asked the Minister of Labour if he can state when he intends to introduce the Bill to carry out the 48 hours' decision of the Washington Convention of 1919?

I hope to introduce this Bill at an early date.

asked the Minister of Labour how many aliens were employed in the tobacco and drapery and outfitting trades during the years 1922 and 1923?

I have been asked to reply to this question. I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to my answer, which was circulated in the OFFICIAL REPOET yesterday, to a similar question by the hon. Member fox Hampstead (Mr. Balfour) on the 30th April. I regret I cannot give the information.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can now state when it is proposed to bring in the Bill to amend pre-War pensions?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal gave on this subject yesterday to the hon. Member for Kingston-on-Thames (Mr. Penny).

asked the Attorney General whether, in view of the fact that clerks in the Manchester District Registry of the High Court of Justice are not established and have no pension rights, he will take such steps as will give them equal privileges with clerks occupying similar positions at the Royal Courts of Justice?

The County Courts Bill deals with the case of clerks employed in district registries of the High Court, and when that Bill has been passed, clerks employed in those district registries of the High Court which are not also County Court Registries will receive treatment approximate to the circumstances of the Court in which they are employed, upon the analogy of the treatment applied to County Courts as respects establishment and pension rights.

asked the Home Secretary whether Sir Edward du Cane, a late chairman of the Prison Commissioners, was on retirement granted a sum of money from public funds; and, if so, on what date was the grant made and the amount?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what steps are being taken to find other employment in the Air Ministry for Lieut.-Commander Barnard, a disabled officer with 12 years' naval service and five years' Government service, recently discharged from his Department; and whether he is aware that before leaving the Ministry he was specifically considered for the post of P.A. to the director of civil aviation, and the directorate granted an interview for this Purpose?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to my reply to the hon. Member for East Edinburgh (Mr. Hogge) on 6th March last. I regret that there is no prospect that any post in the Air Ministry suitable for Lieut.-Com-Barnard is likely to be available.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what was the nature of the previous employment, and who were the employers, of the gentleman who has recently been appointed personal assistant to the Director of Civil Aviation?

I have no information in regard to the employment of the officer referred to prior to November, 1914, but his employment since then has been as follows:

November, 1914.—Employed in War Office, Military Aeronautics Directorate, in a civilian capacity.

October, 1915.—Enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps, subsequently posted to the War Office for duty, and served in all noncommissioned ranks up to and including Warrant Officer, First Class.

March, 1918.—Commissioned as Second Lieutenant on the General List and subsequently appointed Staff Captain in the Royal Air Force for duties in connection with personnel.

November, 1918.—Appointed Staff Officer, Second Class (Temporary Major), for personnel duties at the Air Ministry; personal assistant to the Deputy-Master General of Personnel; latterly in charge of section dealing with demobilisation questions.

July, 1919.—Engaged by Messrs. Aircraft Transport and Travel, Limited, in charge of personnel and staff questions, and assistant to managing director.

May, 1920.—Employed at the Air Ministry in the Department of Civil Aviation under the Deputy-Controller of Plans and Information.

August, 1922, to date. —Personal assistant to Director of Civil Aviation.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air if he is aware that the position of personal assisant to the Air Member for Supply and Research, previously held by a temporary man, has been filled by a permanent civil servant; and, if so, why this substitution was made, in view of the recommendations of Lord Lytton's Committee?

Yes, Sir; a temporary non-service man was, in the interests of the Department, borne for a considerable time against the post on the permanent establishment to which my hon. Friend refers, but when, in pursuance of the recommendations of the Committee re ferred to, the services of this temporary non-service man were dispensed with, normal procedure was reverted to, and a civil servant already on the permanent establishment of the Department was appointed. This gentleman, I may add, is an ex-service man.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air (1) what is the cause of the non-adoption of a scheme of permanency for the ex-service technical officers in the directorate of research, Air Ministry; and the reason for the delay in the application of a suitable scheme, having in view the definite recommendation of Clause 45 of the third interim Report of the Lytton Committee in regard to technical posts;

(2) whether, seeing that several schemes have been drafted within the last few years for the re-organisation of the directorate of research, Air Ministry, on a more permanent basis, he can state why none of these schemes have been adopted; and whether, in view of the advance of other nations in aircraft research and design, he proposes to adopt any of the schemes?

