asked the Lord Privy Seal whether, and when, the Prime Minister intends to appoint a Minister of Transport and a Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster?

Yes, Sir; it is intended shortly to fill both offices, though the post of Minister of Transport will carry no salary.

asked the Minister of Pensions when the final gratuity of £70, promised on the 7th February by the regional director, Manchester (3/MC/3956), to D. Coulson, late 7th Manchester Regiment, of 213, Platt Lane, Wilbraham Road Estate, Fallow-field, will be paid; and whether he can expedite payment.

Payment has been authorised. I regret the delay, the circumstances regarding which I am communicating to my hon. and gallant Friend.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the extent of the mobilisation decrees of the Soviet Government in Russia; whether any indication has been afforded of the object of these mobilisations on the eve of the Genoa Conference; and what will be the size of the Soviet Army on the completion of mobilisation?

I have been asked to answer this question, and I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal to my hon. Friend the Member for the Belper Division of Derbyshire (Mr. Hancock). In regard to the last part of the question, no information as to the numbers involved is available.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether public funds are still being used for the education of youths from Serbia; and, if so, under what head of what Vote sanction will be sought for such expenditure?

A Grant in-Aid of the education of young Serbians in this country was provided by Parliament for three years ending in 1921–22 on special Votes (Civil Service Estimates, Class IV, Vote 10 B). This Grant has now ceased.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what reductions, if any, are contemplated in the number of officers on the Flag list of the Royal Navy and in the number of Flag appointments, having regard to the reduced requirements of the post-War Fleet and to the urgent necessity for reducing national expenditure?

Immediately after the close of the late War the Flag list, which had been temporarily increased as a war measure, was reduced to the numbers authorised by Order in Council of 8th December, 1903. Early this year it was decided to reduce the Flag list still further by 15 Flag officers of various ranks. In 1921 the Board sanctioned a reduction of three in the number of Flag appointments, and directions have since been given to effect a further reduction of eight. In addition, one of the present Flag appointments is of a temporary and special nature and will lapse in due course. On the completion of these changes, the total number of appointments normally available for Flag officers will be not more than 41.

asked the Minister of Health whether it is proposed to offer for sale municipal houses erected within the past four years; what numbers are to be offered and where are they situated; who is to be responsible for such sale; and at what prices are they to be offered?

Local authorities were requested by my Department some considerable time ago to prepare schemes for the sale of houses, and I am sending the hon. Member copies of the instructions issued. The question of what further steps are desirable is engaging my attention. Up to now 52 local authorities in various parts of the country have applied for permission to sell houses, but I have no information at the present moment of the number of houses actually sold by them. The Housing Act, 1919, requires that the prices at which the houses are to be sold must be the best that can reasonably be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many teachers have retired under the Act of 1918; how many were eligible for retirement under the Acts of 1898 and 1912; and how many married women teachers have returned to the service who can qualify for a pension under the 1918 Act?

Up to 31st December, 1921, the numbers of teachers who had received pensions under the School Teachers (Superannuation) Act, 1918, are:

On account of age	5,417
On account of disablement	824
	6,241

Of these, 1,891, having attained the age of 65, would have been eligible for retirement under the Acts of 1898 and 1912. It is not possible to say how many married women teachers have returned to service since the passing of the Act of 1918 and will become eligible for pensions by reason of the provisions of Section 1 (3) of that Act.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of people employed in the home manufacture of toys in this country and the particular districts in which they are mainly employed; and can he give corresponding figures for the year 1913?

I regret that the information desired by my hon. Friend is not in the possession of my Department.