asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the remuneration allowed to sub-postmasters works out at less than one halfpenny for each £l worth of insurance stamps sold; whether only 10s. is paid on account after the performance of upwards of six months' work; and, if so, whether he will consider the provision of more adequate payment?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. The whole matter has recently been discussed by me with a deputation from the Sub-Postmasters' Federation, and I am now considering their representations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether members of friendly societies, who were unable to become insured persons under the National Insurance Act by reason of age or infirmity, will have to pay increased contributions for medical attendance and treatment under Section 15 (2) (e); and whether he is prepared to ask Parliament to provide for the extra cost, if any, of such medical benefits?

I am afraid I can add nothing to the answers I have already given to similar questions.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury how many sanatoria there are in the Lindsey area of Lincolnshire; and how many consumptive cases have received treatment in this area up to 1st March last?

Up to 1st March forty-eight applicants had received sanatorium benefit from the Lindsey Insurance Committee. Twenty-one of these cases were sent to sanatoria and twenty-seven received domiciliary treatment. There are no approved sanatoria actually in the Lindsey area, but the committee have made arrangements with sanatoria in Lincoln, Withernsea, Horsforth, and Ipswich.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury what percentage the cost of administration bears to the total cost of old age pensions and health insurance, respectively, on the Estimates, including other Votes, for the years 1913–14?

The percentage in the case of old age pensions is slightly under four. In the case of health insurance (taking voted expenditure only) it is about twenty-seven. The comparison is however entirely misleading, as in the case of health insurance while the whole cost of the central administration is borne on the Votes, the greater part of the cost of the benefits falls upon contributions.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury how much of the total Estimate of £6,991,844 for health insurance is for administration, or as a subsidy on contribution towards the cost of administration?

As I explained in answer to the last question, the correct figure is £6,739,509.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the requisitions for the maternity benefit made to and paid by the Insurance Commissioners for the past three months have been in excess of the estimated amount anticipated by him for the United Kingdom; and, if so, to what amount?

Maternity benefit is being administered by over 23,500 societies and branches, and 233 Insurance Committees. The information asked for by the hon. Member could not be given without obtaining a return from all these societies and committees, and I think it would be premature to ask them to furnish such a return at present, as the benefit has only been in operation for about two months.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland), what sums of money have been given to the Women's National Health Association since its inception to defray the expense of publishing the literature which is issued by that association?

Since the year 1908 the Department have made Grants to or on behalf of the Women's National Health Association amounting to £1,515 16s. 6d. These Grants were in aid of the expenses involved in delivering lectures in technical instruction relating to cookery and hygiene, and in printing educational pamphlets on hygiene and domestic economy in connection with the work of the association.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland), whether he has received complaints regarding the withdrawal of through rates for cattle by certain of the Irish railway companies; whether he is aware that the cost of sending a waggon-load of cattle from Londonderry to Carlisle has thus been increased from £4 4s. to £12; whether these companies and the shipping companies now insist upon consignors signing an owner's risk agreement before dispatch; and whether, in view of the increased burdens thus thrown upon the Irish cattle trade, the Department are taking any steps in regard to these matters?

Two complaints of the nature referred to have recently been received and are being investigated. Through booking arrangements formerly available are apparently not now in operation on some routes where the twelve hours' detention following landing causes the animals to pass for the time being out of the custody of the carrying company. It is understood, however, that in certain instances the question of means of overcoming this difficulty is being considered by the shipping companies. The Department have not yet been able to ascertain whether the new circumstances have increased the cost of transit between Londonderry and Carlisle to the extent represented, but the whole matter, including the alleged enforcement of owner's risk agreements, is being looked into.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that complaint has been made by the Town Commissioners of Maryborough, Queen's County, of the practice pursued by the Royal Irish Constabulary of bringing prosecutions in the Petty Sessions Court which should legally and properly be brought in the Town Court, thus depriving the township of the benefit of the fines; and will he see that all cases of persons charged with offences who reside within the township are taken to the Town Court?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the question asked on this subject by the hon. Member for the Leix Division of the Queen's County on the 21st October last, to which I have nothing to add.

