asked the Postmaster-General whether he has now had an opportunity of giving further consideration to the difficulties of electrical contractors who find themselves unable to insure against third-party risks imposed upon them by the terms of his contract with them?

I have nothing to add to the answer given to the hon. Member on 5th November.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the delay in the carrying out of new telephone installations and the transfer of existing telephones in the North Midlands area; and whether he will make extended arrangements to deal more promptly with the increased demand for this form of public utility?

I am not aware of any general delay, and in this connection I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Willesden West (Mr. Viant) on 5th November. If the hon. Member will furnish particulars of any instances of delay which he has in mind I shall be pleased to make inquiry with a view to speeding up the installation.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of the personnel employed by the Ministry of Labour at the last convenient date; and how many of these persons are temporarily on the staff on account of the absence of the regular staff on leave?

On the 26th October, 1936, the latest date for which comprehensive figures are available, the staff of the Ministry of Labour numbered 25,258, of whom 72 were on loan to other Government Departments. Out of this total the number of temporary staff was 5,231, but no record is kept of the number who were employed by reason of the absence on sick or annual leave of members of the Ministry's regular staff.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of the female staff holding established situations in the Civil Service who have had to resign their appointments in the service on account of marriage, under the Order in Council of 22nd July, 1920; and whether all these ladies received a marriage gratuity?

I regret that it would not be possible, without the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of time and labour, to ascertain the number of female staff who have, during the last 16 years, resigned their appointments on marriage. The payment of a marriage gratuity is subject to a qualifying minimum period of service, namely, six years. A marriage gratuity is not, therefore, payable in all cases.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury why women doctors in the Government employ receive remuneration equal to that of their male colleagues; and why such equality is not recognised in respect of any other branch of scientific workers?

The policy underlying the general practice of differentiating in the pay of men and women civil servants in the same grade was explained at length by the Prime Minister during the course of the Debate on 6th April last. Differentiation is made in the case of women scientific workers in accordance with the practice described on that occasion. Women medical officers are in a special position, in connection with that practice, in view of the well established outside custom of giving the same scales of pay to men and women in the case of medical appointments for which both sexes are eligible.

asked the Lord President of the Council (1) whether he will give the number of chemical research producing or testing establishments that are under the direct control of the various Government Departments; the total number of persons employed in each; and the title or designation by which these establishments are known and the particular Government Department that controls each;(2) the total number of persons established and non-established, respectively, who are employed in the various Government chemical research producing or testing establishments; and the number of persons and designation of the grade employed in each class;(3) the salaries or wages paid to the various employés (standing and maximum) who are employed in the various Government chemical research producing or testing establishments, and the hours of work each person is employed; the manner in which grade promotions, if any, are effected; whether any of these employés are entitled to pension or gratuity; and the length of the annual holiday, if any, granted to them;(4) the hours of work per week undertaken by the employés engaged in any of the Government chemical research producing or testing establishments under the direct control of the various Government Departments; and the methods of the appointment, qualifications that are necessary for such employment, and the service conditions attached thereto?

I have been asked to reply. The establishments which the hon. Member presumably has in mind are as follow:

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will state, in respect of the year ended 30th September, 1936, the output of distilleries in England, Scotland, and Ireland; the number of distilleries at work in each country and the materials used by distillers; and whether he will arrange for the output figures to be split up into three categories: output of grain distillers, output of malt distillers, and plain spirit for rectification?

During the year ended 30th September, 1936, the output of distilleries was 38,034,091 proof gallons in England and Northern Ireland, and 21,998,272 proof gallons in Scotland; the numbers of distilleries at work were nine in England, 66 in Scotland, and one in Northern Ireland; the materials used by distillers were malt 1,398,277 cwts., unmalted grain 1,835,417 cwts. and molasses 6,168,492 cwts. I regret that information is not available to enable me to answer the last part of the question.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the number of appeals to the umpire from courts of referees during each of the last three years, showing how many of such appeals were at the instance of the insurance officer, how many at the instance of an association of employed persons, how many at the instance of the claimant where the court of referees was not unanimous, and in how many cases with

asked the Home Secretary whether he will take steps to allow all prisoners on penal servitude to smoke from the day of arrival at the penal settlement?

Considerable extensions of the privilege of smoking have been introduced in recent years and the result is being carefully watched; but the time has not yet come for a general recasting of the system of progressive stages such as the hon. and learned Member's suggestion would involve.

asked the Home Secretary how many fares have been granted by the Central Aid Society to relations of prisoners in Parkhurst and Dartmoor

The following table gives the information desired, so far as it is available:visiting the prisoners; and how many prisoners in Parkhurst and Dartmoor have been unvisited by their friends and relations for a period exceeding two years?

The Central Association have no funds to pay the fares of persons who wish to visit convicts at Parkhurst or Dartmoor. At Parkhurst 136 convicts out of 399 and at Dartmoor 98 out of 285 have not been visited by friends or relatives for a period exceeding two years.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware of the large number of registered clubs, in the West End of London in particular, which arrange their hours of supply of liquor for periods when it is not available in licensed premises in the same area; and whether he can issue a statement showing the numbers of clubs in England and Wales which select as their permitted hours times other than those laid down for licensed premises situated in the same area?

As the hon. Member is aware, the permitted hours in a club are fixed, within certain limits, by the rules of the club. I understand that in the case of clubs in the West End of London, a large proportion have, in fact, fixed hours which differ in varying degrees from those fixed by the licensing justices for licensed premises in the same districts. I regret that the further information asked for by the hon. Member is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value of imports into this country from Spain during the past six months as compared with the corresponding period during 1935?

The total declared value of merchandise imported into the United Kingdom and registered during the six months ended October, 1936, as consigned from Spain was £5,012,000 as compared with £5,324,000 during the corresponding period of 1935.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he will seek the advice of one of the London County Council's expert garden designers to assist his Regent's Park staff to re-plan, re-turf, or part-pave the neglected north side at the back of the St. John's Lodge garden, so that this area may be tidied up and provided with sheltered seating accommodation for the enjoyment of the public?

(for the First Commissioner of Works): So soon as funds are available this area will be dealt with by my Noble Friend's own staff, but, meanwhile, the more urgent work in Queen Mary's Gardens must take precedence.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, in what manner he proposes to develop the north lawn in the Queen Mary Garden in Regent's Park with flower beds; and whether he will close-plant the northern and eastern edges of the lawn with ornamental shrubs to serve as a windscreen and protect the grass, and then place some benches on three sides of the lawn?

(for the First Commissioner of Works): The final layout of the flower beds is not yet settled, but the scheme provides for a yew hedge on the West, North and East sides of this area, and for the provision of seats.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state up to the latest available date the number employed by local authorities in Great Britain in clerical and administrative employment and in general work?

The latest available figures for England and Wales of persons employed by local authorities are given in detail in the 1931 Census Report, "Industry Tables," pages 687–689. With reference to Scotland, an inquiry should be addressed to the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is in a position to make a statement on His Majesty's Government's intention as regards the resumption of diplomatic relations with Liberia; and, if not, what are the reasons for delay in this matter?

At the moment I can add nothing to the answer given to a similar question asked by the hon. Member on 19th June. Perhaps the hon. Member will allow me to communicate with him later with a view to his repeating his question at an appropriate date.

asked the Minister of Health whether Circular I.C. 324 issued to health insurance practitioners in 1930 is still in force; and, if so, whether he will consider withdrawing the circular and issuing one which will be of assistance to expectant mothers in obtaining incapacity certificates?

The memorandum to which my hon. Friend refers is a statement of the law which is still in force, and I am not aware of any reason for its withdrawal or amendment.