asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will state the reasons actuating his department in refusing an increase of pay of those employés of the Ministry of Labour receiving 43s. 11d. per week; how many of these men there are; and what is the average length of their service?

I assume that my hon. Friend refers to recent negotiations in connection with a claim for an improvement of the scales of pay of temporary male clerks employed in the Ministry of Labour and other Government Departments. It has been agreed to submit this claim to arbitration, and I am, therefore, not in a position to give the information requested in the first part of the question. I may say, however, that the rate there quoted is lower than the minimum of any of the scales of pay of temporary male clerks employed by the Ministry of Labour.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the submission of the Government Laboratory Staff Side Whitley Council that the number of fully-qualified and experienced chemists, at present largely represented by the temporary-assistant Chemist grade, is inadequate for the work of the Government laboratory, if he will state why no provision is made to absorb the whole of that grade as chemists into the reorganised staff?

No representation to the effect suggested has been made by the Staff Side of the Government Laboratory Whitley Council. The connected matters are still under consideration on that Whitley Council, but I understand that it is proposed to terminate the system of engaging temporary assistant chemists on the scale £160–£220 plus bonus, and to substitute a limited staff of established chemists on the scale £200–£450 plus bonus and an assistant grade. It is desirable that the change should be made gradually, and opportunity will be given to those existing temporary assistant chemists "who are fully qualified to pass into the new grade of chemist.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the total amount allocated to museums by all Government departments for the year 1931 compared with 1930?

The provision, including that for allied services, made for National Museums apart from Galleries and Libraries was £880,368 gross and £844,649 net in the estimates for 1930 and is £983,834 gross and £936,115 net for 1931. In addition to the above, an amount approximating to £100,000 is included in the Estimate for the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research for the Geological Museum and in the statements of allied services, appended to the Estimates for that Department, the Board of Education and the Scottish Education Department, which cannot be accurately allocated between the Museums and other services covered by those Estimates.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the total cost of the Circulation Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum?

The Circulation Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum makes use to some extent of the staff and material which is available for the general purposes of the Museum, and it is not therefore possible to give a precise figure for the expenditure attributable to that particular Department, but for the year 1930–31 this may be estimated at approximately £9,000.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will be prepared to receive a deputation from representatives of the National Playing Fields Association and other kindred societies, regarding the advisability of taking steps to amend the provisions of Section 61 (3) of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, in order to avoid unnecessary hardships to large numbers of people?

I have arranged to receive a deputation on this matter from this Association on 12th May.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of women contributing to unemployment insurance in this country in the years 1920 to 1921 and 1930 to 1931, respectively?

It is estimated that, at July, 1921, there were 3,106,660 females aged 16 and over, including 386,980 girls under 18 years of age, insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts in Great Britain. At July, 1930, the estimated number of insured females, aged 16 to 64 years, was 3,369,000, of whom 449,000 were girls under 18 years of age. Separate figures for the numbers who actually paid contributions are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of vacant jobs of which the Employment Exchanges in Great Britain had particulars on 31st January, 1928, 1929, and 1930, respectively; and what were the total numbers of registered unemployed on the same dates?

, pursuant to her reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 7th May; col. 532, Vol. 252], supplied the following table.Number of vacancies notified to Employment Exchanges at certain dates and the numbers of persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges at those dates: