asked the Postmaster-General whether the telegraphists who entered the service in the Central Telegraph Office between the years 1881 and 1892 under the inducement of a maximum annual salary of £190 will be prejudicially affected by the recent decision fixing the maximum pay of a telegraphist in the inland gallery at £182 per annum?

The notice issued to candidates for posts as telegraphists in the Central Telegraph Office between 1880 and 1890 stated that they would have "a prospect of attaining £190," the reference being to the existence of a higher class with a maximum of £190 to which telegraphists were eligible for promotion on the occurrence of vacancies. The maximum pay of the basic class was then £100. I do not see how the raising of the maximum of the basic class to £182 per annum can be held to have prejudiced the position, of the men who entered between 1880 and 1890. They are now eligible for promotion to a class with a maximum of £260.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has any statistics to show the number of telephone calls made in the London telephone area on the average per exchange between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. and between midnight and 6 a.m. each night; and what is the staff at such exchanges during these hours

According to the latest traffic records, which were taken in October last, the average number of telephone calls per exchange dealt with at the 106 exchanges in the London telephone area was 387 between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. and 119 between midnight and 6 a.m. The average staff on duty per exchange was as follows: Between 11.0 p.m. and 11.15 p.m. 4.3 Between 11.15 p.m. and 11.30 p.m. 4.1 Between 11.30 p.m. and 11.45 p.m. 3.3 Between 11.45 p.m. and 12 midnight 2.7 Between 12 midnight and 6 a.m. 2.7 Between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. 3.8

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been drawn to the judgment of the Chief Presidency Magistrate of Calcutta in a recent case in which he passed severe strictures on a British officer holding a responsible position in the Indian medical service in the Bengal Presidency; and whether the Government of India proposes to take any action in view of the statements made by the magistrate?

I have seen a report in the Press, but I have received no official information from the Government of India regarding this case, which, I understand, is the subject of a Departmental inquiry. My Noble Friend will make inquiries by mail as to the result.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Government of India have received any representations from the Indian Mining Federation or other body requesting the Indian Government to urge a reduction in railway freights for soft coal and similar fuel in order to discourage the use of cow manure as fuel; whether the Government have considered the question of taking the steps advocated or any other steps to achieve the same object; and what action, if any, they propose to take in the matter?

I observe from the reply given to a question in the Legislative Assembly on the 24th August that the Government of India are considering a scheme received from the Indian Mining Federation to popularise the use of coal as domestic fuel. I have no other official information, though from private information which reached me during my visit to India last winter I gathered that officials in various provinces had been, for a long time past, urging the use of coal for fuel in place of dung with some degree of success.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the recent Ceylon Labour Ordinance, which affects a large number of Indians who are working in the plantations in that island; whether he is aware that these Indians are estimated to number about 750,000, of whom 80 per cent. come from the Madras Presidency;, and whether, seeing that the ordinance, as drafted, will have the effect of depressing the economic position of these labourers, he will inquire into the matter?

I presume that the hon. Member is referring to the proposals for fixing standard wages for Indian estate labourers in Ceylon. I have not yet received the final text of the ordinance, but the proposals have been drafted after full consultation with the Government of India, and with their general concurrence, and I cannot suppose that they are likely to have the effect suggested. The hon. Member is doubtless aware that the Legislative Council of Ceylon includes a large majority of elected members, and, according to the latest information in my possession, the matter is still before that Council.

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of coal mines which were producing coal in this country on the latest available date and for the corresponding date for the years 1924 and 1925; the total wages paid per week to the workpeople employed at the coal mines of this country on the latest available date and for the corresponding date for the years 1924 and 1925; and the number of workpepole employed at the coal mines of this country for the same periods?

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT,1st December, 1927; col.690, Vol. 211], supplied the following statement:

At the middle of November, 1927, 2,202 pits were producing coal in Great Britain, and 977,900 wage-earners were employed. The corresponding figures for1924 were 2,372 and 1,136,600, and for 1925, 2,263 and 1,066,200. During September, 1927, the latest date for which information is available, the estimated total weekly wage-bill was £2,250,000. The corresponding figures for 1924 and 1925 were £3,050,000 and £2,500,000.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what was the number of individuals who took out gun and game shooting licences, respectively, in the last 12 months; and how this compares with similar licences issued in the previous year?

The number of gun and game licences issued in Great Britain in the two latest 12-monthly periods for which returns are available is as follows: — Year ended 31st March, 1926. Year ended 31st March, 1927. Gun licences 242,660 228,506 Game licences 66,995 64,338

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many ex-service technical and professional men are employed in the Civil Service in an unestablished capacity?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for the University of Wales (Mr. E. Evans) on the 24th November last.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many non-service men have been appointed to established technical and professional poets since 1919?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for the University of Wales (Mr. E. Evans) on the 24th November last.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered the resolution of the London Chamber of Commerce passed on the 11th October last; and whether he is now prepared to remove the restrictions on the delivery of goods from bond imposed under powers conferred upon him by Section 15 of the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1915, as amended by Section 13 of the Finance Act, 1919?

My right hon. Friend has considered the resolution of the London Chamber of Commerce to which my hon. Friend refers, but, as he intimated in his reply of the 19th July to the hon. Member for North-West Camberwell (Mr. Campbell), he could not agree to withdraw or limit the existing powers of the Treasury in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the new French tariff has increased the duty on British Colonial tanning extracts to the figure of 70 francs per 100 kilos, whilst Argentine quebracho extract enters at 17.05 francs, and France sends chestnut extract into this country free of duty; whether he is aware of the provisional agreement between America and France which came into force on Monday, 21st November, 1927, under which tanning extracts paying duty under tariff No. 0377 (70 francs per 100 kilos) reverted to the duty of 45.90 francs per 100 kilos, and that consequently British Colonial tanning extracts which come from India and the native States, the Straits Settlements, Borneo, and South Africa will benefit as from the same date by the lower rate of 40.90 francs, which is applied to American extracts; and will he make representations on behalf of the Crown Colonies with the French Government for the conclusion of special treaties between British Colonies and France so that extracts exported from these-Colonies to France may enjoy the benefit of the minimum tariff, namely, 17.05 francs, as accorded to solid extracts of Argentine origin?

In general, the position is as stated in the first part of the question, but it may be pointed out that the duty on Argentine quebracho extract (under tariff No. 0378) is 9.35 francs and not 17.05 francs per 100 kilogrammes. The question of approaching the French Government in the hope of securing more favourable treatment for British Colonial tanning extracts is under consideration.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated cost would be of permitting unemployed persons of 70 to have the same privileges as to means as insured persons will have in January next at the age of 65?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given on the 24th November to a question asked by the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mr. Riley), of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which of the Dominions are not in favour of signing the optional Clause in relation to the Permanent Court of International Justice?

The last occasion on which this question was the subject of official communication between His Majesty's Governments in Great Britain and the Dominions was at the Imperial Conference last year, when it was agreed that none of the Governments represented at the Conference would take any action in the direction of the acceptance of the compulsory jurisdiction of the Permanent Court without bringing up the matter for further discussion.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many ships of His Majesty's Navy have been scrapped during the present year?

Orders have been given during the present year for 39 vessels to be scrapped. These include one cruiser, nine destroyers, four submarines, a minelayer and a number of other auxiliary vessels, the majority of which are minesweepers.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what it costs per man to train to hold the following non substantive ratings: captain of gun, 1st class; captain of gun, 2nd class; gunner's mate; gunlayer, 1st class; gunlayer, 2nd class; director layer, 1st class director layer, 2nd class; rangetaker, 1st class; range-taker, 2nd class; rangetaker, 3rd class; turret trainer; seaman gunner; torpedo gunner's mate; leading torpedoman; and seaman torpedoman; and the amount of extra pay granted in each case?

With regard to the first part of the question, there are no means of computing the actual cost of training men to hold specific non-substantive ratings. As regards the second part of the question, the rates are shown on page 241 of the Navy Estimates.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, in respect of each ship laid down or completed in His Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport, during the years 1924, 1925 and 1926, how much money went to Devonport in each case and how much to private firms?

The information is given in the following statement: The amounts shown under "Dockyard" are the direct charges for labour (Vote 8, Section I) and also, separately, the direct charges for materials (Vote 8, Section II) used in the dockyard work. Under "Private Firms" the payments for contract work are given. For the completed ships the figures are the total charges as above for the ships; for the incompleted ships the total charges to 19th November, 1927, are given. Establishment and incidental expenses have been excluded from the statement, as they cover expenses not wholly incurred in the dockyards and payments not made to contractors.

Ships laid down, or completed at H.M. Dockyard, Devonport, during the financial years 1924, 1925 and 1926. Division of expenditure (direct charges only) on the ships as between H. M. Dockyard, Devonport and private firms. Ship. Where built. Date. Expenditure. Laid Down. Completed. Dockyard Labour Materials used for Dockyard Construction.* Private Firms (Contract). 1924. £ £ £ Witch … Thornycroft, completed Devonport. — April, 1924 45,864 16,135 239,441 L. 54 … Denny, completed Devonport. — Aug., 1924 27,058 11,070 277,000 (Appr x.) Frobisher … Devonport — Sept., 1924 867,644 369,764 568,251 Cornwall … Devonport Oct., 1924 — 385,819 251,730 1,063,499 1925. Enterprise … J. Brown, completed Devonport. — March, 1926 459,978 163,822 965,712 Devonshire — Devonport March, 1926 — 138,236 127,113 554,802 1926. L. 26† … Vickers, completed Portsmouth and Devonport. — Oct., 1926 56,708 8,259 203,000 (Approx.) Building at H.M. Dockyard, Devonnort, during financial years, 1924, 1925 and 1926, but laid down before 1924 and completed after 1926. Adventure … Devonport Nov., 1922 — 449,880 251,081 308,801 * It is not possible to give precisely the division of the cost of materials between dockyard and contract, but it nearly all comes under the latter heading. † Excludes £1,124 labour and £332 materials spent at Portsmouth Dockyard.

asked the Secretary of State for Air at what periods compasses used on aeroplanes are regularly examined?

The compasses of Royal Air Force machines are checked, and, if necessary, adjusted periodically as a matter of routine once every four weeks if possible, but on no account less frequently than once every eight weeks. In addition, they have to be examined and adjusted before an oversea or a long cross-country flight and on a variety of other special occasions which are set out in considerable detail in the regulations. The compasses of civil aircraft plying for public service have to be exam- ined and certified within the 24 hours preceding the flight. In addition, the compasses of all civil aircraft are inspected before renewal of the certificate of airworthiness.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, according to advices which have reached him, special efforts will be needed this winter in feeding children at school; and whether he has issued any Circular on the subject to local authorities?

No, Sir; generally speaking, the returns which are now being received from local authorities show the usual seasonal increase in the number of children provided with meals. The authorities appear to be watching the situation in their areas closely, and there does not seem to be any need to issue a Circular.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that consulting engineers reported on the Georgetown sewerage scheme and accounted for the excessive expenditure on it, and that that Report has been supplied to the Georgetown Town Council and published for general information in British Guiana; whether a copy of that Report as published can be made available to Members of this House; whether he is aware that the Georgetown Town Council has submitted a full reply to that Report to the Secretary of State for the Colonies; whether that reply of the town council has also been published locally; whether a copy of that reply can also be made available; and whether the Parliamentary delegates were furnished with these two documents before they prepared their Report on British Guiana?

The reply is in the affirmative, except that as the second of these documents is dated 25th March, 1927, a copy could not have been furnished to the Parliamentary Commission before their Report was prepared.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies why the local commission of inquiry into the city improvement schemes of Georgetown, British Guiana, which was instituted by the Colonial Government in 1926, was shortly after dropped without any Report?

The Commission was dissolved, with the concurrence of its members, on the ground that circumstances had arisen which indicated that, in certain eventualities, it might be necessary to enlarge the scope of the in- quiry beyond that contemplated by the terms of reference; that it was impossible at that moment to foresee how soon such a course might be necessary; and that in the meantime the stay of the Chairman in the Colony could not be indefinitely prolonged.

asked the Minister of Transport what statistical returns are called for by his Department from the railway companies?

The railway companies include certain statistics in their annual accounts compiled in accordance with the provisions of the Railway Companies (Accounts and Returns) Act, 1911. Copies of these accounts are furnished to my Department. In addition, the companies are required by Section 77 of the Railways Act, 1921, to compile and render to me the statistics and returns set out in the Eighth Schedule to that Act. These statistics are published in the annual railway returns and in the monthly railway statistics issued by my Department.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has any records that will show the gross amount of fines imposed on motorists for motoring offences in England and Wales for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date, and can he state it?

The fines referred to by the hon. Member are, in accordance with the Roads Act, 1920, paid into the Road Fund together with fines for evasion of motor licence duty. The aggregate sum so paid during the 12 months ended 31st August last was £159,534, but I am unable to state what proportion of that sum represented fines for motoring offences as distinct from evasions of motor licence duty.