asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether any appeal has been received by the Government of India from workers in Madras who are members of the tribes known as Erukulas in Telugu and Kuravans in Tamil districts, asking that, in view of the hardships they suffer on account of the above tribes being classified as criminal tribes under the Criminal Tribes Act, they should be exempted from the working of the Act; and whether it is the intention of the Government to take any action in this matter?

No information is available on the subject of the question. Perhaps the hon. Member will send me fuller particulars, including the date when the appeal is understood to have been made.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he received before the appointments were made, or has received since, any representations with regard to the appointment of new governors in the United Provinces and Burma from any representative organisation of Indians in India; and, if so, whether he will inform the House of the terms of such representations?

My Noble Friend received, after the appointment was made, a representation from the Committee of the United Provinces Liberal Association requesting that the governor of that Province should be selected from amongst public men in this country and not from the Indian Civil Service.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India the direct expenditure by the Government of India, during the last five years, on the pay and maintenance of Royal Air Force units in India; and what part of this expenditure is votable by the Indian Legislature?

The total expenditure by the Government of India, during the last five years, on the pay and maintenance of Royal Air Force units in India, including all payments made to the Air Ministry, has been nine crores eighteen lakhs of rupees, or an average of about £1,320,000 a year. No part of this expenditure is votable by the Indian Legislature.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what action has been taken by the Government of India following the resolution recommending the appointment of a Committee to examine the desirability of the development of the road system of India, which was adopted by the Indian Council of State in February last and accepted on behalf of the Government?

My Noble Friend has no information, but will inquire.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India the present position of the Sukkur barrage scheme; the estimated cost of this scheme; the amount already expended; to what extent the Government of India are financially or otherwise responsible for this scheme; and when it is expected that the whole scheme will be completed?

The estimated cost of the scheme is nearly 18½ crores of rupees or about £13,875,000. The amount expended up to 31st March last was about 5 crores or about £3,750,000. The greater part of this amount has been spent on preliminary work, including the acquisition of land, the provision of plant and the opening up of quarries. Considerable progress has also been made in the construction of canals. Work in the river on the barrage works has been commenced this season. The scheme was sanctioned by the Secretary of State for India in Council on the recommendation Of the Government of Bombay which was endorsed by the Government of India. The financial responsibility rests with the Government of Bombay, who are, however, obtaining the bulk of the required capital by loans from the Government of India. The date of completion must necessarily depend on a number of factors which cannot be foreseen, but it is hoped that the barrage and the main canals will be completed by 1931.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India the result of his inquiry concerning the incident at Diburgarh, when a man named Rasih Nandi was sentenced by the first class magistrate to receive 15 stripes, but the warder whose duty it was to execute the order inflicted the stripes on another prisoner, Ghana Mahut, whose case was still pending; whether a full inquiry has been held into the incident; and what steps the Government propose to take in the matter?

Inquiry has been made as to the correct facts of this case, which was reported in a local newspaper, but there has not been time for a reply to be received.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Kharag Bahadur Singh, who was recently sentenced to eight years' imprisonment; whether he is aware that the jury recommended this man to, mercy, and that the highest sentence which could have been given was 10 years; and whether, in view of the whole circumstances of the case, the Secretary of State will consider advising the remission or reduction of the sentence passed on this man?

I have seen reports in the Press of the facts stated in the first two parts of the question. As regards the last part, my Noble Friend understands that representations have been made to the local Government on the prisoner's behalf, and he does not propose himself to take action in the matter.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, with reference to the six established men under notice of discharge from His Majesty's dockyard, Devonport, whether he can see his way to retain their services until the statements of their case, which they have been invited to submit, have been examined; and whether, if it is impossible to retain them as established men, they can be retained on a hired basis and employed for six months in order that they may at any rate by this means qualify for Unemployment Insurance benefit to which they are not entitled if discharged as established men?

The statements submitted on behalf of the men have been examined and the discharge of two of the men has been suspended; the answer to the second part of the question is in the negative.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty with reference to the six established men who are under notice of discharge from His Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport, whether he will state how long these men have served, whether they are married, and how many children they have, in each case?

