asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that in December, 1922, the employment Department suffered a loss of £1,300 through theft and defalcation of the finance officer at Clapham Junction Employment Exchange; and whether, in view of the facts disclosed by the Departmental Inquiry and in view of the losses by theft, which have been estimated to amount to £8 in every £10,000 allotted for the payment of unemployment benefit and to represent an annual loss by theft of over £50,000, he will, in order that these matters may be thoroughly investigated, appoint a Committee to inquire into the whole question of the administration of Employment Exchanges, including the recruitment of officials, the arrangements for pensioning, and all other matters connected with the work of the Exchanges?

The losses by internal theft or fraud for 1922–23, including the loss of about £1,300 at the Clapham Junction Exchange, amounted to £6,500 and not £50,000, as stated in the question. This is 3½d. per £100 disbursed, or 30s. per £10,000, the expenditure on benefit being about £45,000,000. Each such loss is most carefully investigated and those who appear to be guilty of fraud are prosecuted. Suitable action is also taken regarding any lack of control by superior officers, which may have helped to make fraud possible. While every possible precaution is being taken and will continue to be taken to prevent fraud, I do not think the figures I have quoted afford any ground for the setting up of a Committee of Inquiry.

asked the Minister of Labour whether any balance sheet and/or profit-and-loss account has been drawn up since the scheme of unemployment insurance was inaugurated; and, if so, whether he will cause the same to be published?

The accounts of the unemployment fund are presented to Parliament annually after being audited by the Comptroller and Auditor-General, as required by the Unemployment Insurance Act. Further information regarding the transactions of the unemployment fund from its inception in 1912 till July,

asked the Minister of Labour, (1) the number of applications for uncovenanted benefit during the month of January at the Bridgeton Employment Exchange, the Parkhead Employment Exchange, the Partick Employment Exchange, the Govan Employment Exchange and the South Side Employment Exchange, Glasgow, and the total number of such applications refused in each case;(2) the number of applications for uncovenanted benefit during each month, October, November and December, 11)23, at the Bridgeton Employment Exchange, the Partick Employment Exchange, the Govan Employment Exchange and the South Side Employment Exchange, Glasgow, and the number of such applications refused in each case on the ground that the applicant was not genuinely seeking whole-time employment?

I will, if I may, answer these two questions together. The only figures readily available relate to the applications for uncovenanted benefit referred to the Local Employment Committees for these areas.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give the number of unemployed persons in France, Italy and Belgium, respectively, at the latest date for which statistics are available?

I have been asked to reply. Summaries of the most recent official returns of unemployment procurable for all countries which publish statistics on this subject are given each month in the "Ministry of Labour Gazette" under the heading, "Employment Overseas." For France, Italy and Belgium no figures have yet become available of more recent date than those given on page 69 of the current (February) issue of that journal, a copy of which is being sent to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether any of the 3,043 cwts. of British hops exported in January, 1924, were exported to Ireland; and, if so, how many?

British hops to the amount of 2,834 cwts. were exported in the month of January, 1924, from Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Irish Free State. The monthly accounts relating to trade and navigation do not include the trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will state whether any of the 21,651 cwts. of British hops exported in 1923 were exported to Ireland; and, if so, how many?

The monthly accounts relating to trade and navigation do not include the trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In the nine months ended 31st December, 1923, 19,454 cwts. of British hops were exported from Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Irish Free State. Figures for the period prior to 1st April, 1923, are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that the firm of T. and J. Tinkers, Limited, Holm-forth, are contractors for cloth for the War Office; is he aware that tins firm is continually breaking the regulations of the joint industrial council for the wool and allied textile industry regarding the 48-hour working week and labour conditions generally; and will he take steps to see that the firm carry out such regulations or, failing this, to remove them from the list of Government contractors?

This firm is on the list of firms invited to tender for Army contracts, but it has held no contracts from the Department for several years. No representations have been receivd at the War Office that the firm's labour conditions are unsatisfactory, but in the event of a contract being entrusted to them it would include the Fair Wages Clause, the strict observance of which would be insisted upon.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that two non-service publicity officers are being retained in his Department contrary to the recommendations of the Lytton Report; and whether, seeing that one of these officers had no experience of Press work before being attached to the War Office, he will consider the substitution of these officers by duly-qualified ex-service men who would be, unlike the present holders of the posts, members of the National Union of Journalists?