asked the Chief Secretary if he is aware that Mr. R Judge, principal teacher of Poyntzpass mixed national school, has been deprived by Treasury regulation of a sum of £16 5s. of grade salary due to him in accordance with Rule 105 (a) of the National Board of Education, and that the non-counting of the satisfactory service given by this teacher from 1st April, 1910, to 1st July, 1911, toward his next increment, is a violation of Rule 108 (b); if he will quote the rule of the Commissioners which states that satisfactory service given by any teacher shall not count in awarding next increment; whether he is aware that this non-counting of service will deprive this teacher of a further sum of £12 10s. and bring the total amount of his loss up to 31st March, 1916, to £28 15s., and that the cancellation of the first promotion notice from 1st April, 1910, to 1st July is contrary to Rule 104 (e); and, since there is no condition as to vacancies specified in Rule 104 (a), will he state on what other ground, except that the Treasury may gain £28 15s. in six years at this teacher's expense, the rules and regulations referred to are not carried out?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his previous question on this subject on the 13th instant. Awards of increment of good service salary are made under the provisions of Rule 108 (b), but these increments can only be granted to teachers already in receipt of their grade salaries for at least three years.

asked the Chief Secretary the reason of the delay in connection with the sale of the Redington estate, townland of Peak, parish of Claregalway, county Galway; and whether it is proposed to divide amongst the tenants the two large non-residential grazing farms on the estate held by Mr. P. Ryan and Mr. J. Kearney?

The Congested Districts Board have agreed to purchase the estate referred to, including the townland of Peak. The question of taking up the farms held by Messrs. Ryan and Kearney has not yet been considered by the Board.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Estates Commissioners will consider the claim of Michael Flynn, Praughlish, county Leitrim, when dividing the Aughacashel farm, having regard to the fact that he is the only evicted tenant in the parish and that there is no other land available in that district?

The Estates Commissioners cannot provide Michael Flynn with a holding on this estate, the purchase of which is being completed by the Congested Districts Board.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether representations have been made to him from county Clare as to the advisability of introducing Highland cattle into the mountainous parts of Clare; whether experience has shown that these cattle thrive under severe conditions which prove fatal to less hardy stock; and whether he will take the necessary steps to facilitate the matter?

For the past six years a voluminous correspondence on this subject has taken place between the Department and a resident in county Clare. The Department, after careful consideration, and in consultation with their Advisory Committee and the Agricultural Board, have decided not to recognise Highland cattle as suitable for the purposes of the Department's scheme for encouraging improvement in the breeds of cattle in Ireland.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the attention of the Local Government Board has been called to the complaint of the Fermoy Board of Guardians as to the deportation to Ireland of an American citizen named Martin Haire, suffering from mental breakdown, who has become a burden on the rate- payers, and is alleged to have been landed at Queenstown by an official of the Government of the United States, where he had been residing seventeen years subsequent to naturalisation; if inquiries will be made by the British Ambassador into the allegation that American citizens mentally afflicted are sent back to burden the ratepayers of Ireland after they have given years of labour to the country of their adoption; will he inquire by what vessel Martin Haire and four other persons similarly afflicted were dispatched to Ireland; and whether the Government will consider whether the law could be altered so as to make it illegal for the commanders of passenger vessels to dump lunatics at Queenstown to become a charge on Irish ratepayers?

The Local Government Board have received a resolution from the Fermoy Board of Guardians on this subject. The Board, however, do not appear to have any power to interfere in the case. The matter will be further inquired into and considered by the Government.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he proposes to establish observation stations in the vicinity of magazines and arsenals for the better detection of aerial espionage; and whether, when provision is made for the better protection of magazines by the provision of sky-gun batteries, he proposes to utilise the services of the local Territorial Garrison Artillery to man them?

The points referred to by the hon. Gentleman have already received full consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, seeing that during the discussion of the Home Office Vote on the 18th instant he referred to an opinion given by the Law Officers of the Crown on the question of forcible feeding, he will, in accordance with the practice of the House, forthwith lay upon the Table this opinion?

