asked the Minister of Agriculture whether in view of the substantial acceptance by the Board of Education of the recommendations made by the recent Royal Commission on the Civil Service for the improvement of the position of women on the board's inspectorate, he is now prepared to endorse the corresponding recommendations made by the Commission to his Department by throwing open appointments on the Ministry's livestock, veterinary, and labour inspectorate, and as secretaries to agricultural wages committees, to free competition by men and women?

Vacancies as secretaries to agricultural wages committees are now filled from among the clerical staff of the Ministry and are, therefore, open to both men and women. The general question of the appointment of women to specialist posts in Government Departments is being considered by a central committee in connection with the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service, and I shall be happy to make a further review of the position so far as concerns the posts in question in due course.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the objection raised by writing assistants and typists in the Civil Service at the recent declaration of the Civil Service Commission that 750 boys and girls are to be introduced into the Civil Service from the recent open competition for the clerical grade; and whether steps will be taken to ensure that the introduction of outside candidates shall not retard the prospects of advancement of the sub-clerical grades?

Members of the sub-clerical grades (including writing assistants and typists) are eligible on their merits for promotion to the general or departmental clerical classes. This eligibility is not affected by the declaration referred to, the number of candidates to be appointed from the open competition being no more than is necessary to meet the requirements of the public service after due regard has been paid to the claims to promotion of suitable officers already serving.

asked the Minister of Labour what reply he has made to the offer made by pupils of the Royal College of Art to paint pictures for the interior of Employment Exchanges if the materials were provided free?

No such offer has so far been made to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many appeals had been received up to 30th September, 1933, under the Police (Appeals) Act, 1927, from men who had been dismissed or ordered to resign in lieu of dismissal from the county and burgh police, respectively; in how many cases were inquiries held; in how many cases was legal aid allowed and in how many refused; in how many cases were the appeals dismissed without an inquiry being held; in how many cases were the appeals dismissed after inquiry; in how many cases were the punishments appealed from varied; in how many cases were the appeals allowed; and how many appeals were outstanding on 30th September, 1933?

Sixteen appeals have been received and disposed of as shown in the subjoined schedule.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of convicted prisoners in the prisons of Scotland and the number of inmates in the Borstal institutions classified under the following religious denominations:

—					Convicted Prisoners.		Borstal Inmates.
					Males.	Females.	Males.	Females.
Church of Scotland and other Presbyterians				…	844	80	160	9
Episcopaliang	…	…	…	…	101	2	6	1
Roman Catholics	…	…	…	…	310	49	93	1
Jews	…	…	…	…	0	—	—	—
Others, namely:
Atheists and Agnostics	…	…	…	…	8	—	—	—
Greek Church	…	…	…	…	1	—	—	—
Total	…	…	…	…	1,269	131	259	11

Protestant non-presbyterian dissenters are not separately classified in the prison records, but are included under Presbyterians. Twelve male and one female convicted prisoners who were in custody in legalised police cells are not included in the above figures.

asked the Secretary of State for India the number of Church of Scotland and other Presbyterians, Scottish Episcopalians, Protestant non-Presbyterian Dissenters, Roman Catholics, Jews, Mahommedahs, Mormons, and others?

The numbers as at 28th November, 1933, were as follow:Europeans recruited for the railway, posts, telegraphs, and Customs services in India in each of the last five years?

The appointments of European officers made by the Secretary of State in this country for the services named during the last five years (1929-1933) were as follow:

asked the Secretary of State for India if he will publish any rules drawn up by the various Provincial Governments in regard to the appointment of judges of courts subordinate to the provincial high courts?

These rules are not ordinarily reported to me, and I am inclined to doubt whether they are of more than local interest. But if the Noble Lady desires, I am willing to ask the Government of India to supply a complete set, and to place them in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for India when it is intended to publish the Moral and Material Progress of India for the year ended 31st March, 1932?

The report will be available to Members this evening.

asked the Secretary of State for India if he will cause a copy of the report of the Education Department of the Bengal Government for the years 1927-32 to be put in the Library of the House of Commons?

Copies of this report have not yet been received, but when they arrive one will be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for India if he is aware of the disappointment among the loyal Hindus of Sind because their leader, Professor H. L. Chablani, is not included in the committee recently set up by the Viceroy's Government to consider administrative problems relative to the proposed separation of Sind from Bombay; and whether he will suggest that a seat thereon be offered to him?

I am not prepared to suggest any variation in the composition of the Sind Administrative Committee. My hon. and gallant Friend is, no doubt, aware that the committee includes Rao Bahadur Hiranand Khemsing, who gave evidence before the Joint Select Committee on Indian Constitutional Reform on behalf of Sind Hindus in company with Professor Chablani.

asked the Minister of Health how many of the deaths ascribed to smallpox in the Registrar-General's reports during each of the years 1922 to 1932 occurred among infants under six months of age?

The following are the figures asked for:

asked the Minister of Health the number of cases in the Ardwick Division of Manchester where families of four, five, six, seven and eight are living in one room?

I regret that the figures in question are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons on the register of the Rochester and Gravesend Employment Exchanges at the latest convenient date?

At 20th November, 1933, there were 5,262 unemployed persons registered at the Chatham Employment Exchange, and 2,770 at the Gravesend Employment Exchange. These figures include persons registered at the local juvenile employment bureaux.