asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of industrial employés engaged in the dockyards at Chatham, Sheerness, Portsmouth, and Devonport in May, 1926, 1927, and 1928?

The numbers of industrial employés in the several dockyards on the dates stated were as follow:

	May, 1926.	May, 1927.	May, 1928.
Portsmouth	12,198	11,299	10,754
Devonport	11,316	10,547	9,948
Chatham	9,166	8,048	7,352
Sheerness	2,189	2,070	1,899

These numbers relate only to the Vote 8 Departments, and are comparable with those given in reply to the hon. Member for Devonport on 10th February last.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the valuation of the Royal Dockyards for the years 1926–27 and 1927–28, and the annual contributions to local rates in respect of these year?

The figures asked for in the hon. Member's question are as follow:in the last 12 months the Board of Admiralty have overruled the recommendations of the Board of Survey in in- validing cases; and in how many cases have they overruled the decision of the Commander-in-Chief?

In 52 cases of invalidings during the year ended 31st December, 1927, the opinion of the Board of Survey that the cause of invaliding was not attributable has been overruled. In no case was an award of attributability altered. No special recommendations were made by Commanders-in-Chief.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of seamen employed in the mercantile marine; the number of Asiatic seamen employed, irrespective of engagement in the United Kingdom; particulars of nationality of Asiatic seamen; the conditions under which they are engaged; and the comparative rates paid to British and Asiatic seamen.

The total number of seamen employed on 31st March, 1927, in sea-going vessels (except yachts and fishing vessels) registered in the United Kingdom, was 200,525, and of this number 52,062 were "lascars," that is, Asiatics or East Africans serving under

Rating.	European standard rates.			Bombay Lascars.		Calcutta Lascars.		Chinese on Asiatic Agreements.
	£	s.	d.	Rupees.	Sterling Equivalent.	Rupees	Sterling Equivalent.	Dollars.	Sterling Equivalent.
Quartermaster (or Lascar sea-cunny)	9	10	0	60	90/-	55	82/6	—	—
Sailor	9	0	0	30–32	45/- to 48/-	25	37/6	28	65/4
Greaser (Lascar Paniwallah)	10	0	0	35–44	52/6 to 66/-	26	39/-	34	79/4
Fireman	9	10	0	27–30	40/6 to 45/-	23	34/6	31–34½.	72/4 to 79/6
Assistant Steward or General Servant	8	5	0	34–50	51/- to 75/-	34	51/-	28	65/4

asked the Minister of Labour the number of people, specifying men, women, boys, and girls,

The following table gives the information desired:

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of hours overtime, paid and unpaid, recorded as having been worked to the taxes branch of the Inland Revenue Department for

			1925.		1926.		1927.
			No. of hours.	Cost.	No. of hours.	Cost.	No. of hours.	Cost.
				£		£		£
Paid overtime	…	…	736,101	68,446	541,101	55,010	361,931	37,456
Unpaid overtime	…	…	196,025	—	156,691	—	157,776	—
Total	…	…	932,126	68,446	697,792	55,010	519,707	37,456

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the countries in which the British gold coinage is in circulation, with its approximate total value; the amount of light gold coins withdrawn from circulation during the past 10 years;

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give, by financial years, the expenditure from public funds falling under the description of subsidies and bounties to industry from 1st April, 1924, to 31st March, 1928?

The following table sets out by financial years the expenditure from public funds falling under the description of subsidies and bounties to industry from the 1st April, 1924, to the 31st March, 1928.the years 1925, 1920 and 1927, and the cost thereof?

The following Table for the three calendar years ended 31st December, 1927, gives the information required:and whether the loss upon replacement is borne by the countries named or by the British taxpayer?

British gold coin has circulated in certain South American and Eastern countries as well as in some parts of the Empire, but no exact information is obtainable as to the extent to which it still does so. During the last 10 years the Vote for the Royal Mint has borne the cost of rehabilitating upwards of £5,000,000 in sovereigns and half-sovereigns. The greater part of this amount was received through the medium of the Bank of England, the remainder being received and dealt with at authorised branches of the Royal Mint in Australia and South Africa. The loss due to wear on any British gold coin during any period in which it may have been in circulation in a foreign country is of necessity included in the cost of rehabilitation borne by the Royal Mint should such coin ultimately be presented to it for recoinage.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the number of industrial employés engaged at the aircraft factory, Farnborough, in May, 1926, 1927 and 1928, respectively?

The numbers on 1st April, the date for which statistical records are most readily available, in 1926, 1927 and 1928, were 879, 833 arid 832, respectively.