asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the reasons why it has become necessary to appoint an Admiralty Navy Week liaison officer between the committee and the Press in addition to the usual Admiralty staff for dealing with the Press and the nature of his duties; whether this officer is on the active or retired list; whether full-time for the year; and what is the salary paid from Navy Week funds and the pay from Navy funds?

It has been the practice hitherto to employ outside publicity agents to secure a liaison between the Navy Week organisation and the Press. It has been found desirable to change this arrangement, and employ a naval officer on this duty. His duties are full time. The present holder of this appointment is on half pay, but retires on 22nd May on a pension of £405 per annum. He will receive from Navy Week funds a sum of £250 per annum.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty when the first Navy Week secretary was engaged at Portsmouth; and what are his duties, whether full-time or otherwise, salary from Navy Week funds, and retired pay?

The first Navy Week secretary at Portsmouth was engaged on 1st February, 1931. The duties of Navy Week secretary are to act as general organising secretary for Navy Week, and in particular to be responsible for the conduct of business and other arrangements which affect equally the Navy Week organisations ta each of the three home ports. His duties are full time, and the salary of the present holder consists of £350 per annum from Navy Week funds, together with retired pay as Paymaster-Captain of £540 per annum.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the reasons why it has now become necessary to appoint a Navy Week secretary at Devonport and Chatham and an assistant secretary at Portsmouth; the nature of their duties, whether full time for the whole year; and the salaries paid from Navy Week funds and the pay or retired pay from Navy funds?

The appointment of local Navy Week secretaries at Devonport and Chatham, together with an assistant secretary at Portsmouth, has been made with a view to placing the local Navy Week organisations on a more satisfactory basis, and thereby, it is hoped, obtaining greater efficiency. Hitherto this work has been carried out by active service officers stationed at home ports, in their spare time. It was found impossible to continue this arrangement, as the work in connection with Navy Week imposed too heavy a strain on the officers concerned, taken in conjunction with their normal duties. The duty of the assistant secretary at Portsmouth is to assist the general secretary, and supervise the detailed local organisation. The duties of the local secretaries at Devonport and Chatham are to act as organising secretaries of the local Navy Week committees. The duties of all three officers are full time. The salary of the local Navy Week secretary at Devonport consists of £200 a year paid from Navy Week funds, together with retired pay £97 10s. The salary of the local Navy Week secretary at Chatham will be £200 a year, paid from Navy Week funds together with retired pay. (This post has not yet been filled, so retired pay cannot be stated.) The assistant secretary at Portsmouth, a pensioner chief petty officer writer, receives £3 per week from Navy Week funds, plus £1 15s. 8d. pension.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether copies of the report of the Committee on Migration have been sent to the Dominions; whether their observations on the report have been invited; from which Dominions replies have been received; and when these replies will be published?

The answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. Only two replies have so far been received, namely, from New Zealand and South Australia. It is proposed to defer consideration of the question of publication of the replies until a later stage.

asked the Home Secretary the number of omnibus licences held by omnibus companies in each of the years from 1923 to 1935, inclusive; and how many licences in each of the years mentioned were new or additional licences granted by the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolitan area?

asked the Home Secretary the number of omnibus licences held by omnibus companies in each of the years from 1923 to 1933, inclusive; and how many licences in each of the years mentioned were new or additional licences granted by the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolitan area?

The licensing of omnibuses was transferred from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to the Traffic Commissioner for the Metropolitan Area with effect from 1st July, 1933. I am, therefore, in a position to give information only in respect of the period up to 30th June, 1933. The number of omnibus licences granted and the number of new or additional licences, i.e., in respect of vehicles licensed for the first time, are shown in the following table:

asked the Minister of Health whether he is in a position to state in how many cases was the operation of sterilisation carried out on male and on female patients in hospitals subject to his inspection in the counties of London and Middlesex in 1934?

I am not in a position to state the number of operations performed in these hospitals during 1934 which may have resulted in sterilisation, but I am informed that in no case was an operation of sterilisation performed with the object of preventing the propagation of unsound offspring.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his medical advisers recommend the use of atebrin as a prophylactic against malaria; and whether, in that case, the medical stores of ships trading in the tropics carry supplies of this drug?

The medical advisers of my Department are in close touch with research which is being made into the use of atebrin and other synthetic remedies intended for prophylactic use against malaria, but at the present stage they are not prepared to recommend such remedies for compulsory inclusion in ships' medical stores.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he

Preliminary inquiries are being made by my Department, but are not yet completed. The question whether a formal investigation is to be held will be decided in the light of those inquiries.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the usual age of entering, starting salary rate, and annual increments, respectively, for the following grades: Writing assistants, clerical, administrative and executive: and the average number of years' service before reaching a salary of £900 a year?

Particulars of age of entry, starting salary, and increments for the classes mentioned will be found in the table below. The scale of pay shown is that for the basic recruiting grades; members of each grade are eligible for promotion to classes or grades carrying higher remuneration. I regret that information is not available in regard to the latter part of the question.