asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he has yet received from His Majesty's commercial counsellor in Shanghai, in elaboration of the telegraphic report already received, a full report of the effect on British trade of the extensive smuggling of goods into North China?

I have been asked to reply. There has not yet been time to receive a report elaborating the telegram to which my hon. Friend refers. When it is received, I will communicate with him.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, seeing that the Government of the Chinese Republic is established at Nanking, His Majesty's Government intend to move the seat of His Majesty's Embassy to that city?

Yes, Sir. His Majesty's Government consider that the time has now come for this change and they intend, subject to the provision by Parliament of the necessary funds, to remove the Embassy to Nanking as soon as fitting premises can be erected in that capital. His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires is now negotiating for the acquisition Of a suitable site in the new city.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is intended to prolong for a further period the arrangements in regard to German medium and long-term obligations, other than the Dawes and Young loans, which are set forth so far as regards the period ending 30th June, 1936, in Article 7 (ii) of the Anglo-German payments agreement of the 1st November, 1934?

Yes, Sir. The German Government have informed His Majesty's Government that their offer in regard to the obligations referred to will be prolonged for a further period of six months to 31st December, 1936, or until the termination of the Anglo-German Payments Agreement, if that is earlier. The arrangements for the payment in full of interest on bonds of the Dawes and Young Loans owned by British holders on 15th June, 1934, remain unaffected.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what is the minimum and maximum rate of pay of a departmental class clerical officer, third grade, and of a general class clerical officer, respectively, employed in the London area by the Air Ministry; and whether the two types of officer are recruited from the same examination?

The figures are:

—	Minimum.			Maximum.
Clerical Officer, general class:	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Men	85	0	0	350	0	0
Women	85	0	0	262	10	0
Clerical Officer, third grade, departmental class:
Men	80	12	0	252	15	0
Women	80	12	0	215	3	0

A few clerical officers, third grade (departmental class), in the London area have been recruited from the same examination as clerical officers, general class.

asked the Postmaster-General at what date he expects all manual exchanges in the London area to be operated on an automatic system; and what expenditure will be incurred by his Department in completing this conversion?

The conversion to automatic working of the remaining manual exchanges in the London automatic area, within 10 miles of Oxford Circus, will, it is hoped, be completed by about 1942. It is not possible to make a close estimate of the cost of the conversion, as it depends on the growth of the number of subscribers; but it seems likely that the cost will be at least £10,000,000.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the minimum and maximum rate of pay of a departmental class clerical officer, third grade, and of a general class clerical officer, respectively, employed in the London area by the Admiralty; and whether the two types of officer are recruited from the same examination?

The rates of pay are as follow:

	Minimum (Men and Women)		Maximum (Men).		Maximum (Women).
	£	s.	£	s.	£	s.
Departmental Class Clerk Third Grade.	80	12	252	15	215	3
Clerical Officer, General Class.	85	0	350	0	262	10

The rates quoted for the general clerical class are those introduced from 1st May, 1936. Direct recruitment to both classes is now from the results of the same examination.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the minimum and maximum rate of pay of a departmental class clerical officer, third-grade, and of a general class clerical officer, respectively, employed in the London area by the War Office; and whether the two types of officer are recruited from the same examination?

The minimum and maximum rates for Grade III clerks of the War Department Departmental Clerical Class are:Male.—£280 12s. and £252 15s. per annum.Female.—£80 12s. and £215 3s. per annum.As regards clerical officers of the general clerical class, the minimum and maximum rates are:Male.—£285 and £350 per annum.Female.—£285 and £262 10s. per annum.It is only in the case of Royal Ordnance Factory establishments that clerks are appointed to the War Department Departmental Clerical Class from the clerical class examination.

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been drawn to the increase in the number of ex-secondary school pupils, from 673 in 1931 to 1,669 in 1935, registering for employment at the Employment Exchanges in Wales; and whether his Department is taking practical steps to place these boys and girls in suitable employment?

