asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs if he will consider the advisability of introducing further measures to secure by way of import duties those sums due to this country from the Irish Free State which are at present having to be found by the British taxpayer, owing to the default of the Irish Free State?

I would refer my hon. Friend to my replies to the question put by my right hon. Friend the Member for Epping (Mr. Churchill) on 7th March and to other questions on the same subject, to which I cannot at present add anything.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action was taken by the advisory committee of the League of Nations Council dealing the dispute between Colombia Peru, at the meeting last Saturday, as a result of the passage of Peruvian warships into the Atlantic?

As a result of the meeting of the advisory committee on 6th May, a telegram was addressed by the League of Nations to the Peruvian Government to ask the purpose of the movements of these ships. The Peruvian Government in reply telegraphed that the ships had as their destination Peruvian ports on the Amazon, and that they were going without warlike intentions. I understand that the committee met again yesterday afternoon and decided to despatch a further message to the Peruvian Government reminding the latter of the League report of 18th March, and pointing out that in the circumstances the committee think it undesirable that these ships should proceed up the Amazon.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the names of those British Colonies which offer to British textile goods any special preference against Japanese textile imports of a similar character; and what this special preference is?

Nearly all British Colonies which are free to do so admit British textile manufactures at a preferential rate of duty, as compared with foreign textile manufactures.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that Mr. Gandhi has begun a fast for three weeks; and whether he will consider the question of releasing him for the period mentioned or issuing instructions to prevent a fatal termination of the fast?

As the hon. Member has no doubt seen in the Press, Mr. Gandhi was released on 8th May.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, having regard to the inconvenience and delay caused through the inefficiency of the dial telephones, he will arrange for the exchanges not already converted to remain in their present condition?

The operating statistics show that the service given by automatic exchanges compares favourably with that given by manual exchanges. If my hon. Friend has information of specific instances of difficulty with the automatic service, and will let me have particulars, I shall be pleased to have them investigated; but I am not aware of any ground for staying the process of conversion to automatic working, which is, I believe, giving general satisfaction.