asked the Minister of Labour to state the number of totally unemployed persons at the most recent convenient date registered in the borough of Newport; and the comparative and corresponding numbers in the years 1931 and 1932?

The numbers of persons, other than those normally in casual employment, registered as wholly unemployed at the Newport and Newport Docks Employment Exchanges were 4,749 at 26th October, 1931, 5,116 at 24th October, 1932, and 4,688 at 23rd October, 1933.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can give the yearly amounts paid for unemployment insurance from the British to the Northern Irish Exchequer each year since 1925?

The amounts paid from the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom to the Exchequer of Northern Ireland under the Unemployment Insurance (Northern Ireland Agreement) Acts, 1926 and 1929, have been as follow for the years in question:

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that in 1922 the charge for the use of accommodation at the Margate Employment Exchange for the use of the local Amalgamated Building Trades Benefit Club was is. per night; that about 18 months ago this was raised to 2s. 6d. per night; that recently this has again been raised to 2s. 6d. for one hour, and ls. per hour after; if he will state the reasons for these increases; and whether, in view of the charitable aims of this society, he will make a reduction in these charges?

The charges hitherto made for the use of room's at Employment Exchanges for the purpose of meetings have been found to be insufficient to meet the cost of heating, lighting, attendance and cleaning necessitated by the meetings, and accordingly the scale has been revised so far as necessary. I regret that I am unable to authorise a reduced charge in the case of any particular society or meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the nature of the recommendations received by the British Government from the committee which has been sitting to implement the resolution of the League of Nations on the Lytton Report?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Blackpool (Captain Erskine-Bolst) on the 27th November.

asked the Attorney-General if he proposes to institute an inquiry into the claims of the different Government Departments to regard as confidential documents which are considered by justices of the High Court as essential to the administration of justice?

His Majesty's Judges have full power to determine in accordance with rules estab- lished by judicial decisions whether the claims mentioned by my hon. Friend are well founded, and no inquiry therefore is needed.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the respective numbers of established and unestablished messengers and paper and record keepers employed in headquarter and ex-headquarter departments of the Civil Service on the 1st September, 1933, and the number of unestablished messengers and paper and record keepers who on that date have completed five years' service?

As regards the first part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Leyton West (Sir W. Sugden) on Monday, 27th November. With regard to the last part of the question, the available figures relate to the 1st April, 1933, at which date there were approximately 2,060 unestablished messengers and 440 unestablished paper and record keepers who had completed five years' service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the qualifications for his post of the new Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies; and what is the length of his previous service in the Colonial Office, other branches of the home Civil Service, and the Colonial Civil Service, respectively?

Sir John Maffey served in the Indian Civil Service from 1899 to 1924, and during the last years of his service in India he was Chief Commissioner of the North-West Frontier Province. From 1926 until his appointment as Under-Secretary of State he has been Governor-General of the Sudan. I am sure it will be generally agreed that his long and varied administrative experience fully qualify him for the post he has now undertaken.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the approximate budgetary anneal cost of re- storing the various salary cuts imposed under the Economy Act?

It is estimated that the cost of cancelling the reductions in remuneration made in 1931 would be about £11½ millions per annum.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state the standard rate of wages of natives employed in coffee plantations, the average price of maize, the average price of coffee, and the rate of direct taxation levied upon natives in Kenya during the last complete year before the War and during the latest year for which figures are available?

In the interval between 1913 and 1932 the basis of East African currency has been changed from rupees to sterling, and the data in my possession are in other respects not strictly comparable. The following figures, which are taken from the Blue Books, are therefore approximate only:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give particulars of the rates of excise duty charged upon the various kinds of produce of Native and European estates, respectively, in Kenya?

The excise duties levied in Kenya are as follow:On sugar (not including jaggery) 1s. per cwt.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state the value of exports per head of population for the last year for which figures are available for Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria, respectively?

The value of exports per head of population for 1932 was as follows: For Kenya 14s. 10d.; for Uganda 12s. 5d.; for Nigeria 9s. 4d.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can give an estimate of the cost of changing over the present oil-burning ships in the Navy to coal burning and of the extra amount of British coal which would be required for this purpose?

Without taking into account the effect of the change suggested on the cost of personnel and fuelling services, it is estimated that the cost would be at least £35,000,000. The maximum speed and endurance obtained, and the extent to which ships could be subdivided, would be so seriously reduced as to make the change entirely out of the question. If the Navy burned coal exclusively, its consumption would not exceed one half of one per cent. of the total national output of coal.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will give the total numbers of seamen and engine-room ratings who took the recent higher educational test for sub-lieutenant and sub-lieutenant (E), and the numbers who passed, specifying their ratings?

Both the higher educational test and the examination for acting sub-lieutenant (E) ended on 20th October and compilation of the results has not yet been completed. The particulars regarding acting sub-lieutenants (E) will be available about 15th December, out as the worked papers for the higher educational test from distant stations hive not yet reached Admiralty, the results of this examination will not be available before early in the new year.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office the cost of military tattoos organised in 1933; the numbers present for 1933 and 1932; and the amount, if any, incurred by the War Office?

An essential condition attaching to the holding of military tattoos is that no expense shall fall on Army funds. Information as to the expenses incurred by the organisers and as to the numbers who attended is not available at the War Office.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he will state the result of the experiment recently carried out with an Air Force squadron using only petrol produced from British coal?

As my hon. Friend will be aware, the experiment is being conducted with petrol produced from the !ow-temperature carbonisation process. So far as the experiment has gone, the results have been generally satisfactory.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air, whether there is any possibility of arrangements being made in the near future for an extension of the British air route to the Far East as far as Hong Kong?

The matter is under active consideration.

askéd the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the small wages paid to auxiliary postmen and their financial distress, he will consider the abolition of this class, except at Christmas, and their substitution by fully-paid men even if this entails some readjustment of duties?

The employment of part-time postmen is, I fear, unavoidable on account of the unequal incidence of the work. The cost of the only alternative—full-time posts, containing a large proportion of idle time—would be prohibitive. The question of reducing their numbers is constantly receiving attention.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that much of the traffic congestion in the City and West End of London is due to goods traffic passing through from customs wharves in the East End to Covent Garden and other markets; and that this traffic could be reduced if the importers could use the wharves further up the river and nearer to the markets and factories in the West and South West of London; and whether he will confer with the customs and excise authorities as to the possibility of arranging for greater facilities to be given at these wharves?

I have received representations to the effect that traffic congestion in the City and the West End of London would be relieved if "sufferance" privileges were granted for wharves in the West and South West of London. I will confer with the Board of Customs and Excise with regard to the matter, as my hon. Friend suggests but I understand that apart from traffic considerations there are serious objections to the extension of such privileges.