

On his arrival at Southampton on 12th July, Dr. Armand Hammer was detained by the immigration officer, as it was considered necessary to make some inquiries with regard to him. These inquiries took a little time, but, on their completion, he was allowed to land. No public expense was incurred by his detention.

asked the Home Secretary whether Mr. Charles Recht, an American subject and a lawyer, of New York State, was recently refused a visa by the British passport control office in New York; and the grounds for this refusal?

My responsible advisers were of opinion that the presence of Mr. Charles Recht in this country was undesirable at the present time, and in order to save him from a useless journey ending in refusal of admission on arrival here, instructions were given that he should be refused a visa in New York.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, considering that it is now nearly three years since the Armistice with Turkey was signed, he will recom- mend His Majesty's Treasury to allocate a sum of about £5,000,000 to be placed at the disposal of His Majesty's High Commissioner at Constantinople to enable him to deal with the settlement of British commercial claims?

I must refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply which I have already given him in the House to-day. The suggestion is impracticable, because no funds are available to His Majesty's Government for this purpose.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can make any statement as to the date when individual claims for compensation from Germany through the Reparation Commission are likely to be liquidated?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given to the hon. and gallant Member for Leith (Captain W. Benn) on the 20th June by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. I am sending him a copy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Grants Commission to examine the claims of sufferers from air raids can be set up forthwith and so obviate delays in distributing any receipts on account of reparation that are expected to reach the Exchequer towards the end of this year?

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is taking steps to set up the Grants Commission at the earliest possible moment.

asked the Prime Minister (1) whether, in view of the irreparable harm caused by recent strikes, he will take immediate steps to introduce legislation on the lines of the Canadian Industrial Disputes (Investigation) Act, which provides that, before any lock-out or strike is allowed to take place, the dispute is submitted to inquiry before a board of conciliation consisting of one representative of the employers, one representative of the employed, and a third jointly agreed upon by both sides;

(2) whether he is aware that during the time of operation of the Canadian Industrial Disputes (Investigation) Act the number of strikes occurring annually have been reduced from between 300 and 400 to under 20; and whether he will cause immediate inquiry to be made into the working of the Act?

In answer to both questions I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given on this subject to the hon. and gallant Member for Stirling and Clackmannan (Major Glyn) on 9th June, a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to a case before Mr. G. N. Orme, at the magistracy, Hong Kong, in which a Chinese woman was charged with assaulting a mui tsai child so small that she could not see over the edge of the witness box; whether the beating was described by the doctor in evidence as severe, and resulted in injuries to the face, head, and body of the child; whether neither fine nor imprisonment was inflicted, and the only penalty imposed was the loss of her services under an undertaking that she was to be restored to her mother; and what action he proposes to take in the matter?

No official account of this case has yet reached me, and I have been unable to trace it in the local press; but I am asking the Governor of Hong Kong to furnish a report upon it.