asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) the quantities and value of kelp exported

I regret that the information asked for is not available.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider printing and exhibiting notices notifying the public that, when the post offices in provincial centres are closed, telegrams can be despatched over the telephone from the principal telephone exchanges in the district?

This matter is under consideration in connection with the revision of existing Post Office window notices.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that the telegraph cable between Alderney and Guernsey has been now broken for about six weeks; whether there is any reason why it has not hitherto been repaired; and whether, seeing that the cable breaks nearly every winter, with the result that communication between the islands and the mainland is becoming increasingly difficult, he will have a thorough investigation made into the present telegraphic system?

The telegraph cable between Alderney and Guernsey was reported faulty on the 4th of April and was repaired on the 7th instant. The repair could not be effected earlier because a cable ship was not available. There have been seven interruptions of this cable during the past 14 years. The traffic is, I fear, too small to warrant the expense of providing a second cable or a wireless installation.

asked the Secretary for Mines the actual average weekly earnings of coal hewers in the various coal fields over the latest complete week for which figures are available compared with the corresponding complete week a year previously?

I refer the hon. Member to the answer which was given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to a, question by the hon. Member for Batley (Mr. W. Forrest) on the 15th February.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he proposes to introduce legislation making the provision of pithead baths compulsory, either immediately or at the end of some period to be laid down by Statute; and, if the latter, what such period will be?

No Sir, legislation has already been passed, in the Mining Industry Act, 1926, to secure the provision of pithead baths from the Miners' Welfare Fund, augmented by a levy on royalties. This follows the recommendation of the Royal Commission, and I do not anticipate that any further legislation on the subject will be necessary.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he can make any statements on the measures which he contemplates putting into operation with regard to the recommendations of the Departmental Committee on co-operative selling in the coal-mining industry?

I have nothing to add to the statement made on the 22nd February by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade during the Debate on a Motion by the hon. Member for Wigan (Mr. Parkinson).

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he will take steps to secure the further study, by the Industrial Fatigue Research Board, of the effect of atmospheric conditions upon the working capacity of miners in mines of various depths, and also upon the accident rate in mines?

The question raised by the hon. Member is already engaging my attention.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the financial results of the zinc concentrates contract during the year ended 31st March, 1927; and what result is anticipated during the present year?

The financial results of the zinc concentrates contract for the year ended 31st March, 1927, cannot be stated at present. The trading accounts are in course of preparation and will be laid before Parliament in due course. It is anticipated that the accounts for both the past year and the current financial year will show a loss of between £500,000 and £600,000 in each year.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many times a contractor is permitted to break the Fair Wages Clause before he is struck off the list?

No rigid rule is laid down, each case being considered on its merits.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, how many times a contractor is permitted to break the Fair Wages Clause before he is struck off the list?

No contractor is permitted to break the Fair Wages Clause of his contract, but when a contractor has been discovered in a breach of that clause, he is required by the Department to adjust the wages of the men who have been underpaid, and to give an undertaking to pay the correct rates in the future, and the rates paid on any contracts which may be entrusted to him thereafter are subjected to close scrutiny. In the absence of such an undertaking, he is struck off the list and other Departments notified.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he has now received any reports with reference to the general situation at Lahore; whether a state of alarm still continues; and if he is now in a position to make a full statement as to the events which occurred there on Tuesday, 3rd May?

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to two questions on this subject on 9th May.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the total number of civil servants engaged in his Department on the work of retired pay and pensions of the Navy and Marines, including the framing of regulations, the payment of pensions, administration, etc.; how many of these officials are employed at the Admiralty; how many at Greenwich Hospital; if other Admiralty officials are engaged on similar duties in other Government buildings and, if so, how many, and where; and the total annual cost of the work involved as apart from the annual cost of the retired pay and pensions?

There are 42 officials wholly engaged on this work, of whom 41 are employed in the Admiralty and one in Greenwich Hospital. There are no other Admiralty officials engaged on similar duties in other Government buildings. The approximate annual cost of the salaries and wages of these officials together with the appropriate portion of the salaries and wages of other officials partly engaged on this work is £17,000.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many officials and members of the subordinate staff of the Paymaster-General are engaged upon the administration of retired pay and pensions of the officers, warrant officers, widows and dependents of the fighting Services; and if he will state the total cost annually of the work involved as apart from the annual cost of the retired pay and pensions?

There axe 39 officers wholly engaged on the payment of these pensions. The total annual cost of the salaries and wages of this staff, together with the appropriate proportion of the salaries and wages of the officials partly engaged on the work in question, is £9,979. These figures do not include the work in connection with the payment of War pensions to officers and nurses on behalf of the Ministry of Pensions, the separate figures for which are: Number of staff, 88; annual cost, £25,390.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what was the number of horse carcases exported from Great Britain to the Continent in 1926?

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can give any

46,483 horse carcases Great Britain to the particulars of which are as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state, for the years ending 31st March, 1926 and 1927, the total cost of collections for the Customs and Excise services, showing salaries and allowances, commuted allowances and superannuation, and in Departmental charges, with the percentage and cost of the total amount of duties collected?

The particulars asked for are given in the following table:information as to the progress of preparations of schemes by the Electricity Board; whether any scheme is in preparation which will cover the rural areas of East Anglia; and, if so, when the publication of such scheme may be expected?

My hon. Friend will have seen that one scheme has already been prepared by the Electricity Commissioners and transmitted to the Central Electricity Board, and, since he gave notice of his question, published by the Board. I understand that one further scheme is in an advanced stage of preparation by the Commissioners, and that they have other schemes in hand, but that the rural districts of East Anglia are not wholly covered by any of the schemes which the Commissioners are at present engaged in preparing.