asked the Minister of Labour how many aliens have been granted permits to obtain employment as waiters during the last three years in this country?

I would refer the hon. Member to the full statement, of which I am sending him a copy, given in my reply to the hon. and gallant Member for Hackney, South (Capt. Garro-Jones) on the 19th February.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that there is strong public feeling that the proceedings of the Departmental Committee which he intends to appoint, or has appointed, to investigate the export of worn-out horses, etc., to the Continent should be conducted in public; if he is willing to meet the wishes of the people in this matter; and, if not, will he state the reasons?

I am aware that certain societies have expressed the opinion that the meetings of this Committee should be in public, but, as I have already explained, the Committee have themselves decided to sit in private. This is the course usually taken by Departmental Committees. The decision in this matter is one for the Committee themselves, and does not fall within my discretion.

asked the Minister of Health, seeing that the Ministry of Health have been placing out to contract the work of writing up valuation cards, whether he has any guarantee that such work will be taken at the same rates of pay as these prevailing in the Civil Service; and whether, in view of the number of ex-service men now becoming redundant in the Civil Service, he will issue instructions that the remainder of this work shall be done by redundant ex-service staff?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. As regards the second part, the work, which consists of routine copying and sorting, and is purely temporary and spasmodic in character, is now approaching completion.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that of late some boards of guardians of the poor outside of London have closed their wards for casuals, with the result that destitute wayfarers are forced to walk for a long distances; and will he consider the advisability of enabling the police in such districts as have now no casual wards to give an order for the workhouse to destitute wayfarers, with the provision that they shall not be subject to longer detention or subjected to more work than if a casual ward had been available in the district?

Certain casual wards have been closed with my approval, but I am not aware of any case in which this involves a walk of an excessive distance. Arrangements are made where necessary for relief to be afforded elsewhere than in casual wards, and in a number of unions police constables are appointed as assistant relieving officers for the purpose suggested in the last part of the question.

asked the Chancellor of tile Exchequer whether he is aware that grave dissatisfaction exists in regard to the treatment by the Wood-Renton Commission of the claims of those Southern Irishmen who suffered damage at the hands of the opponents of His Majesty's Government, whose claims have been scantily met or refused; that large sums of money have been awarded in respect of claims made by those who were engaged in hostilities against the forces of the Crown; and will he state what steps are being taken to see that such awards as have been made by the Commission to the

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in eases where ships which are sold in order to be broken up are moved from one place to another, any inspection is made by his.

I have been asked to reply. There is no foundation for the suggestion made in the first two parts of the question, that any different principles are observed by the Compensation (Ireland) Commission, or whether both the British and the Irish Free State Governments are represented, in dealing with claims by those who supported His Majesty's Government prior to the truce and by those who opposed His Majesty's Government. In reply to the third part of the question, refund of the British Government's liability in respect of such awards is only made to the Free State Government after payment of the awards has actually been made by that Government, and I am in a position to state that payment of the awards by the Free State Government follows closely upon the issue of the awards by the Commission. If, however, the right hon. Member will bring to my notice any individual cases in which there appears to have been undue delay in the payment of an award, I shall be happy to investigate them.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the tonnage of iron ore imported into this country in 1912 and 1913, and in 1923 and 1924; and the amount of steel blooms and billets and pig iron for those years?

The following statement shows the quantities of the undermentioned commodities imported into the United Kingdom during the years specified:Department to make sure that the hulk is seaworthy, and guard against such loss of life as took place when the "Marlborough" was lost?

The Board of Trade Surveyors inspect any hulk which they hear is going to sea, and one of the questions to be investigated at the formal inquiry into the loss of the "Marlborough" is why such inspection did not take place in this case.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Mr. David Roberts, postman, Monikie, Forfarshire, who bought a cottage with his savings, before the recent rent restriction legislation was passed, and who now cannot get occupancy of his own house; and whether he can take any steps to relieve such a case from exemption?

The ease referred to does not seem to have been brought to my notice. I have, however, no power to intervene in such a matter.