asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many ex-civil servants were drawing pensions in each of the years 1911, 1921 and 1931; and what was the total cost of such pensions in each of those years?

The figures are as follow:

Year.	Number of pensioners.	Annual cost of pensions.
		£
1911	22,490	2,378,815
1921	30,725	3,743,272
1931	44,476	5,680,667

Of the total increase of nearly 22,000 pensioners between 1911 and 1931, approximately 17,000 are ex-Post Office employ6s. The Superannuation Act, 1909, provided, in return for a reduction of the previous pension scale by one-fourth, for lump sum payments to established civil servants or, retirement ("additional allowances") or to their legal personal representatives on death. The expenditure incurred upon such payments in the above years was as follows:

asked the President of the Board of Education whether the legal adviser and the staff of the legal department are all full-time appointments; and what is the professional status of the two legal assistants who receive £634 between them?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The two legal assistants to whom the hon. Member refers are barristers.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether any recent additions have been made to the contents of the Bethnal Green Museum and, if so, of what nature?

A number of additions to the contents of the Bethnal Green Museum have been made during the last few years, principally by transfer from the main collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum. These additions have chiefly consisted of furniture (the making of which is the principal local industry) and of examples of 19th century art, of which a special collection is now being built up. Further information as to the activities of the museum will be found in the annual reviews of the Victoria and Albert and Bethnal Green Museums. The review for 1931 is at present in the Press.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many catalogue saleswomen at the Victoria and Albert Museum receive 5½d. an hour; what is the number of hours worked per week; and what are the normal weekly takings for the sale of catalogues?

No catalogue saleswomen at the Victoria and Albert Museum are at present employed on the minimum basic rate of 5½d. an hour which, with bonus, amounts to 33s. a week. The saleswomen at the museum are subject to a 48-hour week, inclusive of meal times and a weekly half-holiday. The average weekly takings for sales at the catalogue stalls have, during the past 12 months, been approximately £32.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the import duty on wheat, butter, meat, bacon, and eggs, and the retail price of a 4-pound loaf of bread, of a pound of butter, of meat, and bacon, and a dozen eggs, translated into British currency, in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the United States of America, Canada, and Australia?

The information for which the hon. Member asks is voluminous, and I am accordingly sending him the desired tabular statements.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state what progress has been made with the naval base at Singapore; whether the contractor has met with any unanticipated difficulties in carrying out the contract; and whether British workmen employed on the work are retained in health and pension insurance under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Acts?

The progress of the main contract for construction of the naval base is in keeping with the contract requirements for completion in seven years, and the only difficulties met with by the contractors are those normal in a contract of this nature and magnitude. The emoluments of the contractor's British staff exclude them from the provisions of the Acts referred to.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in allocating the contracts for the destroyers to be laid down under the new building programme, he will take into account the large amount of unemployment now obtaining in Cowes?

I can assure the hon. and gallant Member that the state of unemployment in Cowes will, with other considerations, be taken into account in placing orders for destroyers.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what Department or officer is responsible for alterations and variations in the uniform of officers and ratings in the Navy; what is the reason for the new pattern oilskin waterproof coat being made tight-fitting and with a slit at the back; and whether he will arrange that the skirt shall be a little fuller, so that there shall be no opening at the back?

The Board of Admiralty are responsible for Naval uniform. A new pattern oilskin has been introduced which is more suitable for modern conditions than the old pattern and meets the wishes of the men as expressed at the Welfare Conferences and to a committee which inquired into the matter at the ports last year. It is not proposed to modify the pattern of this coat on the lines suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if the restrictions suggested in the report of the Royal Commission are to be imposed as to the age of the judges of the Malta courts either on appointment or for retirement; and, if so, what that age is to be and what length of service must a judge perform before becoming pensionable?

Subject to the modifications indicated in my reply to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. T. Williams) on 2nd March, His Majesty's Government have decided to accept the recommendations of the Malta Royal Commission in their entirety. One of these recommendations is to the effect that persons appointed to be Judges should have had at least 12 years' experience either as Counsel or on the Magisterial Bench; but apart from this there is no suggestion in the report that any new conditions should be imposed with regard to the age of Judges either on appointment or for retirement. Under the present law Judges must have had 10 years' Government Service in a judicial or other capacity before they become pensionable. The age at which pension may be granted is 60, or earlier if retirement is on the ground of ill-health.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of means test cases which have been dealt with by the public assistance committee at Reading; the number where the full benefit has been allowed, the number red-aced, and the number refused; the amount of benefit saved per week; and the cost of the new administration?

Between 12th November, 1931, and 20th February, 1932, 3,058 applications for transitional payments were submitted to the Reading public assistance committee. In 1,727 cases payment was allowed at maximum benefit rates, and in 739 at lower rates, while in 592 cases the needs of applicants were held not to justify payments being made. The figures include renewals and revisions of determinations, and the number of separate individuals concerned is not available. In regard to the latter part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the concluding portion of my reply to his question of 10th March.

asked the Minister of Labour how many aliens holding certificates from his Department are now in employment in beet-sugar factories in Great Britain?

There are at present 31 aliens working in beet-sugar factories under authority issued by the Home Office on the recommendation of my Department. Sixteen of these have been here for a number of years; the remainder will be replaced in due course by British subjects now being trained under their supervision.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that heavy motor cars propelled by internal combustion engines having not more than four wheels, but having a total axle load of 15 tons, are being put on the road; and if he will take steps to have the law enforced which prohibits such motor cars exceeding 12 tons total weight?

Express provision is made in Section 27 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, for weighing vehicles on their journeys. I am giving close attention to the desirability of taking further steps to see that the law on this subject is not ignored.