asked the Minister of Munitions whether he is aware that the men employed at Queensferry were refused cheap railway facilities at Christmas; why they were not granted the same facilities as on previous holidays; and whether in future their former privileges will be granted them to enable them to visit their families?

I am advised that cheap railway facilities were granted to men employed at Queens-ferry, both at Christmas and at the New Year. On both these occasions the Department provided all the vouchers applied for in respect of married men. As regards single men, all the vouchers applied for at the New Year holiday were provided. At Christmas it was found possible to provide only a proportion of the total requirements of the single men, owing to the enormous demand and to the limited railway facilities.

Were 900 workmen supplied with tickets for the holidays?

My hon. Friend's figures do not correspond with the figures given me this morning. I shall be glad if he will let me have the incident he has in mind.

asked the Minister of Munitions whether Messrs. M'Alpine secured an advantageous contract for the erection of the hutments in Cleveland because a member of the firm is a relative to a Cabinet Minister; and whether he is in a position to make any statement on the subject?

The huts at Cleveland were erected by Messrs. MacAlpine on a basis of profit on cost. The total cost of the huts was £75,000 and the gross fee paid to the firm by the Government for their work in connection with the contract was £2,600. But the whole of this sum was subject to Excess Profit, Income Tax and Super-tax, the net benefit to the firm for managing the work being less than £300. As to the suggestion that the placing of this contract was influenced by some relationship between a member of the firm and a member of the Government, I have ascertained that no member of the firm was even acquainted with the Cabinet Minister in question, or with any member of his family at the time the contract was made, under which the Ministry exercised this option to have the huts erected.

Is it usual for the Minister of Munitions to make contracts on the basis of profit on the cost price?

No, it is not usual; but there are exceptional circumstances in which it is justifiable.

Will my hon. Friend discontinue is in future?

Not in the exceptional circumstances.

asked the Minister of Munitions whether repeated representations have been received by him from the Scottish Office as to the need for providing additional housing accommodation for the munition and other war workers in the Middle Ward of Lanarkshire; whether the Local Government Board for Scotland have expressed the view that immediate effect should be given to the local demand for such additional housing; and whether, having regard to the period of time which has now elapsed since the matter was first brought to the notice of his Department and to the growing industrial unrest created in the district owing to the existing shortage of houses, he is now prepared to sanction a building scheme and to release the necessary building materials?

I have been asked to reply to this question. The first two parts of the question are in general accordance with the facts. It must, however, be borne in mind that the position, involving as it does pre-war questions of housing, presented special difficulties from the point of view of the Ministry of Munitions. In regard to the third part, as a result of the correspondence which has passed and of conferences that have taken place between the Departments concerned I am hopeful that, subject to the necessary financial sanctions being obtained, a scheme for the immediate erection of a limited number of houses may shortly be put in operation.

When is it expected that this scheme will be approved and carried into operation, having regard to the long period of time which has elapsed since representations were first made?

As I have said, it is necessary first of all to have Treasury sanction. Once that is obtained, if it is obtained, there will be no delay at all.

Has the sanction of the Ministry of Munitions been obtained to the release of the necessary materials?

My answer to my hon. Friend implied that.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty what steps, if any, he intends to take to provide convoys for ships trading to and from Ireland and Great Britain; and if he will take steps to secure protection for all ships?

It is not in the public interest to state the measures adopted for the protection of shipping.

Although the exact measures cannot be stated, can the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that efficient protection is being given?

As far as our means permit, the utmost protection is given.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty, if his attention has been drawn to the defence of the crew of a steamship of Dublin when attacked by a submarine in the Irish Sea on the 2nd January, 1918; and if he is aware that it is claimed by the crew that owing to their encounter the submarine has been captured; and if he will say whether the Government or the owners propose to reward these seamen?

Reports have been received of the encounter of this vessel with an enemy submarine on 2nd January. The submarine was not captured but continued operating. Further inquiry into the circumstances of the encounter is being made.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if the recent Report by Sir William Plender on the liquidation of the German banks may be taken as the expression of the present policy of the Government or if any further instructions have been issued; and, if so, will he state them?

The recent Report of Sir William Plender may be taken to be in accordance with the present policy of the Government, the continuance of which policy was recommended by Mr. Walter Leaf and Sir R. V. Vassar Smith in their Report to the Treasury dated the 12th January, 1917. No further instructions have been issued in variance with this policy, and Sir William Plender is in. constant communication with the Treasury as to the course of events.

Does the Treasury consider that if the present dilatory method of winding up enemy banks continues, they will have finished the work by the end of the War?

Would it not be possible to shut up these enemy businesses at once, and leave the outstanding questions until after the War?

I think my hon. and learned Friend might read the Paper I have referred to in my answer.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether it is the practice of the Civil Liabilities Commissioners to refer cases in which grants are asked for to any local authority which might be in possession of, or might inquire into, the circumstances of each case?

Yes, Sir. The Civil Liabilities Commissioners have been instructed in suitable cases to refer to the local war pensions committees for information which is in the possession of, or could readily be obtained by, those committees.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the state of chaos and confusion existing in his Department, entailing inconvenience upon the public; whether he is aware that letters posted in one district of London sometimes occupy two and three days to reach the addressee in another adjoining district of London; whether he is aware that letters from Liverpool on which an extra charge has been paid for express delivery and to ensure certain delivery are sometimes not delivered for many hours after letters posted at the same time in Liverpool to the same address by ordinary postage have been delivered; whether he is aware of the inconvenience caused to the public by the inattention of telephone operators in not responding to calls made upon their exchange, connecting subscribers with wrong numbers, saying numbers are engaged when they are not engaged, that they can get no answer, whilst the person rung up is waiting at his telephone for a communication, ringing up subscribers when they are not wanted, sometimes in the middle of the night, and various other annoyances; and whether he will take steps to remedy these defects in his Department?

Everything possible is being done to prevent delays in the post, but I fear they are sometimes inevitable under existing conditions. They are often due to causes over which the Post Office has no control. With regard to the hon. Member's complaint of defective telephone operating, the service is being carried on under great difficulties, and occasional inconvenience must occur.

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that sometimes as much as one and two hours per day are lost by heads of businesses, largely engaged in work of national importance, through the causes mentioned in the question? In time of war is not greater efficiency required than in time of peace?

I think my reply covers all the points raised by the hon. Gentleman's question.

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of giving the telephone operators a number, so that in the event of complaint they can give the number, instead of changing their voice and speaking as the clerk in charge?

asked the Minister of National Service if he will state the amount of money allocated for the hiring and equipment of the recruiting offices taken under the new recruiting system?

In connection with the transfer of recruiting to the Ministry of National Service from the War Office, the premises in use as recruiting offices were taken over as at 1st January, 1918. The amount of money allocated for rent, in respect of such premises, was £29,724 per annum, but this does not include the compensation in respect of premises taken over subsequently to transfer. The equipment of recruiting offices is in the hands of the Office of Works, and inasmuch as the preparation of a return to enable me to give the figures would involve a very great amount of time and labour, I hope my hon. and gallant Friend will not press for the figures to be obtained now. A full statement will be available in the ordinary course.

asked the Minister of National Service if the 420,000 to 450,000 men now in civil employment to be enlisted under the provisions of the Military Service Bill will be men of Class I. available for the fighting services of the Navy, the Army, and the Air Force?

The minimum number of 420,000 to 450,000 men to be withdrawn from among those now in civil life includes men of all grades, but the greater proportion will consist of men in Grade I.