asked the President of the Board of Trade the quantity of the import of British newsprint paper to Australia before the concession of the present preference; what was the export in 1925; and if he can give similar figures for a comparative quarter with the one ending March, 1926?

The present tariff on newsprint paper imported into Australia came into force in July, 1921. The following statement shows the quantities of newsprint paper, manufactured in the United Kingdom, exported to Australia in the periods specified:

			Cwts.
Year 1920	…	…	83,719
Year, 1925	…	…	2,016,035
1st Quarter, 1926	…	…	447,026
1st Quarter, 1927	…	…	498,562

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the output of British magnetos and the average price in 1921 before magnetos were subjected to duty; and what we re the corresponding figures for 1926?

The principal magneto manufacturers have informed me that in 1921 they sold 78,536 magnetos of an average value of £6 5s., and in 1925 they sold 373,887 magnetos of an average value of £3 2s. I have no exact figures for 1926.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he

—	1924.		1912.
	Printing Paper.	Writing Paper.	Printing Paper.	Writing Paper.
	Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.
Output	16,080,500	2,256,500	11,323,400	3,120,800
Total Imports	3,928,600	131,300	3,583,500
Consigned from Russia, Finland and Succession States.	969,500	32,000	67,100
From British Countries	1,183,300	1,400	867,700

Separate particulars of writing paper and printing paper imported were not obtained in 1912. The figures of imports of writing paper in 1924 given above are exclusive of imports of stationery, of which 56,600 cwts. were recorded in the year, including 5,900 cwts. consigned from British countries; imports of stationery from Russia, Finland, etc., were negligible in amount.Neither the figures of output nor those of imports relate to the same territory in 1912 and in 1924. All the figures for 1912 relate to Great Britain and Ireland. For 1924 the import figures relate to Great Britain and Northern Ireland, while the figures of output given above for that year relate to Great Britain only.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state how many of those who have served their apprenticeship under Government auspices are now employed in His

Particulars of the output in the United Kingdom of printing and writing paper are not available for the years 1913 and 1926.The following statement gives the particulars asked for in respect of 1912 and 1924, for which years particulars of output have recently been publishedMajesty's Dockyard, Devonport; how many of such apprentices have been discharged on the ground that their services are no longer required during each of the last five years; and whether he will give similar figures for those who have served their apprenticeship outside the dockyard?

To obtain the figures asked for in the first and last parts of the question would necessitate an expenditure of labour which I do not think would be justified. The answer to the second part of the question is: 382 in 1922; 130 in 1923; 19 in 1924; 13 in 1925; 48 in 1926.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the complete personnel of the Navy now stationed at or on the way to China, together with the number and full description of all ships stationed in these waters?

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to Questions Nos. 2 and 5 on Wednesday, 3rd April, 1927, [OFFICIAL REPORT, Cols. 348-9]. No change has taken place since that date.

asked the Minister of Health what is the average loss per house per annum on Addison houses; and what action is being taken to revise the rents of such houses with a view to decreasing the loss to taxpayers and ratepayers?

The average annual loss per house in respect of houses erected by local authorities under the terms of the 1919 Act is estimated at £46 per annum. The rents of these houses, which have been fixed in accordance with rules made under the Housing Act, 1919, are brought under review from time to time.

asked the Minister of Health how many women are serving on boards of guardians in

Material.				Unit.		1913.			1919.			1926.
						£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Bricks (Best Stocks)	…	…	…	Per 1,000	…	1	16	0	3	6	0	4	3	6
" (Flettons)	…	…	…	"	…	1	14	0	2	9	5	2	13	3
Pit Sand	…	…	…	Per yard	…		6	9		16	0		13	9
Thames Ballast	…	…	…	"	…		5	6		17	0		10	6
Best Portland Cement	…	…	…	Per ton	…	1	16	0	3	8	0	2	18	0
Blue Lias Lime	…	…	…	"	…		19	0	2	2	6	2	4	6
Slates (20 X 10)	…	…	…	Per mille	…	13	2	6	27	10	0	25	12	6
Tiles	…	…	…	Per 1,000	…	2	2	0	6	2	6	5	12	6
Timber (3 X 7)	…	…	…	Standard	…	12	10	0	43	10	0	20	0	0
Lead (Sheet)	…	…	…	Per ton	…	19	17	6	41	0	0	44	10	0
White Lead	…	…	…	"	…	28	5	0	66	0	0	54	5	0
Glass—21 oz. 4ths	…	…	…	Per foot	…			3⅛			8			4½

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the latest available figures of the number of persons assessed to super-tax in receipt of more than £5,000 a year, and their total income, and the corresponding figures for the year 1913–14?

I have no official information on this subject, but from particulars furnished to me I gather that the services of women are available to an approximately equal extent (by means of either direct or indirect election or co-option) on boards of guardians and their committees on the one hand, and on county and county borough councils and their committees on the other, the figures in each case being approximately 2,000. I am not in possession-of similar particulars as regards other local authorities.

asked the Minister of Health the comparable figures for the price of principal building materials for the years 1913, 1919 and 1926?

The following table gives information as to the published prices of the principal building materials in London in the spring of each of the years in question. It will, of course, be appreciated that prices vary in different districts.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Table on page 102 of the Sixty-ninth Report of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue (Command Paper 2783) where he will find the latest available information in this matter; for the year 1913–14 corresponding informa- tion will be found in Table 72 of the Sixty-seventh Report (Command Paper 2227).

asked the Financial. Secretary to the Treasury what grades of employment in established posts in the Post Office and telephone service are included under the category of industrial appointments?

I have been asked to answer this question. The main grades are skilled workmen in the engineering department and warehousemen and storemen in the stores department, together with supervising grades up to and including the grades of chief inspector, chief storekeeper, and factory overseer.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether certain inquirers about the purchase of the estate, farm, and sheep stock of Erribol, in the summer of 1926, were informed that no alteration of the published conditions would be favourably considered?

As I stated in the Note which I sent to the hon. and gallant Member containing replies to this and other questions put by him in the Debate on 6th April, the inquiries received were not so substantial as to warrant the opening of negotiations or the discussion of amended conditions of sale.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is willing to place in the Library copies of the correspondence relative to the offer of £25,000 which he received for the estate, farm, and sheep stock at Erribol?

The only correspondence regarding this inquiry, so far as I am aware, consisted of a letter dated 31st July, 1926, from the agents to the Secretary, Board of Agriculture for Scotland, in the following terms:"DEAR SIR,