asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland how much land has been allotted by the Congested Districts Board and the Estates Commissioners since the commencement of the War up to date to men who were serving or have served in the War or had members of their families so serving; and how much has been allotted to men who had not so served respectively?

It is impossible to answer the first two parts of the question with accuracy. Both the Congested Districts Board and the Estates Commissioners make it a rule, when dealing with applications for untenanted land, to consider most favourably applications from eligible persons who have themselves served in the Army or Navy or who have or had sons so serving, but they are confined to the applications of eligible persons. On an estimate about 1,050 acres have been so allotted—200 acres by the Congested Districts Board and 850 acres by the Estates Commissioners. In addition the Congested Districts Board have allotted 90,000 acres and the Estates Commissioners 35,300 acres.

Why is it impossible to give this information? When I asked two or three days ago I was given the information of the amount allotted to soldiers, and was told that the information regarding the amount allotted to non-soldiers would be obtained. Now the hon. Gentleman comes back and says he cannot get it.

The hon. Member is arguing.

What is an "eligible person"?

An "eligible person" is defined by Statute, and the hon. and gallant Gentleman can read it in the Statute?

Which Statute?

The various Land Acts.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that on Thursday, 9th May, a party of men returning from an anti-Conscription meeting in Magherafelt in brakes and other vehicles carrying disloyal emblems, instead of returning by the road on which they went to the meeting, attempted to pass through the village of Tobermore and made use of provocative language and abuse of soldiers serving with the British Forces; and, seeing that Tobermore has a large proportion of men now serving, and is known as a peacable village, no serious disturbance having ever before occurred in it, will he say how many, if any, of the proecssionists have been made amenable?

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that on Thursday, the 9th May, a procession of anti-Conscriptionists attempted to pass through the village of Tobermore, county Derry, carrying disloyal emblems and anti-Conscription flags and using expressions abusing our troops in the trenches; whether he is aware that a large proportion of the inhabitants of the village are serving at the front, and that a disturbance was caused; whether he is aware that three weeks afterwards, on the morning of the 30th May, at 3 a.m., a party of police arrested six inhabitants of the village, including two wounded soldiers, and brought them before the resident magistrate some miles off at 9 a.m., when, without having an opportunity of producing evidence or procuring legal assistance, they were bound over to keep the peace; and if he will say how many members of the procession were prosecuted, and why, after the lapse of three weeks, the parties were not summoned instead of being arrested in the middle of the night?

I have received a report as to this matter and am making further inquiries.

asked the Home Secretary whether an Irish widow, Mrs. Clarke, of Dublin, is now interned at Holloway; whether she is in good health; whether she has been allowed to see or communicate with her young children; and whether any application to visit her has been received, refused, or granted?

Mrs. Clarke is interned in Holloway Prison. She refuses to be medically examined, but, though she is not strong, her health does not appear to have deteriorated since her reception. She is allowed to communicate with her children if she wishes, and has written to and received letters from friends. One application for permission to visit her has been received, but the visit has not been allowed.

If someone could represent that he wants to make her more reasonable and amenable, will that person be allowed to visit her?

"Name!"

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he has now been able to allow any of the Irish interned persons to see their friends, relatives, or legal advisers; if so, in how many cases; whether there have been any of these persons allowed to come before the Advisory Committee set up in accordance with Regulation 14 B; if so, how many; and whether any artists or literary authors among these prisoners have been or will be allowed artists' materials or other necessities for the practice of their arts?

Three visits have been allowed, two in the case of legal advisers, and one under special conditions. No interned person gave notice of appeal to the Advisory Committee within the time allowed. The answer to the last part of the question is in the affirmative if the persons concerned make the necessary application.

Will these persons, like literary men, who are interned, be apprised of this kind of concession, or are they to be told from outside, or how are they to know that they can have such concessions?

Now, as always, they have immediate notice, but they do not always choose to take advantage of it, hence the rumour that they are not allowed.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he has now secured sufficient evidence to enable a prosecution for treason to be brought against the Irish men and women who have been deported and imprisoned?

There is sufficient evidence, but no prosecutions for treason are considered necessary or advisable.

Will the right hon. Gentleman give the reason why he does not proceed against these persons, particularly in view of the belief held in Ireland that this action of the Government is simply taken to suppress a political movement and that the whole charge is faked up—a view expressed, I see, by a Bishop in Ireland last week?

I should have thought that the reasons were obvious. There is certainly no such belief held at all widely.

Is not the reason because the evidence is mostly collected by agents provocateurs?

No, Sir; certainly not.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he can give any information as to the recent shooting at and wounding of members of the Royal Irish Constabulary in the Western part of the country; and if the assailants have been identified?

Two sergeants of the Royal Irish Constabulary were fired at on the public street in Tralee on 14th June, and one of them was wounded. He is now in hospital, and is progressing favourably. Two arrests have been made.

Does the Chief Secretary mean that this was the only case of firing at the constabulary in the West?

It is the only case of which I have information.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say what instructions are issued to the constabulary about the carrying of arms?

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, as a preliminary to an attack on members of the Royal Irish Constabulary on the 15th instant by a crowd of persons at Ballycar, county Galway, a body of men barricaded the roads by felling trees, erected barbed wire entanglements, and cut the telegraph and telephone wires; and why no military were available to aid the small force of constabulary in dealing with organised resistance on the scale described?

I am aware that conduct similar to that described in the question took place, but a force of police was assembled at Ballycar sufficient to deal with the disturbance, and they did deal with it effectively.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been called to the organised boycotting and intimidation used against Protestants who have had the courage to refuse to sign the pledge to prevent the application of the Military Service Act, 1918, to the South and West of Ireland; whether on the 11th ultimo the Callan Town Commissioners at their monthly meeting threatened one of their members, Patrick Joyce, J.P., if he refused to sign and endeavoured to take his seat at the council table; whether six Protestant members of the Wicklow Urban Council were similarly theatened, and persisting in their refusal are now boycotted, with the result that one of them has been obliged to close down and endeavour to sell his business, and another has been forced to leave the town and go to England to obtain employment; the name of the person who wrote to the Irish Food Control Committee to have the sugar cards that had been placed by his customers with another of the victims removed from him and given to another business man; and what action does he propose to take?

My attention has been called to cases of boycotting and intimidation. The Callan Town Council passed a resolution disapproving of Mr. Joyce's action, but I am not aware that he has been threatened or interfered with.

I am aware of the boycotting of the members of the Wicklow Urban District Council, but the boycott is entirely anti-Conscription, and has nothing to do with religion.

With the assistance of the Irish Food Control Committee, I am taking what steps I have power to take, and am considering what, if any, further powers are necessary for the protection of those who are so attacked.

Can the right hon. Gentleman give me the name of the person who wrote to the Irish Food Control Committee?

No, Sir, I cannot.

Is it not a fact that it was a Member of this House?

I prefer not to answer.

asked the Home Secretary whether at Grimsby recently women have been charged under the new Regulation 40D of the Defence of the Realm Act for soliciting a soldier while having venereal disease, and have been sent to prison without the soldier alleged to have been solicited appearing to give evidence; and what action he proposes to take?

I find on inquiry that the only cases which have been taken at Great Grimsby are cases where the persons solicited belonged to the Navy. As regards the evidence of persons solicited, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply on this subject given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 9th May.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in this House assurances have been given frequently that women will not be convicted under this Act unless the soldier concerned gives evidence, and that those assurances have been habitually broken in all the cases?

That is not the question put by my hon. Friend.

asked the Home Secretary how many persons who were invited to allow their names to be submitted for the bestowal of the Order of the British Empire declined the invitation?

I regret this question should have been asked, and I doubt if I ought to answer it, but, in order to prevent misunderstanding, I will say that the proportion who asked that their names should not be submitted was very small.

Can we have the names of those who most deserved to be honoured?

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any contract has been made between the Government of Australia and the Zinc Corporation in respect of the smelting of zinc concentrates; and, if so, what are the terms of such contract?

I have no information on this subject.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now able to give his promised definite answer to questions previously put down asking that representations should be made to the Great Western Railway Company and the London and South-Western Railway Company to secure the interavailability of season tickets issued by these companies between the same stations on their lines?

This matter has now been fully considered, but I regret that I do not see my way to recommend the grant of the concession desired. As the hon. Gentleman is aware, season tickets available on the two railway systems can be obtained on payment of an extra charge, and there are, in present circumstances, specially strong objections to the extension of travelling facilities.

Can the right hon. Gentleman explain why, seeing that now the dividends of these companies are guaranteed by the nation, business men who happen to live in the West of England and who want to come to London should not be allowed to use trains actually going to Paddington or Waterloo with the same season ticket; and what disadvantage can there be to the nation in allowing them to do so?

I tried to indicate in my reply the difficulty of extending travelling facilities of this kind. I can assure the hon. Member that nobody would be more pleased than myself if I were able to take a different point of view on this matter, but in the present circumstances I have no alternative.

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that practically this is the only case in England at the present time where season tickets are not inter-available for long-distance travelling?

I would remind the hon. Member that there are many other places similarly affected.

Is the only result of this decision that those unfortunate business men will have to return to their station by a later train?

If that was the only reason obviously my answer would not be adequate, but that is not the only reason.

How can it increase the amount of travel if a man travels on one line instead of another?

With increased facilities for travelling he will ride more frequently.

Would it not enable a certain number of unnecessary trains to be taken off if it were possible to travel by alternative lines?

I do not think it would be true to say it would reduce the number of trains now being run. It might have the effect of adding to the number of trains we are working.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make Regulations to prevent saloon carriages being reserved by the directors and officials of railway companies on crowded trains, and also to give wounded officers, and officers, Government officials, and Members of Parliament, when travelling on national business, the right to occupy any vacant seat in spite of the carriage being reserved?

I am making inquiry into this matter, and will inform the hon. Baronet of the result.