asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the age and what are the duties of the director of statistics, who, in addition to a salary of £700, is in receipt of £784 10s. per annum retired pay; and whether any war or cost-of-living bonus is paid on the salary of £700?

The present Director of Statistics is 54 years of age. Civil Service bonus is not payable on the salary of £700. His duties comprise the preparation of statistics generally, including those relating to personnel borne in the Fleet, to the cost of maintenance of His Majesty's ships, and to His Majesty's ships under construction and repair.

asked the Minister of Pensions when it is proposed to close the Northern regional office at Newcastle-on-Tyne and transfer the files to Acton?

The awards work of the Northern region is now in process of transfer to Acton. It is hoped that the transfer will be completed in the course of a few days.

asked the Postmaster-General what was the total amount of the deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank on the latest date for which data are available; and what is the total amount of War Loan and other Government stocks bought up to the latest date through the post offices?

The total amount of deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank on 31st December last was approximately £285,400,000. It is estimated that this amount had increased to £286,300,000 by the 28th ultimo. The total amount of Government Stock and Bonds bought through the Post Office from the commencement of business in November, 1880, to 31st December, 1925, was £314,918,471, including subscriptions to new issues. The amount standing to holders' credit on 31st December, 1925, was £188,775,460.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the number of temporary messengers employed in London offices at present remunerated on the scale of 29s. to 34s. per week plus Civil Service bonus; what is the number of temporary messengers on the same scales of pay employed as paper keepers; and, of the latter, what is the number in receipt of a special allowance of 3s. per week plus Civil Service bonus in respect of their paper keeping duties?

The number of such temporary messengers paid on the scale 29s. by 1s. to 34s. a week plus Civil Service bonus is about 2,600. Of that number about 200 are employed as paper keepers, of whom eight receive a special allowance of 3s. a week.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state separately the number of houses completed under the Housing Acts of 1923 and 1924 in the County of Fife upon which the full amount of the grant promised under these Acts has been paid; and will he state the cause of the delay in making payment of the grants after the houses have been completed?

In order to suit the convenience of local authorities, State grants payable under the Acts of 1923 and 1924 are paid in three instalments. The first two instalments are paid in advance and the last instalment is paid after the conclusion of the local authority's financial year in respect of which grant is due. If, however, any local authority prefers to receive grant in one payment annually, this can be made after the conclusion of the first financial year in which a full year's loan charges have been paid. In accordance with existing practice, the full amount of grant due has been paid to the county council of Fife in respect of 92 houses completed under the Act of 1923 and of six houses under the Act of 1924.

asked the Minister of Health whether any slum areas in the borough of Southwark have been reconditioned by private enterprise and so made fit for habitation; and whether he will consider the desirability of issuing a circular to local authorities calling attention to their powers under the Public Health Acts whereby they can compel private owners to recondition insanitary property without expense to ratepayers?

During the year 1924 the Southwark Borough Council served notices under the Public Health Acts on owners requiring defects to be remedied in 9,594 houses and in 9,450 cases the defects were remedied by the owners during the year. The number of such notices served in the whole country during the same period was over 300,000 and I have no reason for thinking that local authorities are not fully cognisant of their powers.

asked the Minister of Health what percentage of the population in Plymouth are living under conditions which according to the Census definition are officially recognised as overcrowded?

There is no official census definition or standard of over-crowding; but if, as I assume, the hon. Member has in mind the percentage of total private family population living at a density of more than two persons per room, the 1921 census figure for Plymouth County Borough was 16.9.

asked the Minister of Health what is the number of applications received from widows in the borough of Southwark for pensions under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act; how many pensions have been granted and how many applications have been refused; and whether a pension is payable to the unmarried wife of an insured person left with children under 14 whose husband died prior to 4th January, 1926?

The information asked for in the first two parts of the question is not available, as the claims are not arranged on a territorial basis. The reply to the last part of the question is in the negative.