asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that recent promotions at Liverpool of five officers over the heads of senior officers have caused dissatisfaction among the staff; that the first of the five promoted officers was thirteenth on the acting list while -the fifth promoted officer was twenty-eighth on the acting list and seventy-second on the general seniority list; that the men passed over have performed acting duties for considerable periods with satisfaction; and that the acting duties of certain of the promoted officers have been less varied than those of the men passed over; and whether he will institute inquiries regarding the promotions, and particularly regarding the nature of the reports furnished, in accordance with the ordinary promotion procedure, on the officers concerned, and regarding the number and grade of the reporting officers?

I am satisfied that the claims of all eligible officers have been fully and impartially considered in connection with recent promotions at Liverpool, and I am not aware that any general dissatisfaction has been occasioned. Only one officer availed himself of the Appeals Board procedure which has been set up to hear appeals from members of the manipulative grades who have been passed over for promotion; and in that instance the Board unanimously decided that no injustice had been done. I am in agreement with that decision, and do not consider that any further special inquiries are warranted.

asked the Postmaster-General what was the volume of traffic handled during the year ended 31st March, 1931, in the principal departments of the Post Office, comparable with the statistics of Post Office business for 1929–30, given as an appendix to the Commercial Accounts, 1929?

A statement giving the information required is attached. Some of the figures are still subject to possible adjustments.

asked the Postmaster-General at What towns there are telephone advisory committees, and the names of the members of the London Telephone Advisory Committee?

The list of towns is as follows: London, Aberdeen, Batley, Belfast, Birmingham, Blackburn, Bolton, Bournemouth, Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Burnley, Cardiff, Chatham, Cheltenham, Chesterfield, Coventry, Derby, Dover, Dudley, Dundee, Eastbourne, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Goole, Grimsby, Guildford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Ipswich, Leeds, Lincoln, Liverpool, Maidstone, Manchester, Margate, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Newport (Mon.), North Staffordshire (Stoke-on-Trent), Norwich, Nottingham, Oldham, Plymouth, Poole, Preston (Lancs.), Ramsgate, Sheffield, Southampton, Southend-on-Sea, Southport, Sunderland, Swansea, Tees Side (Middlesbrough), Tunbridge Wells, Walsall, West Hartlepool, Wolverhampton.The chairman of the London committee is Alderman Sir Stephen Killik and the Secretary is A. de V. Leigh, Esquire, M.B.E., M.A. The other members are (ex-officio), the president, chairman, deputy-chairman and treasurer of the London Chamber of Commerce, together with the following: (nominated by London Chamber of Commerce) Sir Geoffrey Clarke, C.F.I., O.B.E., Lieut.-Colonel W. A. J. O'Meara, C.M.G., Walter Skevington, Esquire, J. Rewcastle Woods, Esquire, F. J. Goddard, Esquire; (nominated by Postal and Telegraph Committee of London Chamber of Commerce) Wilfrid C. King, Esquire; (nominated by Corporation of London) Frank Newson-Smith, Esquire, C.C.; (nominated by London County Council) W. H. Webbe, Esquire; (nominated by Port of London Autho-

asked the Minister of Labour for each Employment Exchange in the county of Fire the number of persons registered as unemployed; and how many of those registered have drawn benefit for 26 weeks or more during the

asked the Postmaster-General what is the number of provincial telephone exchanges; the number on Crown premises; and the number of these the buildings for which are provided and maintained by the Post Office and His Majesty's Office of Works, respectively?

The number of provincial telephone exchanges is 4,850. The number on Crown premises is, in round figures, 2,300, of which 1,400 were provided and are maintained by the Post Office and the remainder by the Office of Works.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons now receiving transitional benefit at the following Exchanges: Blaydon, Gateshead, and Stanley; and the number who will be subject to public assistance committee investigation when the 26 weeks' rule begins to operate?

The following table gives the information desired.present benefit year, giving separately the figures for juniors, males and females?

The following table gives the information desired so far as it is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many temporary ex-service clerks have been given notice of discharge by the Department of Health for Scotland?

Owing to a reduction in the amount of work in the Department referred to, notice of discharge as at 31st October has been given to 19 temporary ex-service clerks.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many schools have been sanctioned by the Board since 1st January, 1931; how many have been started for erection; and how many have been suspended or cancelled since 31st July?

Since 1st January last the Board have given final approval to proposals by local education authorities for the provision of 224 new schools of all types; but I am unable to say in how many cases the work has actually begun. Authorities have recently been asked to reconsider, in the light of present circumstances, all proposals to which they were not already contractually committed; but my right hon. Friend is not yet in a position to say what will be the result of such reconsideration.

asked the Minister of Health the number of local authorities who have received sanction for house-building programmes of over 100 houses since January, 1931; how many have been started; and how many of such authorities have received sanction or refusal since 24th July?

