asked the Postmaster-General the number of depositors in the Post Office Savings Bank on 1st January, 1925 and 1926, respectively; and the total amount on deposit on the same dates?

The number of active Post Office Savings Bank accounts on 1st, January, 1925, was 12,200,013, and on 1st January, 1926, 12,700,000 approximately. The total amount on deposit on 1st January, 1925, was £280,373,433, and on 1st January, 1926, £285,400,000 approximately.

asked the Postmaster-General the amounts invested in the Post Office Savings Bank and in National War Savings Certificates, respectively, for the years 1924–25; the deposits during the last complete year, including interest; the number and amount of withdrawals; the actual amount subscribed in the purchase of War Savings Certificates during the year and the withdrawals, excluding interest; and the total amount of National War Savings Certificates?

The number of withdrawals from the Post Office Savings Bank was, in 1924, 10,126,919 and, in 1925, 10,230,000 approximately. For the remaining information I would refer the hon. Member to the reply circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT of the 24th June to his question of that date.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the term "wireless station" used on receiving licences issued under the Wireless Telegraph Acts allows of the use of more than one set at the address stated on the licence?

A wireless receiving licence entitles the licensee to use more than one set of apparatus on premises wholly in his occupation. A separate licence is necessary for apparatus in each tenement or flat in separate occupation.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that at the Hellingly Asylum the East Sussex County Council employ female nurses in attendance on insane male patients; and whether, in view of the moral and physical dangers thus involved, he will take steps to prevent this practice?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I am unable to accept the assumption upon which the second part of the question is based. Medical superintendents who have had experience of the practice of nursing male patients by women nurses are practically unanimous in thinking that it is desirable in certain types of cases. I am advised that there are certain classes of patients who can be nursed by women nurses with great advantage to the patients and without risk to the nurses. I do not, therefore, propose to take action in the direction suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health if the West Ham Board of Guardians have, by 36 votes to 10, refused to comply with the request of his Department to modify the scale of out-relief; if the suggested scale of relief is 24s. per week for a man and wife and 4s. for each child up to a maximum of 49s. a week, exclusive of 1s. 6d. for coal or its equivalent; and what action he now proposes to take in regard to the matter?

My right hon. Friend is aware that the guardians have decided not to take any steps which will result in a substantial reduction of their expenditure. The scale to which the hon. Member refers is, I understand, a scale which was suggested by the West Ham Guardians in substitution for their present scale. As I indicated in my reply to the hon. Member on the 21st instant, it is my right hon. Friend's intention to apply to Parliament for further powers to deal with the situation, and proposals for legislation will be submitted in the House at a very early date.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Ashington Co-operative Society have refused to supply goods to anyone in exchange for relief tickets except their own members owing to their fear of rendering themselves liable for Income Tax if they did so: and if he will inquire into the position of persons not belonging to co-operative societies who received from Poor Law guardians tickets which are only negotiable at co-operative stores?

From inquiries I have made it does not appear to he the case that the society in question refuses to supply non-members in exchange for relief tickets. I have no knowledge of any case in which the difficulty suggested in the latter part of the question has arisen, but I shall be pleased to look into any facts which my hon. and gallant Friend may desire to bring to my notice.

asked the Prime Minister the number of local authorities in the various parts of the country who have sent him Resolutions protesting against the mineowners' demands for a reduction in the scale of wages of the mine workers or an increase in the number of their daily working hours, and asking him to take action at once to secure the immediate withdrawal of the lock-out notices in the mining industry; and what action he intends taking in the matter?

I have received very few Resolutions in this sense from local authorities. The position of the Government has been stated on several occasions and there will be further opportunity for discussion to-day and to-morrow.

asked the Secretary for Mines how many collieries during the last 12 months have adopted the permissive Clause in the Coal Mines Act, 1919, where 60 days each year can be worked in excess of the seven hours; and can he give similar information for any previous year?

There is no statistical information available on this point. It could only be obtained by examining the registers at every colliery.

asked the Secretary for Mines the estimated increase in output for a full year, assuming an eight-hour coal-winding day was adopted throughout the country and all collieries worked full time?

In order to be able to state in figures the effect of an eight-hour day upon the volume of annual demand and output, it would be necessary to know also what the corresponding figure would have been for the same period with the different conditions as to costs, etc., under a seven-hour day. This obviously can never be possible.

asked the Secretary for Mines if any royalties are paid on salt mined in Great Britain or on the pumping of brine from which salt is produced; and the amount of income from such royalties, if any, received in the last convenient year?

Royalties are paid both on rock salt and on brine. I have no definite information as to the total amount of income from such royalties, but I am informed that for the financial year 1925–26 the net amount of such income (including wayleaves) for purposes of Mineral Bights Duty was approximately £27,000.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) whether he has funds available for further grants to those works of arterial road construction which are urgent if the land is to be secured in advance of building development;(2) whether the restriction on grants to works of road widening has now been removed; and whether he is now encouraging authorities to put forward applications for advances towards urgent schemes of widenings with which they are anxious to proceed?

In reply to these two questions, I would refer my hon. Friend to the announcements made in this House during the Debate on the Finance Bill, regarding allocations to be made from the Road Fund during the current financial year. Any applications received from local authorities for advances towards such works will receive careful consideration, with due regard to the total sum available for distribution.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the grant promised to the Middlesex County Council for the western section of the Western Avenue has yet been formally made; and, if not, when will it be made, so that this work, for which tenders were invited last January, may be put in hand without further delay?

I have informed the Middlesex County Council that, while I do not consider the present an opportune time to proceed with the actual construction of this section of the road, I am prepared to assist the Council in the immediate acquisition of land where necessary, so that the line of route may be safeguarded until such time as it is convenient to undertake the works.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is now in a position to exhibit to Members of the House of Commons the plan whereby the Electricity Commissioners have mapped out the country into proper areas?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the maps of electricity districts contained in the various published Annual Reports of the Electricity Commissioners, and I am sending him a list of these maps.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the total number of trade councillors or attaches attached to the American, German, French and Italian Embassies; whether these gentlemen enjoy diplo matic privileges and immunities, and is their correspondence allowed to come to this country and go to their own country in sealed bags attached to the Embassy; whether this country employs similar commercial representatives in the countries named, and do they receive the same treatment as is accorded to British nationals; can he inform the House whether a commercial councillor or attache is attached to the British Embassy at Moscow; and whether such representative enjoys diplomatic privileges, etc., and is he allowed to send and receive his correspondence in the sealed diplomatic bags?

The total number of commercial officers attached to the United States, German, French and Italian Embassies is as follows:United States Embassy:1 Acting Commercial Attache.1 Assistant Commercial Attache.2 Trade Commissioners.3 Assistant Trade Commissioners.German Embassy: Nil.French Embassy:1 Commercial Attache.4 Assistants to the Commercial Attache.Italian Embassy:1 Commercial Counsellor.These gentlemen enjoy diplomatic privileges and immunities, and no doubt official correspondence for them is forwarded in the bags addressed to their respective Ambassadors; the number of the commercial officers attached to His Majesty's Embassies in the United States, Germany, France and Italy is as follows:United States:1 Commercial Counsellor.1 Commercial Secretary.1 Honorary Commercial Secretary.Germany:3 Commercial Secretaries.France:1 Commercial Counsellor.1 Commercial Secretary.Italy:1 Commercial Secretary with rank of Counsellor.1 Commercial Secretary.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he will obtain from the Government of the Union of South Africa the Majority and Minority Reports of the recent Economic and Wages Commission in that Dominion, and will place them in the Library for the information of Members?

I have received copies of this Report, and will place one in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether there is any British civil administration in Iraq; if so, what is the annual cost; and whether the cost is a charge on the revenues of that mandated territory?

There is no British civil administration in Iraq. British interests in the country are in the hands of His Majesty's High Commissioner. His relations with the Iraq Government are of an advisory nature and are regulated by the terms of the Anglo-Iraq Treaties of 1922 and 1926. The cost of the High Commissioner's establishment, which amounts to £50,000 per annum, is borne in equal shares by Great Britain and Iraq. There are also a number of British advisers and officials in the service of the Iraq Government. Their salaries are borne by Iraq revenues.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Government of India has ratified the draft local Convention for establishing facilities for finding employment for seamen, adopted by the second session of the International Labour Conference at Genoa in July, 1920; and whether he has received any representations on the subject from the Indian Seamen's Union?

The answer to the first part a the question is in the negative, and to the second part in the affirmative. The decision not to ratify the Convention was in accordance with a resolution passed by the Legislative Assembly.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India, whether any legislation has been introduced by the Government of India to protect children from maltreatment and exploitation by professional beggars, agents of brothels, and, if so, when?

This matter is now in the main one for the provincial Governments and Legislatures to deal with. Acts for the protection of children and young persons, and for the trial and punishment of youthful offenders were passed in Madras, Bengal, and Bombay in 1920, 1922, and 1924, respectively. Children are protected from the agents of brothels by the Indian Penal Code, which applies throughout India, and the provisions of which in this respect have recently been made more stringent.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he will inform the House of the results of the Conference recently held between the Government of India, the Controller of Labour to the Ceylon Government, and the Emigration Agent to the Government of India in Ceylon, with reference to labour conditions?

As I informed the hon. Member for Bow and Bromley (Mr. Lansbury) on the 1st June, the Government of India, are in correspondence with the Government of Ceylon on the subject. Until a decision has been reached, no further statement can be made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total value of imports and exports to Russia from this country for the first half of the year 1926 and the corresponding value for the first half of 1913?

The particulars for the first half of the current year are not yet complete, as the period has itself not yet expired. After the completion of the half year, the classification of the particulars will need some time. Meanwhile, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 1st June to the hon. Member for Ilford (Sir F. Wise) for the latest figures available, covering the trade of the first quarter of the year. These figures cannot be compared with those of 1913 owing to altered national frontiers.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many of the 77 men who are enlisted in the Royal Navy on an average during each month at the Royal Navy depots come from each of the depots respectively?

The figure of 77, given in my reply of the 22nd June (OFFICIAL REPORT, column 740] was made up as follows: