asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that there is local resentment at the appointment to the postmastership of Llanfair Post Office, Anglesey, of a candidate who has no know ledge of Welsh, no residence qualification, and no special fitness surpassing that of the Welsh-speaking applicants; whether there was no similar post in England or in an English district of Wales which could have been given to this gentleman; and on what grounds such an appointment was sanctioned?

The candidate selected for appointment at Llanfairpwll, Anglesey, was regarded as having the strongest claim of all the applicants. He has retained the services of a Welsh-speaking assistant who has been employed at the. Office for several years; and no difficulty has been experienced. or is anticipated, in dealing with any users of the post office who may be unable to speak English. The candidate referred to was not an applicant for appointment in any other part of the country.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that a further extension of service has been granted to an assistant inspector, Belfast, in spite of the fact that this officer attained the age of 60 in September, 1927, and that two extensions have already been granted; whether he will state the reason for this third extension: and whether, in the interests of the service and in order to afford a proper flow of promotion, he will consider the advisability of curtailing the number of retentions in Northern Ireland?

I am aware of the circumstances referred to by the hon. Member. I see no reason to interfere with the extensions of service which have been granted to officers in Northern Ireland in accordance with the recognised procedure. The officer to whom reference is made in the question will retire in July next.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any statement to make with regard to Egyptian affairs and the prospects of a return to normal parliamentary government?

No, Sir; apart from the fact that I understand that calm and good order prevail throughout the country, I have nothing to add to what I said on this subject on 30th July last.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will expedite the sanction of the Ministry to the scheme submitted by the Worcestershire County Council for reconstructing and widening the canal bridge at Hopwood, on the Birmingham-Redditch main road, in view of the danger of the present narrow structure and the need for providing work for the unemployed in the adjacent industrial centres?

I have made provision for a contribution of 50 per cent. towards the cost of the reconstruction of this bridge, and the formal grant will be issued upon the completion of the necessary agreement between the Worcestershire County Council and the Sharpness Dock Company.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the year for his return as to receipts from taxation of road vehicles is taken from 1st December to 30th November; and whether in future he will make it synchronise with the calendar year?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The figures for the period 1st December to 30th November represent the number of licences issued in respect of the calendar year more accurately than would those for the period 1st January to 31st December, as the large majority of licences issued during December are in respect of the subsequent calendar year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the present value of the State's holding in Anglo-Persian stock; what is the annual interest over the past three years; and whether he is prepared to devote some portion of the profits in encouraging and assisting financially the Scottish shale oil industry?

The present value at market prices of the Government's holding of shares and debentures in the Anglo-Persian Oil Company is approximately£33,242,000; and the dividends received in the past three years amounted to£885,030,£947,490 and£572,562, respectively. I am afraid it would be quite impossible to adopt the suggestion contained in the last part of the question, which in any event would require legislation, but the company, I feel assured, will take all possible steps to foster and improve the industry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many gallons of whisky are manufactured in the British Isles per year; how many gallons have excise paid upon them for consumption in the British Isles; and how many are exported?

Whisky is not separately distinguished in the official statistics relating to home-made spirits. As regards the latter, I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to Tables 11, 15 and 16 in the 19th Report of the Commissioners of Customs and Excise (Command Paper No. 3172).

asked the Minister of Agriculture (1) what steps he has taken with regard to the application of the rural district council of Bosmere, Suffolk, to proceed against the British Acetate Silk Corporation, Limited, for pollution of the River Gapping by effluent from the corporation's factory;(2) whether he has received the report of his inspector on the pollution of the River Gipping by an artificial silk factory; what was the purport of this report; whether he will publish the report; and whether the condition of the River Gipping is unchanged and the pollution still continues?

I have been asked to reply. My right hon. Friend has deferred consideration of the application pending the settlement of an independent action in the High Court to restrain the corporation from polluting the river. The report has been received. These reports are confidential documents for the information of the Minister, and it is thought undesirable to publish them. My right hon. Friend has received no complaints recently as to the condition of the river.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any information available which will show the

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if negotiations are now completed for all parts of Malaya to be within range of broadcasting stations.

