asked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of coffee, imported into the United Kingdom during the years 1905, 1910, 1915, 1920, and 1925, came from Empire countries?

The percentages of the total imports of raw coffee into the United Kingdom, in the years specified, which were registered as consigned from countries within the British Empire, were 23·9, 14·9, 10·5, 32·3 and 42·4 respectively.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, owing to the breakdown of negotiations with Lancashire firms, the Russian Textile Syndicate has decided to place all orders in Germany; and whether he will have inquiries made with a view to ascertaining whether such orders can be secured for Great Britain by extending the provisions of the Trade Facilities Acts to British-Russian trade?

The answer to both parts of the question is in the negative.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he is aware that the recent discharge of furniture porters employed by his Department was not in accordance with the usual practice, that is, to discharge men junior in service first; that these men were discharged during the general strike because they refused to unload coal, although they carried out their other duties; and, in view of the Prime Minister's appeal for peace and reconciliation, will he consider the reinstating of these men at the earliest possible occasion?

The First Commissioner wishes to deny the statement that the usual practice was not followed in the selection of the furniture porters to whom notices of discharge were given during the general strike, or that any of the notices were given because the men refused to unload coal. The sole reason for giving the notices was the diminution in the work proper to furniture porters, and, in accordance with usual practice, the junior of the least suitable and least efficient men were selected. The last part of the question does not arise.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he will consider installing some telephone boxes in the neighbourhood of the Library and the Reading Room of the House?

This is a matter for the Serjeant-at-Arms, who informs me that there are already 17 telephone cabinets available for Members—three in reasonable proximity to the Reading Room and Library—and, in the absence of any general demand by Members, he is unable to adopt my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the incidence in the Royal Air Force, at home and abroad, of syphilis and gonorrhœa during the last three years for which statistics are available; and in how many of these cases were preventive measures adopted?

As regards the first part of the question, the incidence of primary syphilis and gonorrhœa in the Royal Air Force at home and abroad during the last three years for which figures are available was as follows:

—	Ratio per 1,000 sick daily.
	1922.	1923.	1924.
Syphilis	0·36	0·40	0·31
Gonorrœa	2·29	2·17	2·0

As regards the last part of the question, there is no reliable information as to the proportion of cases in which preventive measures were used. I would add that my hon. Friend will find further information concerning venereal diseases in the "Report on the Health of the Royal Air Force," Air Publication 1184, for the year 1924, and the similar volumes dealing with previous years.

asked the Secretary for Mines the amount of coal imported and exported, respectively, from England and Wales, from 1st May, 1926, to the last convenient date?

The amount of coal imported into England and Wales between 1st May and 3rd July was 1,012,789 tons. The export of coal has been prohibited since the 1st May, except under permit. Since that date, only about 42,000 tons of very inferior quality coal not required in this country has been allowed to go abroad.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons, specifying men, women, boys and girls, on the Devonport Employment Exchange during the month of June?

The following table shows the number of persons

—	Men.	Boys.	Women.	Girls.	Total.
1926.
7th June	1,441	122	132	94	1,789
14th June	1,418	113	134	92	1,757
21st June	1,434	113	137	92	1,776
28th June	1,417	108	138	87	1,750

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been drawn to the appointment of Mr. J. H. Crowder, sorting clerk and telegraphist, Liverpool, to the sub-postmastership of the West Kirby sub-office; whether he is aware that Mr. Crowder has passed over 129 men on the postal establishment at Liverpool and a number of senior qualified officers on the telegraph establishment; that applicants for the vacancy were informed in the Post Office Circular that a manipulative knowledge of telegraphy was required for this appointment; that Mr. Crowder is not a qualified telegraphist and that fully qualified officers with equal experience have been ignored; that the appointment has given rise to dissatisfaction among the staff; and if he will take action to compensate those officers who have been passed over?

Only 10 officers senior to Mr. Crowder on the postal establishment at Liverpool, and 13 officers on the telegraph establishment applied for the salaried sub-postmastership of West Kirby sub-office. Seven of these did not possess the necessary qualifications and the remainder were not regarded as so well fitted for the vacant post as Mr. Crowder. Mr. Crowder

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he can state, with respect to the City of Manchester, how many school children under the age of nine and between the ages of nine and 16, respectively, have been notified as suffering from infectious discuses since last September; whether any and, if so, how many deaths have resulted: whether any school children have been certified during that period as mentally deficient as the result of infectious diseases previously contracted: and how many school teachers have been absent from duty owing to infectious diseases during the same period?

I am afraid that I do not possess the information for which my hon. and learned Friend asks, but it is possible that the local health and education authorities might be able to furnish him with some particulars.