The increase to which the hon. Member refers in the number of pupils from secondary schools who applied to local offices of the Ministry in Wales for advice or assistance in obtaining employment reflects the growing confidence in the work of the North and South Wales Secondary Schools Employment Committee which are associated with the work of the Department's local offices for these pupils. I am satisfied that the steps taken by the Department in this connection are practical and useful. During the period referred to the number of boys and girls from secondary schools placed in employment increased from 188 in 1931 to 487 in 1935. In addition many of those

Imports of Alcoholic Liquor into the British Mandated Territories, expressed in liquid gallons of all kinds of Alcoholic Liquors (Beer, Wine, Spirits, etc.).
Territory.	1919–20.	1925.	1930.	1935.
	Gallons.	Gallons.	Gallons.	Gallons.
Tanganyika Territory	54,391	113,635	207,746	127,209
Palestine	46,224*	194,584†	216,438	601,268
Cameroons	No information	13,310	27,389	Information not yet available.
Togoland	No information	1,718‡	21,752	Information not yet available.
* Not including 1,149,533 lb. of alcohol.		† Not including 829 cases of sparkling wine.
‡ Half year 1st July to 31st December, 1925.

asked the Minister of Agriculture from what sources recruitment has taken place in connection with the Ordnance Survey Department; and what the qualifications are of those who have been appointed?

The staff of the Ordnance Survey is partly military and partly civil. The majority of the military employés are recruited as boys and are subsequently enlisted in the Royal Engineers; a few applying for advice obtained employment independently of the committees.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can state, in connection with the figures of the Arab and Jewish casualties in the Palestine disturbances, how many of the deaths were due to police and military, to Arabs and to Jews, respectively?

The casualty reports received do not contain the particulars asked for by my hon. and gallant Friend, and I doubt if it would be practicable to obtain completely reliable information on these points at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what were the total imports of alcoholic liquor into each of the British mandated territories for the years 1920, 1925, 1930 and 1935, respectively?

The figures are given in the attached table:are obtained by direct transfer from other branches of the Corps. Male civil technical assistants are engaged through the agency of the Ministry of Labour and are selected after interview. In the case of surveying and drawing staff, preference is given to candidates with previous knowledge of these subjects; candidates are, however, required to undergo a practical test of their capacity. In the case of artificers, trade experience is required. The female technical staff are selected locally from suitable qualified candidates. The clerical staff are appointed after open competitive examination by the Civil Service Commission.

asked the Minister of Pensions (1) as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he is aware that the percentage of relative humidity in the House and Libraries has been consistently above 70 per cent. during the past few days; and whether he will consult air-conditioning experts with a view to securing drier air during the summer;(2) as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he is aware that the temperature of the Libraries has exceeded 75 degrees for several hours each day of this week; and whether he will consider the introduction of air-conditioning apparatus in order to secure more equable conditions?

(for the First Commissioner of Works): The First Commissioner of Works is aware of the abnormal weather conditions prevailing during the past few days, and these will be taken into consideration in connection with the inquiry to which I referred in my reply to the hon. Member for Southwark Central (Mr. Day) on 24th June. As regards consultation with air conditioning experts, the Department is in touch with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Medical Research Council.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that at Hemel Hempstead the borough council have modified the preliminary town plan by dezoning 10 acres in a residential area for factory purposes; that the council's procedure in dezoning this area has been called in question by certain of its members as being ultra vires; that acute opposition has been caused amongst residents of Hemel Hempstead, who have been afforded no opportunity for making effective protest; and will he withhold his assent from the scheme until the objections of its opponents have been considered and met?

My attention has been called to this matter and I have received further representations within the last few days. I am looking into the position in the light of those further representations and will communicate with the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of Mines whether he is aware that men engaged in the mining industry in Derbyshire and Notts who are in receipt of partial compensation are not receiving the increase in wages given to the miners in the early part of this year owing to the fact that they receive a percentage of compensation; and will he state how this comes about?

I have no reason to think that partially incapacitated miners are not receiving the increase in wages agreed upon in the early part of this year but it is possible that in view of increased earning capacity compensation, which is based on the difference between earning capacity before the accident and earning capacity subsequently, may in some cases have been reduced although I understand that in such cases the total amount received by each individual is greater than it was before the wage increase.

asked the Attorney-General whether he proposes to introduce legislation in the present Session which will have as its object amending the present law as between the Crown and its subjects?

No, Sir.

asked the Home Secretary whether he can state the reason for the discrimination whereby the street collection in the Metropolitan Police District on 24th June was permitted throughout the whole area, whilst permission granted for a street collection on 11th July is to be confined to a limited number of districts?

I understand that the collections to which reference is made are the Alexandra Rose Day and a collection on behalf of the Orphan Fund of the National Union of Railwaymen. I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that his practice—following the recom- mendation of the Advisory Committee appointed to advise him on applications for permits to hold street collections—is to restrict collections throughout the whole of the Metropolitan Police District to organisations whose objects are of general appeal.