asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of officials of the central departments outside London, not including the Customs and Inland Revenue, as compared with 1913, distinguishing between the various Ministries?

Mr. SAMUEL:

As the reply involves a number of figures, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the reply:

The following table shows the approximate number of civil servants (excluding staffs of the Customs and Excise and Inland Revenue Departments) serving outside London as on the 1st January, 1927, which is the only date for which figures are available^*.

^* The data on which the table is compiled exclude officers whose basic salaries exceed £500 per annum, those whose inclusive salaries exceed £700 per annum, part-time staffs and industrial staffs.