The number of local authorities is 126. These local authorities have commenced to build over 27,000 houses since 1st January, 1931, but the information available does not enable me to say how many of these houses are included in the authorisations given since that date. The numbers of local authorities referred to in the last part of the question are 14 and none respectively.

asked the Minister of Health if any legislation is contemplated to prevent exploitation of decontrolled houses let and sub-let for rent; and whether it is proposed to amend the Rent Restrictions Act by reducing the 40 per cent. increase to 20 per cent.?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 28th September to the hon. Members for Kettering (Mr. Parry) and Newcastle West (Mr. Palin).

asked the Minister of Health if he is now in a position to state what steps, if any, he proposes to take in regard to maintaining the insurance of persons who would normally go out of insurance at the end of the current year?

My right hon. Friend regrets that he is not yet in a position to make any statement on the subject.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give a list of all existing international agreements or treaties to which this country is a party, giving their dates, that would be affected by the introduction of a general tariff?

The only agreements which might in any way be affected by a decision to introduce a tariff applicable to the goads of all foreign countries are the Anglo-Greek Commercial Treaty of 16th July, 1926, under which no duty in excess of 2s. per cwt. may be imposed on Greek currants, and the Anglo-Rumanian Treaty of 6th August, 1930, which Rumania would be entitled to terminate at any time after

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will issue a comparative table of average duties for £100 worth of goods for 1930 with 1903, similar to that published in 1903, for different countries in the second fiscal Blue Book (Command 2337)?

I have carefully considered my hon. and gallant Friend's proposal, but I should not be justified under present conditions in incurring the heavy expenditure that its adoption would involve. I would, however, refer him to the information contained in the "Statistical Tables relating to British and Foreign Trade and Industry" (Command 3737), as to the rates of duty in 1914, 1924 and 1930 charged on typical United Kingdom exports on importation into certain countries over seas.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the names of the British directors of the trading companies registered in this country under the control of the Soviet Government; and what companies they are interested in?

The following list gives (1) the names of those trading companies registered in this country which according to the information available are under Soviet control, and of which there are one or more British directors; (2) the names of such British directors; and (3) the names of other companies of which, according to the particulars registered at Somerset House in respect of the trading companies in question, they are also directors:

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the importation of men's clothing from Poland during the last six months; the approximate quantities thereof compared with last year; if such importations are subsidised by the Polish Government; and approximately the comparative wages and conditions of labour in Poland and in this country for such work?

Information as to the quantity of men's clothing imported from Poland is not available, but the total declared value of men's and boys' outer garments (suits, coats, vests and trousers, excluding overcoats and hosiery) imported into the United Kingdom and registered as consigned from Poland, including Dantzig, during the first eight months of 1931 was £75,702 as compared with a total of £9,406 during the whole of the year 1930. Exporters of clothing from Poland receive a non-transferable certificate, valued at 325 zloty per 100 kilograms or 8.1 pence per pound weight at par of exchange, which is available for payment of customs duties on articles of any kind imported by them. The intention of this system is stated to be to reimburse to the manufacturer the duties payable on his raw material. As regards the last part of the question, minimum rates of wages are in operation for the tailoring trade in this country under the Trade Boards Acts, but I understand from my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour that there is no sufficient information as to conditions in Poland to enable the desired comparison to be made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of lighthouses which are manned by two keepers, and the number manned by three keepers?

Under the three general lighthouse authorities there are 61 lighthouses manned by two keepers, at five of which an extra keeper is employed during four winter months, and 81 lighthouses manned by three keepers, at two of which an extra keeper is employed during four winter months.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been called to the increase of 20 per cent, imposed on the sea freights of goods shipped from the ports of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Harlingen to London by various London shipping companies as from 28th September, 1931; and whether these increased charges to the importer will be considered by the Government under the Food Prices Bill now before Parliament?

I am aware that the lines trading between Holland and London have notified an increase of 20 per cent. on sterling sea freights from Dutch ports to London. It should be remembered that as regards foodstuffs, freight rates form a very small fraction of the cost, and the effect on food prices of such increases is almost negligible. The Board of Trade will, however, keep under close review any variations in freight rates.

asked the Home Secretary if he has received any report on the death of Roy Barnes, 47, Sussex Road, Dartford, who was killed while at work at the vegetable parchment mills at Swans-combo, Kent?

I have received a report from the factory inspector on this distressing: case, together with a newspaper report of the proceedings at the inquest. There was no witness to the accident, but it would appear that the deceased, who was attending to the cooling rolls over which the paper was being fed, must have got his arm caught between the cylinders and was drawn in. The work was being carried on under ordinary conditions and the accident was of an unusual type. The firm have temporarily removed the upper cylinder, and are arranging to alter the design of the machine so as to allow a much greater space between the cylinders, and I am advised that this should provide a satisfactory safeguard against any similar accident in future.

asked the Secretary for Mines the pithead selling price of coal and the wages paid to miners in the following districts: Scotland, Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire, Nottingham,

The information, so far as it is available, is as follows: