asked the Postmaster-General how many new automatic exchanges it is proposed to open in the Metropolis before the end of 1930?

Three, or possibly four.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of surveyors and head postmasters who have been permitted to remain on duty after the age of 60 years; whether, in view of the increasing number of the officers of these grades who make application to remain after this age, he will re-issue the circular of the Postmaster-General of 20th November, 1926, in order, as was then stated, to secure retirement at the age of 60 years, with advantage to the service?

The number of such officers is 50. I assume that the hon. Member refers to a circular dated 20th November, 1896. This circular provided that established officers whose conduct, capacity or efficiency fell below a fair standard should be called upon to retire at 60 years of age; but it permitted retention beyond that age in the case of officers whose conduct was good, and who were certified by their superior officers to be thoroughly efficient. It is not necessary to re-issue the circular, as it is still the practice to decline to extend beyond the age of 60 the service of established officers who are not thoroughly satisfactory as regards conduct, capacity and efficiency.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give figures for the years 1909 to 1913 and for the year 1926 and onwards showing both the value and quantity of wool- textiles exported from Great Britain, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, and Italy to each of the following countries, namely, the United States of America, South America, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa?

The following tables show for the years stated the total values of woollen and worsted yarns and manufactures, of domestic manufacture, exported from the United Kingdom, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Belgium and Italy, respectively, to the countries enumerated in the tables. It is impracticable to state the aggregate quantities of these goods exported, as they are not recorded by a common unit of measurement or weight. The particulars given in the tables are not strictly comparable owing (1) to territorial changes in the countries from which the goods were exported, and (2) to the different methods of classification adopted in the trade returns of those countries. Conversions from the original currencies into sterling have been made at the approximate par rates of exchange for the years 1909–1913 and for 1929. For the years 1926–1928 the average annual quoted rates have been used.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the number of aliens who have received permits to take work as domestic servants in the United Kingdom during the past year?

The number of aliens permitted to take work as domestic servants in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1st May, 1929, to 30th April, 1930, was 4,359.

asked the Minister of Labour if she will state, approximately, the number of workpeople covered by trade boards in 1910, 1920, 1925 and 1930, respectively, giving males and females separately if possible?

Precise statistics of the numbers of workpeople covered by trade boards in Great Britain are not available, and since the classification of the industries in question does not coincide with that adopted for the purpose of the population censuses, or of the statistics compiled from the operation of the Unemployment Insurance Acts, it is not practicable to make a close estimate of the numbers involved. Such information as is available, however, would appear to show that in the trades in which minimum rates of wages were operative under the Trade Boards Acts the number of work-people covered was about 1,100,000 in 1920 as compared with about 1,200,000 in 1925 and 1,300,000 in 1930. Of these numbers between two-thirds and three-fourths were females. In 1910 although four trade boards had been set up covering between 100,000 and 150,000 workpeople of whom about three-fourths were females in no cases had the payment of minimum rates of wages been made obligatory.

asked the Secretary of State for War, whether subsidies are still given to owners of private motor vehicles in order that the vehicles may be used by the Government in time of emergency; and what is the amount give annually per vehicle?

Yes, Sir. As shown on page 135 of the current Army Estimates, subsidies are paid at the rate of £40 a year to owners of certain types of lorries, in order that they may be available for purchase by the War Department in emergency.