asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if Goldstein Bey, the Assistant-Postmaster-General at Cairo, is an. Austrian by birth who was for some years in the Egyptian service; whether, when the War broke out, he became naturalised as a Russian; whether his brother is interned; and why some English officer cannot be found to replace this enemy alien?

Goldstein Bey was an Alexandrian Jew, of Hungarian nationality, and was born in Egypt, where he has resided since his birth. He had been in the employment of the Egyptian Postal Administration for thirty-two years, when, upon the outbreak of war, he was, together with other enemy subjects, dismissed from the service of the Egyptian Government. He became a Russian protected subject on 28th November, 1914, and was then reinstated in his post. I have no information as to the third part of the question; and, as regards the last part, his case formed the subject of careful inquiry by the Aliens Registration Committee in Egypt, and he was, with the concurrence of the British General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, allowed to retain his functions. He acted as Postmaster-General during the absence of Borton Pasha, but I understand that that officer has now returned to his duties.

Will the right hon. Gentleman suggest why, if this man is so apparently loyal to Great Britain, he should not have applied for British nationality, instead of Russian, after being in our service all these years?

I understand this curious alteration of nationality in Egypt by persons of Egyptian birth and Egyptian bringing-up, and whose whole activities have been confined to Egypt, entirely arises out of the old system of the Capitulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the importance of keeping the House of Commons informed of the policy of the Government in foreign affairs and the obvious difficulty of frank discussion in public, he will consider the advisability of asking for a Private Session of the House on appropriate occasions for the purpose of giving the House what information he can?

Yes, Sir; I shall be very glad to consider the suggestion of my hon. Friend in consultation with the Leader of the House.

asked the Minister of Munitions whether it is the practice for representatives of his Department to prospect for minerals without any previous notice to the owner or occupier of the land; and, if so, what authority exists for such procedure?

No prospecting work, so far as I am aware, has been carried out without permission from the landowner first being obtained. If my hon. and gallant Friend will give any instance where he thinks this has been done I will cause inquiries to be made.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the fact that the Government have invited private employers to unite with trade unions in setting up joint central and district industrial councils as "well as works committees, on which employers and trade unionists would be represented, the Admiralty propose to set up in consultation with the trade unions concerned a joint central as well as district industrial councils, and also works committees, for the national shipbuilding and repairing industry which the Government controls as employers in the Royal dockyards?

I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy of the scheme sent to officers and workpeople in the Royal dockyards and naval establishments as a basis of discussion for the setting up of yard and shop committees in each establishment. Upon that scheme, in connection with which opinion was specially invited, I have received a number of representations, have met two deputations, and have more to meet. The question of setting up a central industrial council for the Royal dockyards and naval establishments may very well emerge from these discussions; But the outline scheme to which I refer deals only with local shop and yard committees.

Is it proposed to establish central joint bodies?

When I see my friends who are associated with me in this matter, that may emerge, but for the moment we are dealing with shops and yards locally. The question of the central authority may emerge.

Will it be possible to carry out the recommendation as to private employers?

I note what my hon. Friend has said in the early part of his question, but, as I explained to him, we are now discussing the subject, and it may very well be that as the result there may be superimposed upon the shop and yard committees a national outlay.

May we take it that the Admiralty are prepared to adopt in principle the Whitley Report?

I have a copy of the circular in my hand, and my right hon. Friend will see from the closing sentence what is our policy.

Is the right hon. Gentlemen aware that in the published statement of the scheme it was alleged that it was in accordance with the Whitley Report, and is not this a travesty of the Whitley Report?

There is nothing in this about the Whitley Commission, although, of course, it is our desire to fall in generally with the spirit of the Whitley Report; but this does not purport to cover what arises under that Report.

Does not the published statement embody the terms of the Whitley Report?

The spirit of the Report of the Committee which my right hon. Friend provided will certainly guide us in what we carry out.

asked the Pensions Minister whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Private Hugh M'Lean, No. 203,428, Labour Corps, who was discharged on the 23rd April, 1918, for the purpose of taking up employment in civil life; whether he is aware that in spite of the fact that this man's character certificate states that his disability was due to active service he received a letter from the Ministry of Pensions, dated 27th May, 1918, stating that he is not entitled to either temporary allowance or to a pension; and what action he proposes to take in this case?

I have not been able to find any record of the letter dated 27th May, 1918, which is said to have been received from the Ministry. Private McLean's discharge documents have now been obtained from the Labour Corps Record Office, and they show that he was discharged on 23rd April, 1918, for the purpose of taking up employment in civil life. Enclosed with the documents are two reports of medical boards, and in view of the divergence of opinion which they reveal steps are being taken to have Private McLean examined by the Special Medical Board at Liverpool in order to determine whether he is entitled to pension or gratuity.

asked the Pensions Minister whether officers' pensions are now actually being assessed by the War Office or by his Department?

The administration and assessment of retired pay for disability is carried out by the Ministry of Pensions. The administration and assessment of retired pay for service and of wound pensions remains (in accordance with the Ministry of Pensions Act) with the War Office.

Is it the fact that these pensions are assessed by the Army Medical Board (3) at the War Office by three Army officers and one Pensions authority; that the three Army officers are changed practically every four weeks, because they themselves suffer from certain disabilities, and that in consequence there is not obtained any uniform assessment?

I have no knowledge of what the hon. Member calls attention to, but it is entirely a matter for the War Office.

Can the hon. Gentleman say why there is only one representative of the Ministry of Pensions on the Army Medical Board (3)?

I must have notice of that.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if the local war pensions committee have power to grant assistance to soldiers' dependants in payment of weekly sums due for industrial insurance, as in the case of the civil liability power to provide for insurance premiums, seeing that in case of large families the weekly payment is a heavy call upon the limited resources of soldiers' dependants; if not, will he issue instructions to that effect, and so prevent the lapsing of policies owing to inability to pay and consequent loss?

If there is a disproportion between the present income of a soldier's wife and the income of the household before his enlistment, after allowing for the saving resulting from his absence, local committees are now authorised to grant allowances up to 12s, a week to cover industrial and other insurance premiums as well as rent. They may not, however, make a grant to cover an insurance policy taken out after 26th May, 1916, or in respect of an insurance on the life of a person other than the soldier, his wife, or children, except with the sanction of the Special Grants Committee, and the total allowance granted must not exceed the difference between the present income of the household and the net pre-enlistment income.