These officers are being retained in the public interest in accordance with the discretion recognised as necessary in paragraph 9 of the Third Report of the Lytton Committee. I am not aware that any ex-service man possesses in the same degree the requisite qualifications for this work, for which the experience acquired by the present holders in the course of the discharge of their duties is very necessary. In all the circumstances, I do not consider it would be in the public interest to substitute these officers by others.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether the increases in pay given to War Department unskilled and semi-skilled employés in the London area also applies to those working in Royal Air Force factories in London?

The answer is in the affirmative.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the rents charged for the Government houses at Bulwark and Hardwich garden villages, Chepstow; and whether, considering the distress arising from unemployment in this district and the hardship on the tenants, he will consider the question of the reduction of these rents?

I have been asked to reply. The houses in question were sold, in 1920, under terms which provide for rents to be fixed from time to time to the reasonable satisfaction of the Board of Trade; the responsibility for fixing the rents, therefore, devolves primarily upon the purchasers. The Board are advised that the present rents are on approximately the same level as those charged for similar houses in the districts adjoining Chepstow. The purchasers have, however, been informed that in all the circumstances, if it can be shown that the rents are, in fact, higher than those charged for similar houses in Chepstow and the adjoining districts, there is no reason why the rents should not be reduced, with the concurrence of the Board.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the locker accommodation for the postal staff of the Birmingham head post office is in an insanitary and otherwise unsatisfactory basement; that serious dissatisfaction exists amongst the staff because of this matter; whether he has received medical reports condemning the use of the basement for the purpose it is now used; and whether he will reconsider the question, with a view to finding more satisfactory accommodation for the staff lockers?

I am aware that the locker accommodation for the postal staff of the Birmingham head post office is in the basement, and that protests have been received from the staff. In view of these protests, an inspection of the basement was made recently by the Home Office Superintending Inspector of Factories, who recommended that certain steps be taken to improve the ventilation, but did not condemn the use of the basement. Arrangements are in hand for the improvement of the ventilation, as recommended; but I do not consider that there is sufficient justification for discontinuing the use of the basement for the lockers, for which there is no suitable accommodation available elsewhere in the building.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that money orders presented by banks cannot now be paid at a post office unless drawn on the particular office to which they are presented; the reason for this restriction; and whether, in view of the great convenience to the banking community, particularly in small towns, he will direct that the previous arrangement of accepting all money orders presented by a bank, and bearing the mark of that bank, should be reverted to?

There has been no recent change in the long-standing practice by which in London and the large provincial towns money orders are paid to banks, whether drawn on the particular office at which they are presented, or not. I am not aware of any demand for an extension of the arrangement to the smaller towns.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that certain letters addressed to members of the Parkhurst Prison staff had been opened prior to delivery to addresses; whether these were opened at Newport Post Office, Isle of Wight; and, if so, the reasons, and by whose authority?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The others do not, therefore, arise.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the statement of a coroner that he had been compelled to ask the proprietor of an hotel to allow a body to remain in the hotel until after an inquest on account of the very unsatisfactory mortuary accommodation provided for the borough of Ipswich; whether he is aware that some witnesses, giving evidence before a Departmental Committee on Coroners' Law in 1908, drew attention to the very unsatisfactory conditions under which bodies were kept awaiting inquests and for the performance of postmortem examinations; what mortuary accommodation is provided for the borough of Ipswich, and what is the condition of it; what mortuary accommoda-is, as a rule, available in small towns and rural districts, and what steps have been taken to improve it since this evidence was given before the Commission of 1908; what steps are proposed to be taken to effect the necessary improvements; and whether consideration has been given to the possibility of improving these conditions if the necessity for the coroner and the jury viewing the body were abolished, so that arrangements could be made for it to be removed to the pathological department of an institution in a neighbouring area, not necessarily within the coroner's jurisdiction, in order that it might be treated with respect and proper means provided for the performance of a post-mortem examination by skilled pathologists and other experts connected with the institution or otherwise?

My attention has not been drawn to this particular case, but I am aware that there is sometimes considerable difficulty in finding a suitable place for keeping a dead body pending the coroner's inquest. The provision of mortuaries which can be used for this purpose is a matter for the local sanitary authorities, and I have no authority in respect of the same.