asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that a contract for woven wire gauze has been recently placed with a foreign contractor; what were the respective tenders of British and foreign contractors submitted to the Admiralty before the order was placed; and what is the reason for the Admiralty placing orders abroad which result in limiting the opportunities for the employment of British labour?

Contracts for woven wire gauze of a value of about £300 were recently placed with two British firms, who imported the material from the Continent. A substantial preference is given to British manufacturers, but this particular gauze could only have been made in this country at an extra cost of over 75 per cent. Every opportunity was given to British firms last year when similar contracts were being made to supply at lower prices, and British makers were invited to tender on this occasion, but then, and again now, the orders were reluctantly placed for foreign-made gauze owing to the great difference in price. The remaining items of the contract were placed for British-made gauzes.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether a. decision has yet been arrived at on section (a) of item 63 of the 1924 general welfare requests?

The proposal to double the allowance of plates to all messes on commissioning forms part of the general question of a revision of the scales of mess gear for His Majesty's ships, which is still under consideration.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the wives of naval ratings who are serving on foreign stations are eligible for the existing railway travelling concession for seamen's wives travelling with their husbands?

My hon. and gallant Friend will be glad to know that the railway companies have agreed to extend this concession to the wives and children of naval ratings serving abroad. Instructions to bring it into operation are now being issued by the Admiralty.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether it has been found necessary to grant increased rates of messing and victualling allowances in seagoing ships, particularly those on foreign stations, observing that in the Admiralty decision on item 32 of the 1924 general welfare requests it was promised that in this respect ships on foreign stations would receive particular attention?

The answer is in the negative. The position on foreign stations continues to receive particular attention. Representations have been received from the Commander-in-Chief, China, as to the inadequacy of the rates on that station, and arrangements are at present under trial with a view to reducing the prices of certain provisions obtained locally. The matter will be given further consideration when the result of this experiment is known.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the scales authorised for exchange concessions to the naval personnel serving on stations where the pound sterling expressed in terms of the various local currencies has considerably depreciated since before the War, observing that it is stated by the Admiralty that the concession operates through the issue of certain fixed proportions of pay and allowances at par, rates of exchange,

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will authorise that the duties of petty officer of the day, as defined in Article 1735, King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions (Addenda), be printed in notice form, and posted on the doors of issuing rooms and beef screens?

This is not considered necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in connection with the application of the clerical re- or at such rates as would obtain under normal trade and currency conditions?

Exchange concession is at present in force only on the China Station. I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a schedule showing the amount of pay per mensem convertible at 2s. =1$ applicable to the various ranks and ratings. The remainder of the pay due is convertible at the official rate of exchange which is fixed monthly.

The figures are as follow:Mechanical Transport

The figures for the Mechanical Transport Stores Depot exclude certain posts, the classification of which is at present under consideration.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Yugo-Slav War Debt to the United States has now been funded; and whether he will give a list of ex-Allies who are now actually paying instalments, or have undertaken to pay them, to the United States?

Negotiations for the funding of the Yugo-SIav War Debt to the United States are taking place, but, so far as I am aware, no agreement has yet been concluded. In reply to the last part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the list contained in the reply given to the hon. Member for Ilford (Sir F. Wise) on the 24th November last, to which, so far as I am aware, there are no additions to be made.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what proposals he intends to make to allow temporary typists, who have already reached the age of 28 years, to become permanent civil servants; and whether he is aware that there has only so far been one examination for which temporary typists above this age limit have been eligible to compete over the whole reconstruction period?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave on the 15th March to the hon. Member for Stratford (Mr. Groves).

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can give an undertaking that when the present large stock of American pencils, purchased during the War, is exhausted he will insist that only pencils produced within the British Empire are supplied for use in the post offices?

The supply of pencils for Government Departments is in the hands of the Stationery Office. Apart from large stocks of copying pencils which formed part of foreign supplies obtained during the War, and certain proprietary brands which are required for special purposes, the pencils supplied to the Post Office and to the public service generally are manufactured in the United Kingdom. In this connection, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Remer) on the 15th February, which shows that in 1925 the Government spent £6,270 on British-made pencils and only £30 on foreign pencils, the latter being of a proprietary brand required for special purposes. I would also refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Blackpool (Sir W. de Frece) on the 8th February.

asked the Postmaster-General the percentage of sorters in the London postal service who, having reached the age of 60, retired on a pension at that age during the five years 1909 to 1913 inclusive, and during the five years 1921 to 1925 inclusive?

I am making the necessary inquiries, and will send the information to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government will consider the desirability of making representations to the Governments of various foreign Powers that, when British subjects are arrested on charges within the Colonial or mandatory territory of any European Power, under no circumstances should British subjects be placed in prisons or under confinement in places which are recognised as being unsuited to their health and well-being, but that they should have that treatment which British Governments have in the past insisted upon as being due to British subjects?

The views of His Majesty's Government in regard to the treatment of British subjects in Colonial or mandated territories of other Powers are well known by foreign Governments, and I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by adopting my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion.

asked the Minister of Health what number of beds are available for patients in Poor Law infirmaries in London and the provinces respectively, and how many beds on the average are vacant during the periods of October to

asked the Minister of Health if he will give a list of towns of upwards of 100,000 inhabitants, showing the number of Poor Law infirmaries in each, and giving figures showing the average number of patients, the number

I regret that this information is not available in exactly the form suggested by the question. I hope that the statement below will give sufficient information far the hon. Member's purposes.of medical staff, and the number of nursing staff?