The answer is in the negative. I am not aware of any such practice as the hon. Baronet suggests. Probably he has in mind the rule stated in "May's Parliamentary Practice," 11th Edition, page 338, which is inapplicable to the present case.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will say whether, in the records of the Department, there is a single case of any coroner's jury having found a verdict that any sane person has died from starvation when an ample supply of good food was, during any period of starvation, provided and available for the purpose of such person?

I have no record of the verdicts of coroners' juries. They are not sent to the Home Office.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the total number of persons connected with the suffrage movement convicted of offences against the law during 1912; the number of persons released from prison under his instructions or advice before their sentences had expired; and the number of persons who were forcibly fed during the same period?

The total number received into prison during 1912 under sentence for offences in connection with the agitation was 240; the number released before expiration of sentence was 84; the number forcibly fed, so far as can now be ascertained, was 57. Of the 84 who were released before expiration of sentence, 26 starved themselves and were released because the medical officer reported that they had heart disease or other serious illness, or were senile, and that forcible feeding was inadvisable; 23 starved themselves, and, after being forcibly fed for some time, were released on medical grounds; 12 were released in mitigation of severe sentences of which they had served the greater part; and 8 were released on an undertaking not to offend again. The remaining 15 were released on grounds common to other classes of prisoners—for instance, 6 were released on medical grounds not arising out of any misconduct, and 2 or 3 because the prisoner's father or mother was in a dying condition.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of cases in which proceedings have been taken under the provisions of the Criminal Law Amendment Act of last Session, giving in each case where a conviction was obtained the nature of the charge and the penalty imposed?

I regret that I cannot give my hon. Friend the information he desires. Proceedings under the Act are not reported to the Home Office.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will state the number of local authorities to which the Employment of Children Act, 1903, applies; the number of those authorities that have put it into force in England, Scotland, and Wales, respectively; the number of boys and girls, respectively, trading under licence in England, Scotland, and Wales, respectively; and the number of boys and girls under the age of sixteen who, in areas where the Act has not been put in force, are known to the Home Office to be trading in the streets?

The hon. Member will perhaps address his question, so far as regards Scotland, to my right hon. Friend, whose Department is the central authority under the Act for that country. As regards England and Wales, the number of local authorities is: Sixty-two counties, seventy county boroughs, 139 other boroughs, fifty-one urban districts. Bylaws as to street trading have been made by six counties, sixty county boroughs forty-one other boroughs, and twenty-three urban districts. I have no information as to the number of boys and girls trading under licence later than that collected by the Street Trading Committee in 1909. In their report the committee give the number of boys under sixteen as about 33,000, and of girls under sixteen as about 4,000. The Home Office has no information as to the number of boys and girls trading in the streets in areas where no by-laws have been made, and it would be difficult to obtain the information. It will be seen, however, that the great majority of the big towns, where the question is of chief importance, have made by-laws.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been directed to the practice of requiring from candidates for mine-managers' certificates the preparation of a plan of a mine the levelling and surveying of which have been done by themselves; whether he is aware that this condition in certain cases bears hardly upon candidates drawn from the working classes, as it necessitates the use of expensive instruments; and whether, in these circumstances, he will take steps cither to have the condition withdrawn or to afford facilities to working-class candidates in the preparation of the plans in question?

I would refer my hon. Friend to my answer to a similar question put by the hon. Member for West Fife on the 1st of January, in which I fully explained the position. It would be quite impossible for the Board of Examination to give a first-class manager's certificate to a candidate who cannot show that he is competent to prepare a plan of a mine. I may mention, however, that the Board have recommended a modification of the rule, which I have approved, allowing the certificate of the plan to be given by the candidate himself, subject to the production of the original plottings made by him.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to an inquest on the death of Mrs. Margaret Green, held on 5th February last, owing to the administration of cocaine by a nonqualified dentist, and to the rider of the jury thereon; and, if so; whether he can take any steps to prevent the occurrence of similar tragedies?

