asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the numbers of the staff on the Foreign Office list in April, 1913, and April, 1932, respectively?

The numbers, which include the Passport Office, are as follow:

1913	…	…	…	…	183
1932	…	…	…	…	766

The two principal increases are in the registry, clerical and typing staff, and the staff of the Passport Office. In the case of the former, the increase is due mainly to the introduction of a new system of registration necessitated by the largely increased volume of correspondence which required a more elaborate system than that formerly employed, apart from the question of the actual number of papers to be dealt with. The number of inward despatches and letters rose from 68,119 in 1913 to 149,212 in 1931. The Passport Office, which employed only two persons in 1913, now has an average staff of 170. This is due to the elaborate system of passport and visas which has been universally enforced since the War, and which had no pre-War equivalent. It may be added that the total staff of the Foreign Office has been reduced by 100 during the last 10 years.

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons in receipt of Poor Law relief in the county of Shropshire during August, 1931, and at the latest available date?

The total numbers of men, women and children in receipt of poor relief in the administrative county of Salop (excluding rate-aided patients in mental hospitals, casuals and persons in receipt of domiciliary medical relief only) on Saturday, 22nd August, 1931, and on Saturday, 23rd April, 1932, were 4,247 and 5,388 respectively.