I have no official information, but it appears from the Malayan Press that a company has recently been established locally which intends to provide a broadcast service for the whole of Malaya, and that it has already begun broadcasting.

asked the Minister of Health if, in assessing land which is used partly for agricultural purposes, a separate assessment will be made under each head so that the agricultural interest may not lose the benefits of the Bill?

The Rating and Valuation (Apportionment) Act does not provide for any apportionment of value in the case of agricultural land, and any land which comes within the definition of agricultural land in that Act will, if the Local Government Bill becomes law, be completely do-rated as from 1st October next.

The information asked for by the hen. Member is as follows:

asked the President of the Board of Education whether the grant to the education authorities of the school in the Rhondda Valley, referred to by him in his speech of 29th November as literally falling about the ears of the children, is a grant provided merely in the sense that a grant has been offered by the Board for the purpose of rebuilding, or a grant actually paid to that authority for that purpose?

A grant-in-aid of the authority's expenditure on rebuilding cannot, of course, be paid if no such expenditure is incurred.

asked the President of the Board of Education what schools in receipt of grant, and heretofore infringing the Board's regulations as to the supply of drinking water, have complied with the Board's regulations in this matter during the last twelve months; whether the lack of provision of drinking water subjects the authorities of these schools to warnings or penalties; whether the lack of provision of drinking water is considered an adequate reason for including these schools on the list, of schools considered unsatisfactory; and what proportion of the schools still unprovided with a proper supply of drinking water will be required to proceed to comply with the Board's regulations in this respect within the next six months?

I am afraid I do not quite understand the hon. Member's reference to the Board's regulations. In new schools the Board expect a supply of drinking water to be readily available, and the Board and school authorities are fully alive to the importance of securing a supply where practicable in existing schools;, but the water supply at a village school very frequently depends upon the supply available for the village generally and cannot be dealt with by the school authorities as a separate problem. The lack of a supply of drinking water has not in itself been regarded as a reason for including a school in the lists of defective premises.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men and women, respectively, have been refused benefit in Sheffield for lack of stamps since the operation of the 30-stamp qualification?

The rule requiring the payment of 30 contributions within a period of two years at present applies only in the case of juveniles and not to men and women aged 18 or over.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons in Sheffield who are at present unemployed but who are not in receipt of unemployment benefit?

At 21st January, 1929, there were 57,467 persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Sheffield. Of this number, 21,934 had claims to benefit admitted or under consideration and 5,533 had no such claims.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons in the Wrexham area who are at present unemployed, but who are not in receipt of unemployment benefit?

At 28th January, 1929, out of a total of 2,890 on the registers of Employment Exchanges in the Wrexham area, the number who had no claim to benefit admitted or under consideration was 425.

asked the Minister of Labour the total amount of unemployment benefit paid in November, December, and January, respectively, through the Exchanges in the Wrexham area: and the greatest number of applicants in receipt of benefit during these three months?

Unemployment benefit paid through the Exchanges in the Wrexham area (including Wrexham, Brymbo, Cefn Mawr, and Rhos) in November and December, 1928, amounted to£9,700 and£6,800 respectively. The month of November contained five weekly pay-days. The corresponding figure for the month of January, 1929, is not yet available, but I will communicate it to the hon. Member as soon as possible. The highest number of claims admitted and under consideration during these three months was 2,940 on 7th January, 1929.

asked the Minister of Labour how many met. and women, respectively, have been refused benefit in the Wrexham area for lack of stamps since the operation of the 30-stamp qualification?

At present the condition requiring the payment of 30 contributions during a period of two years applies only in the case of juveniles, none of whom in the Wrexham area had been refused benefit on this ground during the period 19th April, 1928, to 14th January, 1929.