asked the Minister of Labour whether records are kept by his Department which show how soon after discharge from benefit persons discharged therefrom obtain work; and, if not, whether he will consider the advisability of having such records kept by the Employment Exchanges?

The information at the Exchanges as to work obtained otherwise than through the Exchanges is necessarily very incomplete. I am afraid, therefore, that adequate material for the record desired by the hon. Member is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of permits issued to employers for the three months ending December last in accordance with Article 1 (3) (b) of the Aliens Order?

The number was 1,301 of which 370 were in respect of female domestic servants and 476 in respect of theatrical and music hall artistes.

asked the Minister of Labour if it is the intention to keep the grocery trade boards in existence, but not to allow them to carry out the duties laid upon them by the Trade Board Acts; and, if so, whether, in the view of his Department, the obligation under the Acts is being adequately fulfilled?

My right hon. Friend has decided to dissolve the two trade boards. No question will therefore arise as to the fulfilment by them of the obligations imposed by the Acts upon a trade board.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the new clerical complements for the offices of the Chief Inspector of Stores and Clothing have yet been fixed; and, if so, how many Grade I, II, and III posts have been allotted?

The clerical complements for this office have now been fixed as follow:

asked the Minister of Pensions whether in the appointment of temporary officials in his Department to the position of permanent non-pension-able salaried staff preferential treatment has been given to officials in any particular department of the Ministry; and why, in view of the number of officials in the local administration department, so large a proportion of permanent officials has been made in that section?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. More than one-half of the whole of the Ministry's staff of temporary officials, who were eligible for consideration, were employed in the local offices and headquarters of the local administration division, and the number of permanent posts allotted to them, which is less than 60 per cent., is not out of proportion to their numbers and merits.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether selection of temporary officials in his Department, who have been appointed to the permanent non-pension-able salaried class, has been made by the departmental heads of the Ministry and, if so, what, method was adopted; whether, in deciding the appointments, priority was given to disabled ex-service men, overseas ex-service men, and other ex-service men, in that order: and, if so, the numbers in each category?

The recommendation of temporary officials for appointment to the permanent non-pension-able salaried class was entrusted to a special committee appointed by me after consultation with representatives of the staff concerned. In making the selection, the relative efficiency of the officers was taken into consideration, preference being given to disabled men and men who had served overseas. The number of selected candidates in the different categories is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs if the appointment of a ceremonial and reception secretary is intended to be a permanent appointment; and what is the total salary, including bonus?

As I stated in my reply to a question by the hon. Member on the 8th March, Lieut.-Colonel de Satge's appointment was to my personal staff. His salary is £500, with the usual Civil Service bonus which, as from the 1st March, amounts to £196.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is now in a position to issue instructions to Departments authorising payment of war bonus during military service to ex-boy clerks who were deemed to have been enlisted under the Military Service Acts subsequent to the date of their appointment to the assistant clerk class?

I regret that the inquiries necessitated by this claim are not yet complete.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the great anxiety existing in the minds of temporary typists and shorthand-typists employed in the Civil Service as to their future position, and that many of them are debarred from becoming established by the reason of the fact that they are over the age limits of 28 and 40 set for the examinations of typists and shorthand-typists, respectively; and whether he will be prepared to consider a scheme whereby these women might be given a chance of establishment?

I would refer tile hon. and gallant Member to a reply which I am giving to-day to the hon. Member for Stratford (Mr. Groves).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of rebate levied in the nine months ended 31st December, 1925, in respect of motor vehicles and parts charged with import duty on their importation and subsequently used for trade and other purposes entitling them to exemption from import duty?

The amount of duty repaid in the nine months ended 31st December, 1925, in respect of motor vehicles and parts charged with Customs duty on importation and subsequently shown to be used exclusively for trade or ether purposes entitling them to exemption from the import duty was £14,497.

asked the Minister of Health if he can state the total value of building plans for domestic dwellings passed by the local authorities during each of the last three years?