The service of the men referred to, including apprenticeship time ranges from 19 years 8 months, to 36 years 9 months; there is no information at the Admiralty concerning their domestic circumstances.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what action it is proposed to take as a result of the representations made by the Association of First Class Masters of His Majesty's Tugs to the Civil Lord of the Admiralty and representatives of the Treasury, on 11th August, 1926, regarding increased remuneration and improved conditions of status and service for members of the association?

This matter is still under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, if, in view of the fact that British-made goods are subject to unfair competition in East African markets owing to their manufacture under conditions which conform to the terms of the Washington Hours Convention, and which in no way compare with those obtaining in certain foreign competing countries, he will consider the termination or revision of the Convention of St. Germain regarding the conventional basin of the Congo?

Article XV of the Convention signed at St. Germain on 10th September, 1919, provides for its revision 10 years after its entry into force in such a manner as experience may have shown to be necessary. It is, therefore, too early to come to a decision as to the attitude to be adopted in regard to such revision, but His Majesty's Government would be happy to consider any relevant evidence as to the need for a revision of the Convention which the hon. and gallant Member may be in a position to produce.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will lay upon the Table the correspon dence between the Indian Association, Dar-es-Salaam, the Tanganyika Government, and the Imperial Government, in connection with the proposal to increase the number of Indian members of the Legislative Council; and whether he is in a position to inform the House of the intention of the Government regarding such an increase?

A copy of the correspondence has been placed in the Library. The unofficial members of the Legislative Council of Tanganyika Territory are nominated without regard to representation of particular races and I have not received any recommendation from the Governor that their number should be increased at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has been able to formulate the reference to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council on the advisability of disallowing the Malta Military Training Ordinance enacted on the 4th of February, in accordance with the intimation given by him to this House?

The only question which could be submitted to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council would be that of the legal competence of the Ordinance referred to. I am not taking further action on this at present, pending an endeavour to discover, in consultation with the War Office, some means of reconciling military requirements with the views of the Maltese Government.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that no typists have been promoted recently in the Money Order Department, although several typists, classified as above average for promotion purposes, have considerably longer total service than some of the girls promoted; and whether he will look into this question with a view to the typing grades receiving their fair share of such promotions as are given in the near future?

I understand my hon. Friend to refer to promotions to the Clerical Class. A typist attached to the Money Order Department was promoted to the Clerical Class in the Savings Bank Department as recently as 23rd February last. The question whether any additional typists in the Money Order Department and other Headquarter Offices should be placed on trial is receiving attention, and I hope it will be possible to announce a decision before long.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what are the numbers of temporary civil servants and of established civil servants, and give a list of the grades and rates of pay attaching thereto in the several Departments in which they serve; whether the conditions of pension are the same for each grade and Department but applicable only to established civil servants; and whether in each case involve, as regards counting for pension, a reduction of years of actual service?

It is estimated that there are, approximately, 220,000 established civil servants, of whom 30,000 are in industrial grades; that the number of unestablished, non-industrial civil servants is, approximately, 115,000, of whom about 52,000 are part timers, and that the number of unestablished industrial civil servants is, approximately, 94,000. It would not be possible to give a list of grades and rates of pay attaching thereto within the limits of the reply to a Parliamentary question. The hon. Member will find full details in the Estimates for the current financial year. The award of superannuation in the case of all established civil servants is governed by the provisions of the Superannuation Acts, 1834 to 1919. Temporary service is not reckonable for pension under those Acts except in special circumstances as mentioned in Section 3 of the Superannuation Act, 1887.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of appointments which have been made by open competition in writing assistant posts and women clerical posts to the Civil Service in each year since the War?

The following are the particulars asked for. Appointments resulting from special competitions limited to temporary staffs have been excluded.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many of the candidates declared successful and qualified, respectively, at the last examination for the grade of established typist were in each case employed as temporary typists at the date of the examination; and what proportion this represents of the total number of successful and qualified candidates, respectively?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave her on this subject on the 2nd May.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what are the numbers of temporary typists and shorthand-typists, respectively, in the employ of the Civil Service as at 31st March, 1927; and what is the average annual wastage rate in these two grades?

The number of temporary typists and shorthand-typists serving in Government Departments on 1st April, 1927, was approximately 3,600. Figures are not immediately available showing the number of temporary typists and shorthand-typists separately, or the average annual wastage in these grades.

asked the Secretary of State for War the complete personnel of the Army now stationed at or on the way to China?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 13th April. No British troops have been despatched to China since that date.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will give the original estimate of the cost of the making of Catterick Bridge camp; what present outlay has been incurred or approved; whether this sum represents finality in outlay; and what sum is being spent on the officers' mess?

