asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will, in view of the desire expressed by Members of the House, cause to be published at his earliest convenience in indexed form a volume containing the National Insurance Act, 1911, together with all the statutory papers relating thereto?

Copies of the Act and of an index are already available, and a volume containing all the statutory Rules and Orders under Part I, of the Act up to 31st December last, with an index, is in course of preparation, and will, I hope, be available in a few days.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many applications were received from Post Office employés in Wales (male) for the vacancies of inspectors, assistant inspectors, and health insurance officers under the National Health Commission (Wales), in response to the invitation published in Post Office Circular, No. 2031, on 23rd January, 1912, and how many appointments, if any, were given to employés of the Post Office in Wales, and, if none, will he state the reason; will he say whether the Health Insurance Commissioners of Wales decided not to allocate any of the appointments referred to above to officers below the rank of second division clerks; and, in view of the fact that this particular class for Post Office purposes is exclusively employed in London, under what circumstances did the Welsh Commissioners come to a decision to exclude from such appointments made under the National Insurance Act members of the existing Post Office service in Wales?

I am not aware of the number of applications for such positions received from Post Office employés in Wales. No member of the outdoor staff was at the time of appointment employed in a Post Office in Wales, but all applications received equal consideration on their merits, and I would remind my hon. Friend that it was the duty of those making the appointments to select the best men available for the work, and not to distribute any definite proportion among different Government offices. The Welsh Insurance Commissioners have not come to any such decisions as those suggested in the question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the enginemen and firemen employed by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company have not adequate protection from the weather, which results in an increase of sickness and consequent strain upon the National Health Insurance Act; and whether he will take steps to see that an alteration takes place for the protection of these men?

I have communicated with the railway company on the subject of my hon. Friend's question, and have received a reply to the effect that their engines are all fitted with adequate cab accommodation and that the men are quite as well protected from the weather as those on any other railway. The company add that their enginemen axe conspicuously free from illness.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he can say whether a man of fifty years of age under the National Insurance Act is entitled to 1s. a week from his approved society if his employer only pays him 9s. a week under the Workmen's Compensation Act?

In the case of a man already fifty years of age before he became an employed contributor the normal rate of sickness benefit is 7s. a week, and no sickness benefit would be payable during incapacity caused by an accident in respect of which he was receiving compensation of the weekly value of 9s. If he became fifty after becoming an employed contributor he would in the circumstances stated, and under the ordinary conditions, be entitled to receive 1s. a week sickness benefit in addition to the compensation.

If the man had only 7s. a week from his employer, would he get anything in addition?

If he was over fifty years of age before the passing of the Act and receives 7s. a week from his employer, he would not be insured for any more.

He would not get any sickness benefit?

To get sick benefit when he is receiving workmen's compensation, he would have to pay a considerably higher premium than he is paying.

Would he have been paying for sickness benefit and not get anything for it, if the employer is paying his 7s. a week?

In the finance of the Act it is arranged that he should not be paid sick benefit during the time he receives workmen's compensation. To receive sick benefit during that time he would have to pay a higher premium than he is paying.

The right hon. Gentleman has already given two or three clear answers.

asked the number to a recent date of insured persons in receipt of sanatorium benefit; whether any uninsured persons have received treatment; the number of insured persons who have received sick pay with the total amount paid out; the number who have received unemployment benefit and the amount; and the number of persons who have received maternity benefit?

With regard to the first part of the question, I have at present no later figures relating to the whole of the United Kingdom than those included in the Return presented on 12th February last. The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative. The benefits referred to in the third and fifth parts of the question have only been in operation for two months, and it appears to me to be premature to ask for a special return for the 23,500 societies and branches through which these benefits are administered. With regard to the fourth part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.

asked whether doubt exists as to the liability of certain types of share fishermen in Scotland to pay contributions under the National Insurance Act, and that in consequence difficulty has arisen in connection with the administration of the Act; and whether, in these circumstances, the Secretary to the Treasury will take steps to obtain a decision of the Court of session on the subject by means of the machinery provided by the Act for that purpose?