I have been asked to reply. I am unable to state the total value of building plans for domestic dwellings passed by all local authorities, but returns from 148 of the principal towns, exclusive of the County of London, having a population of 16½ millions in 1921, showed that the estimated cost of dwelling-houses for which plans were passed was nearly £32 millions in 1923, nearly £38 millions in 1924 and £45½ millions in 1925.

asked the Minister of Health how many houses have been sanctioned, are in the course of erection, and have been completed, under the Housing Acts of 1923 and 1924, respectively, together with the total number to be let and to be sold, separately?

On the let instant the position under the Housing Acts of 1923 and 1924 was as follows:

asked the Minister of Health if he has received representations from the Metropolitan Borough Councils with respect to certain by-laws forwarded to him by the London County Council, under Section 6 of the Housing Act, 1925, referring to registered lodging-houses; and, if so, whether he is in a position to state what action he proposes to take in the matter?

As I stated on the 25th of February, in reply to the hon. Member for Shoreditch (Mr. Thurtle), there were some suggestions by the

asked the Minister of Health whether the provisions of the Small Dwellings Acquisition Act of 1899, amended to meet modern conditions, has been used to any extent by tenants desiring to acquire ownership of their houses; and what were the statistics for 1924 and 1925, showing the use made of this Act in urban and rural areas, respectively?

Wide and increasing advantage is being taken of the facilities afforded by the Act referred to by the hon. and gallant Member, and also by Section 92 of the Housing Act, 1925. The amounts of loans sanctioned under these provisions for the purpose of making advances to prospective owner-occupiers and builders of houses (including direct advances made by the London County Council) during the years 1924 and 1925 are as follows:Borough Councils which I could not accept. The by-laws—which do not refer to registered lodging houses only—were confirmed on the 5th of this month, but with an exception which will go some way to meet the views of the Southwark Council. Their objection reached me after the by-laws were confirmed. I will send the hon. Member a copy of my reply.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that in certain localities local authorities have appointed a sanitary inspector or inspector of nuisances to act as architect for their housing scheme, irrespective of whether the official is qualified as an architect; and whether, seeing that it is undesirable that housing work should be entrusted to other than qualified architects, he will notify local authorities that they should appoint only qualified architects to carry out housing schemes?

As a general rule local authorities are not now required to submit for my approval plans and details of their housing schemes. But as stated in the circular which was issued to local authorities in connection with the Housing Act of 1924, I attach importance to the maintenance of a good standard in the planning and layout of schemes, and I hope that I can rely on the co-operation of local authorities in doing all within their power to ensure that these features will be creditable to the country and to the local authority. I take this opportunity of recalling that local authorities were informed in connection with schemes under the Housing Act of 1919 that competent architects should be employed to plan and design the houses to be erected.

asked the Minister of Health whether, having regard to the fact that claims under The Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, have now been made in respect of the great majority of the widows whose husbands, and the orphans whose parents, died before 4th January, 1926, he will discontinue the use of the informative leaflet W.P. 3, as soon as the present stocks thereof are exhausted, combine the information therein with that in leaflet W.P.4, relative to pensions for widows whose husbands, and orphans whose parents, died after 3rd January, 1926, and issue the combined information as one leaflet as soon as the existing stocks of leaflet W.P. 4 are exhausted?

As the claims still being made by the widows 'of men who died before the commencement of the Act are in excess of the claims being made by widows whose husbands died after the commencement of the Act, I feel that it is desirable to retain the separate leaflet W.P.3, but the suggestion of my hon. and gallant Friend will not be overlooked when a revision of the arrangements is being considered.

asked the Minister of Health whether, seeing that the widow of a duly insured man, having two children under the age of 14 and otherwise eligible for pension and children's allowances under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, is treated as disqualified, merely by reason of having re-married in November, 1925, for a widow's pension and for allowances in respect of her children under 14, and that there is no indication of such disqualification in leaflet W.P.3 or in any other publication of the Ministry, notably as regards the stated conditions for children's allowances in the case of a widow's re-marriage, he will say what is the statutory authority for refusing the grant of children's allowances in the case-of a widow of an insured man, otherwise qualified, who has subsequently remarried?

