asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, with regard to the negotiating machinery at present available to civil servants, whether established or otherwise, what is the proper channel through which representations are made to the head of a Department; and whether there exists any machinery outside a particular Department but within the Civil Service by which matters may be taken to a higher tribunal?

It is for the head of each Department to determine, in his discretion, the proper channel through which representations should be made to him. I am not clear as to the meaning of the latter half of the question, and I do not think that I can add anything to the information as to arbitration machinery which I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend in my reply of the 4th May.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what is the rate paid by his Department to general labourers employed at Digby and Cranwell aerodromes; and whether any free transport facilities are provided for such workers?

As regards the first part of the question, the rate is 42s. for a week of 48 hours. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether his attention has been called to the rate of wages paid by his Department to general labourers at Waddington aerodrome; whether they are receiving the recognised district rate of pay; and what is the reason why 11 ex-service men employed by his Department and doing the same kind of work as those men employed by the contractors, are paid 5¼d. an hour less than the contractors' men?

As regards the first two parts of the question, the general labourers at the aerodrome in question are paid at the rate of 42s. for a 48-hour week. This rate was fixed after inquiry into the local rates of wages as being the prevailing rate for general labourers in the district. As regards the last part, the men employed by the Air Ministry are engaged upon general labouring work, and are not properly compared with men employed by a building contractor and paid at building trade rates, which are 4¾d. (not 5¼d.) an hour higher than general labourers' rates. It is not the practice of the Air Ministry or of other Government Departments to pay general labourers at building trade rates.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that steel drums used in the delivery of liquid for road construction are being supplied by foreign firms, and that the British manufacturers, to meet the competition, are buying steel sheets abroad, at low prices rendered possible by the rates of ex- change, for the manufacture of these drums; and, in view of the handicap to the British steel trade and as the difference in price of the drums per unit to the contractors is very small, will he see that the contracts are made contingent on British material being used throughout?

While it is my wish and my practice to encourage the use of British materials, I am not in a position to impose upon local authorities any such restriction as my hon. Friend suggests.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what is the number of Indian troops now serving with the British Expeditionary Force at Shanghai; and how long it is proposed to keep them in China?

have been asked to reply. There are two Indian battalions and ancillary troops serving with the Shanghai Defence Force. I am not in a position to say how long they will be retained there.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of men engaged on public works under the control of municipalities and other local authorities under schemes obtaining assistance from public funds in the form of loans or grants during the months of

asked the President of the Board of Education if the experimental

The following table shows the total number of men engaged at the undermentioned dates on schemes for the relief of unemployment put in hand by local authorities with assistance from the Unemployment Grants Committee and the Ministry of Transport:

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can state at any recent date, the number of registered unemployed persons, males and females, respectively, in each of the districts of Aspull, Blackrod, Hindley, Harwich, and Westhoughton?

The following Table gives the available information:work of the Bergin process for the hydrogenation of coal has had a satisfactory result; and if he can make a statement on the same?

The experimental work on the Bergin process is proceeding satisfactorily. It is too early yet to give any detailed results, and it must be some considerable time before the process can possibly come into commercial use.

asked the Secretary for Mines if he has any figures which show the number of pit ponies that are used in the mines of Great Britain, as at the last convenient date, giving comparable figures for the three previous years?

The figures are as follow:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any declaration in regard to the Government's policy on the Conscription Bill has been made recently by the Acting Governor of Kenya?

So far as my information goes, the answer is in the negative.

asked the Postmaster-General whether night telephonists get an uninterrupted meal relief and if accommodation is provided for rest; and, if not, whether he will take steps to provide these?

In a large number of cases night telephonists have a scheduled meal relief on all-night attendances. In other cases a meal relief could not be scheduled without bringing a relief officer on duty for a short period at an unreasonable hour, but the calls during certain hours of the night are so infrequent that in practice the men can take meals without difficulty. It is not considered necessary to provide special accommodation for rest, as night tele- phonists are paid for wakeful attention, and their weekly attendance is only 45 hours.

asked the Minister of Health (1) what are the principle articles of food for which imported machine-skimmed milk is used;(2) whether the 88,000 tons of machine-skimmed condensed milk imported last year into this country was all used for human consumption, or whether some of it was used for other trade purposes; and, if so, for what purposes?

So far as I am aware, all the machine-skimmed condensed milk referred to was imported for human consumption, including various manufacturing and household uses. I regret that I have no information which would enable me to state in detail the principal articles of food in which it is used.

asked the Minister of Health the total number of houses, whether subsidised or not, built each year in England and Wales since the War?

The following is a statement showing the number of houses completed during each year ended in March, since 1919:

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

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to a similar question put by the hon. Member for Stratford (Mr. Groves). That reply is generally applicable to the position in Scotland. If the hon. Member so desires, I shall be happy to send him copies of the exsiting Scottish Orders made under the Wild Birds Protection Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money has been given, up to the present, to the firm of Messrs. J. Weir for bungalows and houses erected on the Weir system with public assistance; and whether there has been any increase in the insurance premiums payable on Weir houses following the recent fire?

I regret that the information desired is not available, but the amount paid to date to the Cardonald Housing Corporation, Limited, for the 1,000 bungalows and houses already built for the Second Scottish National Housing Company (Housing Trust), Limited, is £360,534. So far as I am aware, there has been no increase in the fire insurance premiums payable.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total number of houses, whether subsidised or not, built each year in Scotland since the War?

The number of subsidised houses built in Scotland each year since the War is as follows:—