Yes, sir. I am informed by the Scottish Insurance Commissioners that there is some uncertainty in a few areas as to whether particular classes of share fishermen are employed within the meaning of the Insurance Act, and they are now taking steps under section 66 (1) (iii.) to obtain the decision of the Court of session as suggested by my hon. Friend.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the existing discontent in the Excise branch of the Customs and Excise service; and if he will grant an independent inquiry into the cause of the discontent by means of a select Committee or otherwise?

The terms of amalgamation of the Customs and Excise services were settled by a Committee, under the Chairmanship of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, after full inquiry and consideration extending over a period of eighteen months. Subsequently I gave careful consideration to the whole matter myself and rceived several deputations, and in May last I announced a number of liberal concessions. There can be no question that the settlement has conferred substantial improvements in the scales of pay and conditions of service. Complaints on various points have been brought to my notice, but this is of course, to be expected with every settlement, and I have seen nothing that would justify the further inquiry now suggested.

asked, seeing that the number of unattached surveyors of Excise origin is dwindling rapidly, when examinations will be resumed; and how many officers of Excise origin are likely to be called to the first examination?

As regards the date of the first examination I must refer the hon. Member to my answer to a question addressed to me by the hon. and gallant Member for St. Albans on the 13th instant on this subject. The number of officers, whether of Customs or Excise origin who may compete at the examination cannot be stated at present.

asked whether certain late first-class examining officers of Customs have been appointed surveyors of Customs and Excise and placed in charge of Excise districts; whether there is any record of their being unable to perform the work of the districts in which they have officiated; and whether they have in any instance sought help from the officers they supervise in regard to the work of the district?

Certain officers, late first-class examining officers of Customs, have been appointed to be unattached surveyors of Customs and Excise, and in that capacity they take temporary charge of surveyors' districts, with Customs or Excise work, as required. The collectors, under whom these unattached surveyors have served, and who are responsible to the Board for the conduct of business, report in satisfactory terms as to the manner in which their duties have been performed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the amount of the Import Duty on nicotine used as an insecticide by hop-growers, farmers, and gardeners; and whether he can give any reason for nicotine being much more expensive to users of that insecticide in this country than in France?

There is no Import Duty on nicotine, nor is there any duty upon nicotine manufactured in this country. With regard to the last part of the question I have no information.

asked whether, as in the case of other like forms required for the purposes of the Finance (1909–10) Act, 1910, he will direct that copies of the printed form of particulars of assessment for Undeveloped Land Duty, known as Form 210, Land, shall be supplied by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue to bonâ fide applicants and so save labour and expense in copying to those who have to fill in a large number of such forms?

It has not been the practice to supply copies of the forms required for the purposes of Part I of the Finance (1909–10) Act, 1910, and I see no reason for making an exception in the case of Form 210, which is one retained by the taxpayer to whom it is issued.

May I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman is aware that great inconvenience is caused to nursery gardeners and people of that description who have not had that form served on them?

If the hon. Gentleman will put to me any cases where they have suffered any inconvenience of this kind I will be very happy to look into the matter.

If these forms cannot be provided free of cost to those who have to fill up a large number of them, as some solicitors have to do, will the right hon. Gentleman be prepared to provide them for some nominal consideration?

I will consider that suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, when the War Office made their request to the Treasury, that in the case of soldiers of the Regular Army, or of sailors in the Royal Navy, leaving without pension and subsequently entering the Civil service of the Crown, their years of active service in the Army or Navy should count for pension in the Civil services, any approximate estimate was prepared or given as the probable cost of the removal of the present hardship felt in both branches of the militant services; and, if no such estimate was arrived at, whether he will now take steps to have one prepared?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. No close estimate could he given without very elaborate investigations which I am not prepared to undertake, but I consider that the cost cannot safely be put at less than £75,000 a year.

asked how many provisional original valuations under the Finance (1909–10) Act, 1910, were issued in Great Britain and Ireland, respectively, up to 30th september, 1912; the total cost of all the provisional original valuations issued in Great Britain and Ireland, respectively, up to that date; and accordingly the average cost for Great Britain and Ireland, respectively, of each provisional original valuation issued up to that date; and why the average cost is so high in the case of Ireland, where all the information was stated to be already available?