(3) what is the constitution of the Committee or other body of persons actually responsible for the drawing up of the schemes of permanency for the personnel of the Directorate of Research, Air Ministry; what are the actual scientific attainments and experience in aeronautical research and aircraft design of the various individuals of this body; how many of them are serving officers of the Royal Air Force without scientific attainments or experience; how many are permanent civil servants without scientific attainments; how many are actual members of the staff of the Directorate of research whose experience could supply the necessary knowledge for the drawing up of a suitable scheme; and whether the offer of the associations representing the scientific staff of the Air Ministry to assist in the preliminary drafting of a scheme of re-organisation for the Directorate of Research has been refused.

I think I had better answer these three questions together, and preface the reply with a general explanation of the position. The correct organisation of aeronautical research and technical development presents problems of great difficulty, and although the matter has been continuously under the consideration of the authorities of the Air Ministry and of successive Ministers for a long time, it is the fact that, while various methods of staff grading have been drafted, none has yet been formulated as a definite scheme. It is of great importance that no scheme should be adopted which would tend to hamper or stereotype the activities of the Department in this field.

As already announced, the higher direction of the work has recently been divided to correspond to its two aspects of scientific research and technical development, and the way is now clear for defining the organisation desirable for the staff generally.

While every consideration will be shown to the legitimate interests of the existing staff, their grading and organisation must depend on the policy it is desired to pursue, and not on personal claims. In particular it is right to point out that there are strong arguments against the general adoption of an unqualified principle of permanency for posts of this description.

The Committee to which my hon. and learned Friend refers is presumably a Joint Committee of the Air Ministry Departmental Whitley Council, which was set up some time ago in order that the staff might have the opportunity of remarking on any proposed establishment for the Directorate of Research and the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough. This Committee is composed of members of the Research staff at headquarters and Farnborough, with the addition on the official side of the establishment officers of the Ministry, and on the staff side of the Vice-Chairman of the Council. I hope that it will now not be long before this Committee have a scheme before them.

As regards the reference to Clause 45 of the Third Lytton Report, I would refer the hon. and learned Gentleman to the reply which I gave on the 15th March last to the hon. Member for Dartford (Mr. Mills).

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air whether there are any statistics available to make a comparison between the number of accidents, fatal and other, suffered by the Air Force of this and foreign countries; and whether it is possible to take further steps to ensure the safety of British airmen in all parts of the world?

In reply to the first part of the question, statistics of flying accidents in the Air Forces of certain foreign countries are available, but they do not distinguish in all cases between fatal and other accidents. As far as a comparison is possible, there is little difference in the figures of hours flown per fatal accident in the Royal Air Force and in foreign services. As regards the second part of the question, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the replies given to the hon. Member for Rotherhithe (Mr. B. Smith) on 14th April, to the hon. Member for Lincoln (Mr. A. T. Davies) on 16th April, and to the hon. and gallant Member for Hallam (Sir F. Sykes) on 29th April.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many fathoms of rope the War Department use in a year, and where they purchase their supplies; and, if these supplies are not purchased from the ropery in Devonport Dockyard, will he take steps to see that this is done in future, in order to encourage national enterprise and to provide work in a town which is dependent for its existence upon the policy of the Government?

As a great part of the cordage required by the War Office is ordered by weight, and not by length, it would be impossible without elaborate research to state the number of fathoms purchased per annum, but the total value of the purchases during the past year may be put at approximately £10,000, a considerable proportion of which was ordered from the Admiralty after competition with the trade. The rope so ordered was obtained from Chatham Dockyard, which is convenient for delivery to Woolwich, but I understand that the Admiralty, when allocating, to their dockyards orders for rope for naval use, bear in mind the amount of the War Office work given to Chatham, and increase proportionately the allocation to the other dockyards, including Devonport.