My attention had not previously been called to this case, and I have no information with regard to it. The question of the use of cocaine and the danger of accidents from such use was carefully considered by the Committee on Deaths from Anæsthetics in 1910, who reported that legislative interference was undesirable. I have no power to take any action in the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Nonconformist ministers are provided and paid by the Government for visitation and service among Nonconformists, other than Wesleyan Methodists, in His Majesty's prisons; and how many clergymen of the Church of England, Roman Catholic priests, and Jewish rabbis, respectively, are provided and paid by the Government for similar work among members of their respective communions?

Under the Prison Act, 1865, a clergyman of the Established Church must be appointed as chaplain to every prison. Under the Prison Ministers Act, 1863, power is given to appoint and pay ministers of other denominations when in any prison the number of prisoners belonging to any denomination other than the Church of England is so great as to make this necessary. Where the number is not so great, the Act provides for ministers being allowed to visit prisoners of their own denominations. At present there are seventy Church of England chaplains, fifty-three Roman Catholic priests, and one Jewish minister paid from prison funds for ministering to prisoners; no Nonconformist is so paid, except one Wesleyan minister for convicts in Dartmoor Convict Prison, whose services are partly required for ministration to members of the staff.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that Sub-Rule A of Rule 2, Schedule 6, Regulations 2 and 3, for the nomination of electors of additional members of the Legislative Council of the Governor-General require that landholders qualifying for inclusion in the electoral roll shall possess an annual income of not less than Rs. 15,000 derived from land situated in their province or presidency; whether he is aware that the Government of India so interprets this rule as not to require deduction of interest on mortgages from the annual income in deciding the property qualification, in consequence of which a gentleman was declared qualified whose actual income was about Rs.6,000, or £400 a year, a wholly insufficient qualification for a member of the electoral roll of landholders; that the object of the rule is defeated if a moneylender or other person can qualify by purchasing an estate with a rent-roll of Rs. 15,000 with borrowed money for the purpose of obtaining a vote; and whether the Secretary of State will review the ruling of the Government of India in this matter?

The question of the interpretation of this rule has not previously been brought to the notice of the Secretary of State. Inquiry will be made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has now received the Report of the Governor of Ceylon concerning the issue of new toddy licences at Kalliliya in the Hapittigam Korale; whether his attention has been drawn to the affidavit made by the Reverend Walter James Noble, Wesleyan Methodist missionary in Ceylon, containing a copy of the official receipt for the rental of a portion of a burying-ground for the establishment of a new tavern at Kalliliya; and whether instructions will be issued which will prevent such action being taken by Government agents for the acquisition of sites for taverns in future?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I was not previously aware of the affidavit to which my hon. Friend refers, but I am making further inquiries of the officer administering the Government. With regard to the last part of the question, formal and detailed instructions will be given to the Government agents, in the rules which it is proposed to introduce under the Ordinance, which will ensure that any objections to the site of a tavern will in every case be expressed and considered before the tavern is opened.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture if his attention has been called to the conditions under which cattle shipped from Ireland to the Foreign Animals' Wharf at Wallasey, Birkenhead, are being detained under his Order; if he is aware that the detention Order is causing serious loss to the Irish cattle trade; and if he proposes to remove or modify the existing restrictions?

According to my information the arrangements made for the detention of Irish cattle at Birkenhead are satisfactory, but if any specific complaints have been made to the hon. Baronet, and he will communicate with me, I will have them investigated. I have no reason to believe that there is any foundation for the statement made in the second part of the question; on the contrary, the number of Irish cattle imported into Great Britain since the Order came into operation is approximately double the number imported in the corresponding period last year, the condition of the animals is greatly improved by their twelve hours' rest at the landing-places, and very good prices are paid for them. I do not at present propose to make any alteration in the conditions prescribed by the Order.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the shortage of live cattle in North America and the probable stoppage of all shipments from that quarter, he will now remove the embargo against shipments from South American ports of live cattle for slaughter in the United Kingdom?

The answer is in the negative. The risk of introducing foot-and-mouth disease and other diseases of animals into this country is of paramount importance and outweighs by far any advantage that would be gained.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been called to the new conditions of the inspectorate issued by the English Board of Education; and whether he is able to make any announcement as to similar changes in Scotland?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The proposals as to Scotland are not precisely similar to those to which my hon. Friend refers, and the negotiations with the Treasury on the subject are not yet completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will instruct His Britannic Majesty's representative in Pekin to obtain, in the interest of British finance and commerce, full details regarding the proposal put forward by a Franco-Belgian syndicate to establish, in conjunction with the Chinese Government, an industrial bank for China, which, under the agreement which has been provisionally signed, will enjoy special privileges, both in respect of banking and industrial matters in China, to the preferential advantage of the interests of the nations concerned?

I will make the inquiries suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the President of the Local Government Board how many cases of milk were declared unfit for human consumption in the milk imported into this country in January and February; and what percentage is this to the whole consignment?

In no case was any fresh imported milk declared to be unfit for human consumption.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why artificial silk imported into this country is not registered as artificial silk in the Returns; and whether he will arrange in future that it shall be so registered?

A separate record has been kept for some years of the total value of artificial silk imported into the United Kingdom, and the figures have been published, together with those relating to other minor articles not enumerated in the Import List, on page 39 of Volume I. of the Annual Statement of Trade for the United Kingdom for 1911 and corresponding pages of previous issues. The total value of these imports has not hitherto been considered sufficient to justify the separate enumeration of artificial silk in the Import List, or the publication of detailed information with regard to such imports. The suggestion of the hon. Member will, however, be referred to the Departmental Committee which meets annually to consider questions relative to the form and scope of the Official Trade Returns.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, if he will cause to be laid upon the Table of the House copies of the instructions to clerks in charge of Labour Exchanges respecting their differentiating between the tidily and untidily dressed unemployed workmen seeking employment, and for that purpose presenting themselves at Labour Exchanges to sign the unemployment register?

No instructions to the effect suggested in the question have been given, and I understand that it is not the practice of the Labour Exchanges to differentiate between unemployed workmen according to their dress, except of course in the comparatively few cases in which the type of vacancy notified by an employer is one for which suitable dress is a necessary qualification.

asked the Postmaster-General whether at the time he made his speech in the House of Commons on 11th October last he was aware that his colleagues, the Attorney-General and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, had held shares in the American Marconi Company?

The answer is in the affirmative. I first knew of the matter at the end of July or beginning of August, 1912.

asked the Postmaster-General the business transacted at the following post offices in Hull: Head office, Beverley Road, T.S.O., Castle Street, T.S.O., Cumberland Street, T.S.O., Hessle Road, T.S.O., South Newington, T.S.O., Waterworks Street, T.S.O., and Waltham Street, T.S.O., under the following heads: total number of licences sold; total number of old age pensions paid; total number of money orders issued and paid; total number of postal orders issued and paid; total value of stamps sold, revenue, postage, and insurance, respectively; number of parcels accepted, Inland and Foreign; total number of telegrams forwarded and received; in case of head office omitting money orders and postal orders paid through banks?

I am having inquiry made, and will communicate further with the hon. Member.

asked the Postmaster General (1) why the sub-post office at Market Weighton has been left in charge of an assistant instead of an established officer from Hull, as has been the custom hitherto; whether he will explain this action, in view of the expressed policy to keep casual labour down to the lowest possible minimum; and (2) whether the Hessle Road town sub-post office, Hull, is shortly to undergo a change in the personnel of its sub-postmasters; and, if so, will the prospective vacancy be advertised in the usual way before the position is filled; and will the opportunity be taken to review the office with a view of making it an established sub-office?

I am making inquiries in these two cases, and will inform the hon. Member of the result.

asked the Postmaster-General what progress has been made with the projected extension of the telephone to the Monkskirby, Pailton, and Brinklow area of Warwickshire; and when residents in that district may expect to have the service in operation?

The inquiries regarding the proposed extension of the telephone system to the places mentioned are not yet complete, and at present I am unable to say when the service will be provided. The matter is being expedited, and I will communicate further with the hon. Member.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider the extension of the telephone service from Romsey to Lockerley and Dunbridge, Hants, in order to meet the wishes of the traders and residents in those localities?

I will have inquiry made concerning the provision of telephone facilities at Lockerley and Dunbridge, and will communicate my decision to the hon. Member.