As stated in the reply to the hon. and gallant Member for the Everton Division of Liverpool (Colonel Woodcock), the provisional estimate for the reconstruction of Catterick Camp was £890,000, the expenditure to date is approximately £920,000 and £518,000 is required to complete the work in progress. Apart from work in progress, additional services have been approved outside the scope of the original scheme, but not yet put in hand, and certain others are under consideration. As regards the last part of the question, there are 12 officers' messes giving messing accommodation for 380 officers and quarters for 44 officers at a total cost of about £93,000.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether, seeing that the War Museum is open on Saturday from 10 to 6 and on Sunday from 2.30 to 6, he will consider the possibility of the same hours being observed in the case of the Imperial War Museum library for the benefit of those engaged in business who desire to make use of it?

The library at the Imperial War Museum is closed on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, following the practice obtaining in the case of the libraries attached to other National Museums. To reverse the practice would involve considerable additions to staff in each instance, which would not be justified by the extent of any public use likely to be made of these libraries at the hours in question.

asked the Home Secretary if he will state separately, in respect of each species of wild bird protected by county order, the number of county areas in which they are protected, either for the close season only or otherwise?

I am not clear what it is exactly the hon. Member wishes to have. All birds are protected during the close season by the Act of 1880, some being protected absolutely, others against all persons except the owner or occupier of the land. Orders may be made extending the protection against the owner or occupier to birds not so protected by the Act, or extending the close season, or protecting the eggs. Such Orders have been made for every county, and for a large number of boroughs; the provisions of these Orders are very numerous and complicated, and a great deal of labour would be involved in preparing a table showing what birds have received additional protection, what kind of protection and in what areas. The complexity of the present position in regard to this matter is one of the chief reasons for which the Wild Birds Committee recommended fresh legislation.

asked the Home Secretary if his attention has been drawn to the case of Francis Kirk, who was sentenced at West Ham Police Court to five days' imprisonment for fraud because he had omitted to state to the West Ham Board of Guardians Commission when applying for relief that he had previously drawn 18s. dividend from the London Co-operative Society; and if he will consider the remission of the sentence?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The sentence has already been served, and there is no action that I can take in the matter.

asked the Horne Secretary whether the Isle of Wight County Education authority remain willing to continue the arrangements by which convicts in Parkhurst Prison had under the late Governor of the prison the privilege of obtaining educational works from the central library for students in Bloomsbury through the authority's library at Newport, Isle of Wight; and whether he will communicate with the authority and invite the continuance of their co-operation in the education of the convicts in that prison?

I beg to refer the hon. Member to my reply to his previous question on this subject of the 13th ultimo. The Director of Education for the Isle of Wight was good enough to make such an arrangement, but it has lapsed. I do not know whether or not he would be willing to resume it: it was a voluntary arrangement on his part and I am not in a position to press him in the matter. The co-operation of the education authority has been much appreciated by the Prison Commissioners, who wrote to the Director as recently as January last expressing the hope that it would be continued.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that a man by the name of Robert Treadway was riding in an electric train between Stepney and Aldgate and, in consequence of the carriage door being open, he got up to close the same when the train lurched violently and he was thrown off the train; that frequently many of the carriage doors of the electric trains are not closed; and if he intends taking any action in the matter?

The railway company have reported this accident to me, and I am in communication with them in regard to it.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the handicap which coalowners in Plymouth are suffering for want of railway empties to take coal; that owing to the shortage steamers have been on demurrage and coal has had to be taken into store and afterwards loaded into wagons, resulting in double cost to merchants; and whether, seeing that Devon-port and Plymouth depend largely upon shipping for their prosperity and employment, and if supplies of wagons are cut off shipments of coal will have to be obtained from the Midlands at consequent higher cost to the public and unnecessary congestion on the railways, he will see what can be done to remove this grievance?

No representations in regard to this matter have reached me during the last few months, but I will bring the hon. Member's question to the notice of the company. As, however, the hon. Member knows, the company are not required to provide wagons for coal traffic.