asked the Postmaster-General the average number of Press telegrams received and/or forwarded from or through the post offices in the London area for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date, also stating the average number of words contained in each telegram and the average amount received by the Post Office for each telegram?

The number of Inland Press telegrams forwarded from post offices in London during the year ended 31st March, 1927, was 414,465. The records of the Post Office do not enable me to supply the other information asked for by the hon. Member.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of auxiliary postmen who have been charged during the last five years with theft of postal packets, and the average weekly wages which each of these men were receiving at the time the offences were committed?

The number of auxiliary postmen prosecuted for theft from the post in England and Wales for the years 1923–1926 is as follows:

1923	…	…	…	24
1924	…	…	…	22
1925	…	…	…	25
1926	…	…	…	28

Their average weekly wage for their part-time post office work was, approximately 30s. The figures for 1922 and the figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are not readily available.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the amount of the remuneration allowed to shopkeepers for accommodating public telephone boxes in their shops; and whether shopkeepers are expected to disinfect and clean the telephone mouthpieces and boxes so placed?

The terms vary. In many cases no payment is made, the shopkeeper being sufficiently remunerated by the advantages of having a telephone on the spot without payment of rental, but in some cases a commission varying from 5 to 15 per cent. is paid. The shopkeeper is responsible for disinfecting and cleaning the call box and telephone instrument.

asked the Minister of Labour if there are any trade board rates in connection with the trade of farriers; and, if so, what are the conditions and rates of pay?

The Trade Boards. Acts have not been applied to this trade.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the provisional figures showing the trade of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1926 with Russia, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, under the three headings, firstly, food, drink and tobacco; secondly, raw materials and articles mainly unmanufactured; and thirdly, articles wholly or mainly manufactured?

The figures for which the hon. and gallant Member asks are being prepared, and I will circulate them in the OFFICIAL REPORT in due course.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the tonnage of ships entering and leaving Northumberland and Durham ports in 1913, 1919 and 1926, respectively

—				Arrived.		Departed.
				Foreign Trade.	Coasting Trade.	Foreign Trade.	Coasting Trade.
1913	…	…	…	11,633,624	7,809,672	13,570,402	6,454,842
1919	…	…	…	6,438,279	5,617,084	8,166,536	4,048,830
1925	…	…	…	9,186,675	6,244,839	10,901,770	4,847,338
1926	…	…	…	4,818,636	3,506,249	6,109,045	2,479,020

The tonnage of mercantile vessels built at those ports in the same four years was as follows:

—			Tons.
			Gross.	Net.
1913	…	…	926,206	573,344
1919	…	…	675,496	412,056
1925	…	…	339,019	203,677
1926	…	…	176,551	103,792

asked the Prime Minister if, in view of the present position of agriculture, he can arrange to devote time for a Debate on the subject before the House rises for the Autumn Recess?

I much regret that, owing to the congested state of public business, I cannot give a special day for such discussion.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will give consideration to the amount now paid to licensed victuallers for the billeting

The following statement shows the particulars specified in the question, to which, in view of the special effects on the activities of the ports in question which resulted from the coal dispute of last year, the corresponding figures for 1925 have been added.of soldiers and horses; and whether, having regard to the losses sustained by licensed victuallers under the present rates, he will make provision to increase the amount already allowed?

The rates, which have only recently been sanctioned by Parliament, are considered to be sufficient to safeguard the innkeeper against loss. I have no power to make any increase.

asked the Secretary for Mines for the last six months for which figures are available, the output of coal per man in the collieries of France, Belgium and Spain, respectively?

For the six months ending April, 1927, the figures were: France 81¾ tons and Belgium 78½ tons. I have no recent figures for Spain, but in 1924 the rate was about 65 tons per half-year.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can state, by means of the information registered at the Employment Exchanges, the number of working days lost in the mining industry, through intermittent working, during the last six months of this year as compared with the first six months of 1925?

I have been asked to reply. The only information available relates to the number of days which were lost by pits through want of trade and transport difficulties. This number, expressed as an average for all pits, amounted to 21 days during the first six months of 1927, and to 14½ days in the first six months of 1925.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that, on 29th June, at Mount Pleasant Post Office, London, Customs Branch, there was confiscated a small parcel, addressed to a baby 12 months old, containing among some non-dutiable articles a pair of baby's silk socks and a baby's silk jumper, being a present from the baby's sister in Australia; that the parents' application to be allowed to pay Customs duty on the pair of socks and jumper was refused and the entire parcel confiscated; and whether he can take steps to have this decision annulled and instructions issued to have the Customs Regulations interpreted with the minimum amount of irritation?

Inquiries have been made, but the only postal packet which can be traced, and which appears to answer to the particulars given in the question, was not, in fact, confiscated, though liable to confiscation, but was released on payment of duty on the 30th June. If the hon. Member has any other packet in mind, and will furnish me with the name of the addressee, I will have further inquiry made.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the cost for the year 1925–26 of the established collectors of taxes, Scotland, and their staffs?

The cost, inclusive of cost-of-living bonus, of the established collectors was £4,361 for the year 1925–26, and of their staffs, £23,174.

asked the Home Secretary the number of accidents, fatal and otherwise, that have taken place in the streets of the Metropolitan Police District from 1st January, 1927, to the last convenient date?

The number of accidents known to the police for the period 1st January to 31st May are as follow:

Fatal accidents	381
Non-fatal accidents involving personal injury	16,378
Accidents involving damage to property only	24,455
Total number of accidents known to the police	41,214

As a result of these accidents, the total number of persons killed was 383 (two double fatalities), and injured, 17,694.