Section 18 (c) of the Act provides that, in the case of the widow of a man who died before the commencement of the Act, a widow's pension is not payable if she remarried before that date, and Sections 1 (1) (a) and 3 (3) make the additional allowance for children part of the widow's pension. It follows that where the widow, by reason of her remarriage before the commencement of the Act, is not entitled to a pension, allowances are not payable to the children. Where a widow is entitled to a pension, Section 3 (2) provides that it shall cease on her remarriage, but the proviso to Section 3 (3) provides that such cesser shall not affect the continuance of the additional allowance.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the rebuilding of Northallerton post office is to he carried out during the coming financial year?

I greatly regret that the necessity for economy and the claims of more urgent schemes have necessitated a further postponement of this work.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department, in order to complete the comparison with previous years, if he has any figures to show the total

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) how much ferro molybdenum ore was imported into this country during 1925, and the percentage of that received from Empire sources;(2) how much molybdenum ore, whether imported also as molybdenite, molybdenite concentrate or molybdenum ore concentrate, was imported into this country

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in his campaign to induce the British public to buy British goods, he will emphasise to the British motorists the value of using British-refined

The figures are as follow:during 1925; and the percentage of that received from Empire sources?

The following statement shows the quantity and value of molybdenum ore imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the year 1925, together with the estimated equivalent in terms of 85 per cent. molybdenite, distinguishing consignments from foreign countries and from British countries.petrol, instead of petrol refined in foreign countries?

I am afraid that at present the motorist has no means of knowing where the petrol which he purchases was refined.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many gallons of petrol were consumed in the United Kingdom in 1925, and how many gallons were refined by British labour?

The consumption of petrol in the United Kingdom in 1925 may be estimated at 513 million gallons. The total quantity refined in the United Kingdom was 172 million gallons.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state, in regard to the unified research staff, which is carrying out anti-submarine investigations at the Admiralty, if the investigations include anti-submarine work from the air and whether this anti-submarine work from the air may be investigated and experimented on by the Navy, or is regarded as the exclusive province of the Air Ministry?

The present programme of anti-submarine investigations carried out by the unified research staff does not include an investigation of antisubmarine methods employing the use of aircraft. Investigation with improved types of bomb carrying aircraft and aircraft bombs for use with the Fleet is carried out by the Air Ministry in conjunction with the Admiralty, and joint conferences deal with such matters. The tactical use of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm in this respect, and particularly in conjunction with surface and under water craft, receives constant attention in the Fleet and at the Admiralty.

asked the President of the Board of Education the names of the local education authorities who have already built, or are building, technical schools towards which a grant has been made out of the Miners' Welfare Fund?

Four authorities (Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Monmouth) have already built or enlarged technical schools, towards the cost of which grants have been made out of the central portion of the Miners' Welfare Fund, and three other authorities (Lancashire, West Riding of Yorkshire, and Derbyshire) are building or enlarging schools with the assistance of such grants.

asked the Minister of Transport whether be has received a resolution passed unanimously by the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, urging His Majesty's Government to appoint a commission of inquiry, independent of the Road Board and local authorities, to examine the effect of road transport competition on railway rates and to formulate a scheme, with a view to taxation for the construction, improvement, and upkeep of roads being equitably borne by all interests concerned; whether he is aware that the National Railway Wages Board, in their last award, stated that they were of opinion that the rapid growth of road motor transport constitutes a serious menace to the railway industry, and that the railway companies are placed in an unfair position to meet this competition,; whether be has received any representations from the railway companies on this subject; and whether, in view of the high cost of transport by railway, he proposes to set up such an inquiry as has been suggested?

I have received certain representations on the subject from the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, and am aware of the Report of the National Railway Wages Board. As regards the last part of the question, I can only repeat what I said on the 10th March, in reply to a similar question asked by the hon. and gallant Member for the Abingdon Division (Major Glyn), to the effect that all these considerations will be taken into account in the revision of motor taxation which is now under review, but that I am not satisfied that it would be desirable at present to set up a Special Commission of Inquiry of the character suggested in the question.