Up to 30th September last, 2,583,453 provisional valuations, relating to 3,256,568 hereditaments were issued in Great Britain, and about 25,000 provisional valuations in Ireland. The functions of the Valuation Department both in Great Britain and Ireland are not confined to the making of the original valuations under the Finance (1909–10) Act, 1910, and I am therefore unable to furnish the other information asked for by the hon. Member.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman if it is not the case that a million valuations have to be made in Ireland, and what is the nature of the provisional valuation made in each of these cases; and further, seeing that only 25,000 valuations have been made up till now, how long it will take to complete the million valuations?

The hon. Gentleman had better put his question on the Paper.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether the results of the competitive designs for surveyors under the small Holdings Act have yet been determined; and when a public announcement may be expected?

The competitive designs submitted by surveyors have been finally adjudicated upon, and the result has been duly intimated to all the candidates.

asked the Secretary for Scotland if he is aware that a grant has been made by the Development Commissioners to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries for the purpose of creating farm institutes for the instruction of agricultural students; whether the Board of Agriculture for Scotland has made application for a similar grant to Scotland; and whether, in view of the interest taken in this matter by the Scottish Chamber of Agriculture and other representative bodies in Scotland, he can state that Scottish interests will have a fair share of any funds allotted for this purpose?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. In answer to the other parts of the question, the Board of Agriculture for Scotland has been preparing applications of the character referred to, which will shortly be sent to the Development Commissioners, who will doubtless give fair consideration to the claims of Scotland.

asked the Secretary for Scotland how long the Report of the special Commissioners who investigated the possibilities of oyster and mussel culture in the Shetland Isles has been under consideration; and if he will now lay the said Report upon the Table of the House?

The Fishery Board are considering the Report in connection with inquiries relating to other parts of Scotland with a view to preparing a comprehensive scheme. When they report they propose to deal with Scotland as a whole.

asked the Lord Advocate whether his attention has been called to the advertisement of the production at the Royalty Theatre, Glasgow, of a play which has been prohibited by the Censor; and whether he proposes to take any action either to give effect to the censorship or to remove it altogether in Scotland?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and to the second part that I am at present considering the question whether legal proceedings should be taken.

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the First Commissioner of works, whether the attention of the First Commissioner has been called to the fact that the inscription on the brazen tablet recently placed in Westminster Hall in commemoration of the trial of Warren Hastings that "on this spot Warren Hastings stood for his trial" is bad English and likewise unmeaning; and whether, in order to make the inscription more intelligible and in consonance with the English language, the First Commissioner will give directions that the word "for" should be deleted from the inscription, and the word "at" placed in its stead, or that the forms of either of the inscriptions in Westminster Hall on the tablets in commemoration of the trials of Charles I. and Strafford, in which on one tablet it is stated that the tablet "marks the spot where Charles Stuart, King of England, stood before the Court which sat for his trial," and on the other tablet that it "marks the place where Strafford stood during the impeachment," be adopted, with the necessary alterations, and inscribed on the Warren Hastings' tablet?

The attention of the First Commissioner has been called to the tablet, but he is unable to agree with my hon. Friend that the words are ungrammatical. He is of opinion, taking all things into consideration, that they are open to less criticism than any of the alternatives suggested by my hon. Friend.

Before the First Commissioner made up his mind as to the use of "stood for" on this tablet did he consult the authorities, from which he would see that there is no authority whatever for the use of these words?

I have no doubt that the First Commissioner, before coming to a decision, took all necessary steps in the way of consultation.

Will my hon. Friend give me an assurance that in the case of future tablets the words to be used on these memorials in Westminster Hall will be so devised as to he understood by the people at large?