The following statement gives the information desired so far as it is available (omitting London):

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether inquiries have been made by His Majesty's Government as to why the local French authorities refused to allow a British subject, Mr. Macnamara, to communicate with the British Vice-Consul at Sousse when he was thrown into a native prison at Gabes; why the French authorities did not communicate with the British Consul; from what source did the Consul-General at Tunis hear of the arrest and imprisonment of this subject; whether His Majesty's Government have protested to the French authorities in regard to the treatment this British subject has received; and what steps have been taken to inquire into the circumstances as to why the British Consular Agent, a Maltese subject, resident in Gabes, took no action in informing his superior authority of the circumstances of Mr. Macnamara's position?

According to my information, Mr. Macnamara was not refused permission to communicate with the British consular authorities. He was advised by the prison authorities that it would be better for him if he did not do so. A letter which he did write to the British Vice-Consul at Sousse on the ninth day of his imprisonment does not appear to have reached its destination. His Majesty's Consul-General has already pointed out to the French authorities that they should have communicated with him. Mr. Macnamara's arrest and imprisonment were first brought to Mr. Macleod's notice by a telephone message from Major Richardson Cox on the evening of the 23rd February. The House has already been informed that representations in regard to this case have been made to the French Government in Paris as well as to their authorities in Tunis. The British Consular Agent at Gabes was not, to my knowledge, aware of Mr. Macnamara's imprisonment until after he had been admitted to bail.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action has been taken in regard to a British subject, Mr. Macnamara, who was recently kept 15 days in an Arab prison at Gabes on a charge of espionage, which was never proved against him: and whether representations will be made by His Majesty's Government to the French authorities that, under such circumstances, a British subject must be removed to the nearest European prison and not confined in a common cell with 30 Arabs suffering from various diseases, and given nothing but native food during the period of his incarceration?

I have already informed my hon. and gallant Friend in reply to another question on this subject that representations have been made to the French Government in Paris and to the local authorities in Tunis in regard to the treatment of Mr. Macnamara.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of disabled ex-service men who have been refused extended benefit at the Walworth Road (Borough) Employment Exchange during the last six months?

Separate statistics of the disallowance of claims for extended benefit made by disabled ex-service men are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of young men and women, respectively, unemployed, living with their parents, who have been disqualified at the Walworth 'Road (Borough) Employment Exchange during each of the last 12 months?

The only available figures relate to the period 25th August, 1925, to 8th March, 1926. The following table shows the number of applications for extended benefit which were recommended for disallowance during that period by the local employment committee at the Borough Employment Exchange on the ground that the applicants were single persons under 25 years of age living with relatives to whom they could look for support. This ground of disqualification was not in operation in 1925 before 25th August:—

asked the Minister of Labour the number of women registered at the Walworth Road (Borough) Employment Exchange who found situations through the machinery of this Exchange since 1st January last, together with the figures for the corresponding period last year?

The number of women placed in employment by the Borough Employment Exchange in the eight weeks ended 1st March, 1926, was 311 as compared with 316 in the corresponding period of 1925.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of young persons over the age of 14 years registered at the Walworth Road (Borough) Employment Exchange as seeking employment, on the last convenient date, together with the number similarly registered at the same time last year?

On 1st March, 1926, there were on the registers of the Borough Employment Exchange 151 boys and 339 girls, aged 14 to 17, as compared with 184 boys and 323 girls at 2nd March, 1925.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has received any report indicating that the seasonal workers in the sugar factories are for the greater part of the year in receipt of, or have applied for, unemployment benefit; and how many of these workers have been supplied by the Employment Exchanges?

No reports to this effect have been received. The number of workers supplied to the factories in 1925 by the Employment Exchanges is 1,275.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department what British goods are taxed on admission to the Irish Free State at this date; what is the amount of the tax in each case; and what is the preference in the form of lower taxation of British goods as compared with similar foreign goods imported into the Irish Free State?

I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy of the current Customs and Excise Tariff of the Irish Free State, on pages 7 to 18 of which he will find, in full detail, the information which he requires.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) the chief articles, with the respective costs, imported from France to this country in 1925; and the chief articles, with the respective costs, exported from Great Britain to France in 1925;(2) the chief articles, with the respective costs, imported from the United States to this country in 1925; and the chief articles, with the respective costs, exported from Great Britain to the United States in 1925;(3) the chief articles, with the respective costs, imported from Germany to this country in 1925, and the chief articles, with the respective costs, exported from Great Britain to Germany in 1925?

The compilation of the necessary details has now been completed, and the particulars are embodied in the following statements. The figures for 1925 are provisional and subject to final adjustment.

asked the Minister of Pensions why medical treatment has been refused to ex-service man H. Abbott, 51, Hotham Street, E.15, Reference No. 11/M/327,711?

The Ministry are authorised to provide treatment only when the condition of disablement requiring treatment would not have been present but for the effects of war service. That is not the position in Mr. Abbott's case. On demobilisation he was found to be suffering from a small degree of rheumatism, which had only been slightly aggravated by war service, and he was granted a final weekly allowance in full settlement, this allowance being assessed, in accordance with the medical knowledge of the case, on the basis of a, purely temporary worsening of the ailment by war service. No appeal was made by the man against, this decision. That settlement was made nearly five years ago, and my medical advisers find it impossible to hold that any need for medical treatment at this date is in any way traceable to the effects of war service.