asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the telephone service at Shinfield, near Reading, is constantly breaking down; that it is again out of order there; and whether he will take some immediate steps to remedy the state of affairs that has existed there for the last two years or more?

The disturbance on 26th November was quite exceptional, being due to the flooding of a manhole by a sudden storm at a time when men were working on the cable. Communication was restored at 10 a.m. on 27th November. The circuits are now in a specially protected cable, and no further trouble of the kind that occurred in the past is anticipated.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of private telephone lines between Manchester and London and the annual rental charged for them?

Eighteen private telephone lines are rented between Manchester and London. The tariff charge for such a line is now £1,320 a year, having been reduced in October last from about £1,500.

asked the Postmaster-General what became of the surplus stock of the special issue of stamps for the Post Office Congress held in London in 1929?

I am advised that there was no surplus of ½d., 1d., 1½d. and 2½d. stamps. £1 stamps are still obtainable at the London chief office.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will issue, as foreign nations do in connection with similar events, a special postage stamp and a special obliteration mark, such as "Buy British Cotton Goods," in connection with the forthcoming Cotton Textile Exhibition at the Board of Trade Industries Fair?

The policy of the British Post Office is opposed to the issue of special postage stamps save in the most exceptional circumstances, and I regret that I cannot agree to the issue of a special "Cotton" stamp. The Post Office annually advertises the British Industries Fair by a special postmark, and, having regard to the special circumstances, I am seeing if it is practicable to have separate mention made of the cotton textile section in the postmark advertisements.

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to the fact that public assistance committees are taking- into consideration War pensions and grants from the funds of the British Legion when applying the means test to ex-service men; and whether he will issue a further circular to prevent this?

I cannot add anything to the statements on this subject made by my right hon. Friend both in Debate and in reply to questions, and in particular the reply he gave to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for St. Pancras North (Captain Fraser) on 3rd December, of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons in receipt of transitional benefit in the County of Glamorgan whose cases have been considered under the Unemployment Insurance (Transitional Payments) Regulations, 1931, and the number of cases in which part benefit has been continued and full benefit continued; and the number of persons, men, women, youths and girls, whose benefit has been stopped?

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 26th November, 1931; col. 479, Vol. 260], supplied the following statement:—Applications for transitional payments referred to public assistance committees in the County of Glamorgan up to 21st November, 1931.

asked the Secretary of State for India the progress that has been made in the inquiry by Mr. Gordon, Indian Civil Service, into the grievances in Bardoli in connection with the manner in which effect was given to the Irwin-Gandhi pact?

Mr. Gordon commenced his inquiry on 5th October. I have no information as to the progress made or as to the date on which the report may be expected.

asked the Secretary of State for India if he will give information concerning the prisoners on trial in the Meerut conspiracy cases who have made application for bail to enable them to prepare their defence; and in which instances the applications were refused and in which allowed?

Applications for release on bait from all the accused except one who had been previously admitted to bail, were heard by the courts during last summer, one of the grounds for the applications being their desire for facilities for preparing their defence. Twelve applications were granted and 18 refused. One of the successful applicants has since forfeited his bail, having infringed the conditions on which it was granted.

asked the Secretary of State for India if he is in a position to make a statement regarding the present position in Kashmir?

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to a similar question by the hon. Member last week.

asked the Secretary of State for India if he will inform the House as to the present situation in regard to the disturbances in Burma?

The following report covers the events of the past week:The general improvement in the situation continues. The biggest success was in the Henzada District, where a party of rebels in boats was ambushed; four were killed and three captured, and it is believed that several others were drowned. Several more minor rebel leaders have been shot or have surrendered, and violent crimes show further decrease. 180 rebels were released from custody and the number remaining is now 816. Two Sepoys were slightly wounded by bamboo spikes in attacking a rebel camp. There has been no change in the agricultural situation, and the price of paddy remains fairly steady. The number of persons on relief works has fallen to about 15,000.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the number of accidents in the Royal Air Force, and the casualties resulting therefrom, during each of the past five years, in which a modification to an aircraft, not approved either by the airworthiness department or by the manufacturer, has been a main or a contributory cause?

It would not be possible to give definite information on the lines desired by the hon. Member without an elaborate scrutiny of records which would entail a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour. I am, however advised that it appears prima facie that no accident has taken place in the Royal Air Force during the past five years in which an unauthorised modification was the main or a contributory cause. If, however, the hon. Member has any special case in mind and will forward me the particulars, I shall be glad to have it examined.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in order to help the entrepot trade as affected by the Abnormal Importations (Customs Duties) Act, 1931, he will institute steps to enable the same system of drawbacks to be applied to re-exported goods charged with duty under that Act as has been successfully operated under the safeguarding of industries duties and the existing silk duties?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer I gave on the subject to my hon. Friend the Member for South-West Bethnal Green (Mr. Harris) on 26th November last.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether licences will be granted to import, free of duty, worsted yarn that was ordered before Customs duties were in immediate prospect and ordered to carry out actual contracts for cloth?

No, Sir; there is no power to exempt from duty any particular consignments of goods.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is the intention of the Government to place any duty on imported printed matter printed by the collotype process?

I can only refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 25th November, to the hon. Members for Barnstaple (Sir B. Peto), Ealing (Sir F. Sanderson) and South-East Leeds (Major Milner).

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that four more brickyards are closing down in the northern part of Huntingdonshire, thus throwing out of work several hundreds of men; and, in view of the quan- tities of bricks imported into this country during the past five years, what steps he proposes to take to protect this industry?

The closing of these brickyards had not been brought to my notice. It would not be proper to make any statement as to whether bricks may or may not be included in any subsequent Orders made under the Abnormal Importations (Customs Duties) Act.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total imports from foreign countries of newsprint paper during the years 1912, 1913, 1924, 1929 and 1930?

The following table shows the total quantity and declared value of the imports of news printing paper into the United Kingdom during each of the years 1924, 1929 and 1930 consigned from foreign countries. Corresponding particulars for 1912 and 1913 are not available as the imports of news printing paper in those years were not separately recorded in the trade returns of the United Kingdom.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of shipping firms which received grants from the Trade Facilities Act, and the number of shipping companies which receive payment for Government services carrying mails and Government stores or for service on the declaration of war?

Thirty-nine shipping firms received guarantees under the Trade Facilities Acts. In the course of the year, a very large number of ships is used for performing some work for Government Departments—in fact nearly all British lines running to and from the United Kingdom as well as a number of tramp owners carry some Government freight from time to time and receive payment for that service. The number of such companies could not be given without considerable labour and it would not appear to serve any useful purpose. No payment is made for ships with a view to their being taken up for Government service in time of war.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the most recent monthly figures for the imports of cotton piece goods imported from this country and from Japan into the mandated territory of Tanganyika?

The figures asked for are:—July, 1931, cotton piece goods from the United Kingdom, £5,089, from Japan, £17,053. August, 1931, from the United Kingdom, £7,798, from Japan, £11,650. But some cotton goods manufactured in both countries are included in the imports from British India, which amounted to £15,867 and £19,764 for those months.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many men and how many women over the age of 65 are retained in established Civil Service positions; what is the reason for their retention; and when it is proposed that they should be superanuated?

Fifteen men and three women are now serving after reaching the age of 65 in pursuance of sanctions given by the Treasury under Article 15 of the Order-in-Council of 10th January, 1910, the second part of which provides that, in special cases, the Treasury may, at the instance of the head of a Department, extend an officer's employment for a further period not exceeding five years on being satisfied that such officer's retirement at 65 would be detrimental to the interests of the public service. These officers will be superannuated at the expiration of the various specific periods for which their further retention has been authorised. As my hon. Friend is no doubt aware, certain appointments do not come under the pro- visions of the Article in questions, and their holders are, therefore, not subject to retirement at the age of 65 year.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the reasons why junior Civil Service examinations are not being held early next year?

I assume that my hon. Friend has in mind the Civil Service examinations for the clerical and Departmental clerical classes. The decision to postpone the date of the next open competition in this series rests upon the expectation that Departmental requirements in this regard in the near future will be met without recourse to the recruitment of new staff.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will, under Section 15 of the Agricultural Marketing Act, appoint an Agricultural Marketing Reorganisation Commission to prepare a scheme for regulating the marketing of milk which will maintain the level of liquid milk prices current during the last contract year and find a possible use for supplies in excess of the needs of the liquid market so as to stimulate the output of milk in this country?

I am not prepared to impose on public funds the expense of a Milk Reorganisation Commission in the absence of clear evidence that such a course is desired by the milk producers themselves.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what was the average price of oil cakes during the months of July, August, September, October, and November, 1931; and what was the average price of fat cattle per live cwt. during the same months?

The following statement gives the information required:

asked the Minister of Agriculture what was the average price of barley meal during the months of July, August, September, October, and Novem-

The following statement gives the information required: