asked the First Lord of the Treasury if he can state, for the general convenience of Members, if the Budget statement may be expected before the Easter adjournment?

I do not at present propose to make any statement in regard to the date upon which the Budget will be introduced.

asked the Postmaster-General in what classes Banchory, Stonehaven, and Aberdeen are entered in respect to postmen's wages, and what are the minimum and maximum wages in each class?

Banchory and Stonehaven are in Class IV. for postmen, and Aberdeen in Class II. In each case the postmen have received an increase in their maximum. The minimum wages vary from 16s. to 21s. in Class IV., and from 17s. to 22s. 6d. in Class II., according to the age of the postman. The maximum wages are 23s. and 27s. respectively. In addition to their regular wages postmen receive good conduct stripe allowances up to a maximum of 6s. per week. The units of work at Aberdeen are 1,577, and 30 at Stonehaven.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is yet in a position to state the result of his inquiry into the question of the apportionment of the postal supervising duties in London between the classes of overseers and assistant superintendents; and whether such changes as he may have determined upon will have effect as if, in common with the changes adopted on the recommendation of the Hobhouse Committee in regard to other classes, they had become operative on 1st January, 1908?

I am not yet in a position to state the result of the inquiry in question. I may say, however, that the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee in regard to the London Postal Supervising Staff have already been carried out in the way in which I believe the Committee intended. The proposals now under consideration are not founded on the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee, but are subsequent and additional to them. Any changes which may be made will not, therefore, take effect as from 1st January, 1908.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can state the total number of horses purchased for the Army in the year 1908, and the number purchased in England, including Scotland and Wales, Ireland, the Colonies, and foreign countries respectively?

The figures are as. follow:—

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what steps they have taken in connection with the application of Mrs. Johanna O'Connell, of Kilbannavane, Castleisland, county Kerry, as an evicted tenant?

The Estates Commissioners have inquired into the application of Mrs. O'Connell for reinstatement. Her former holding is in the occupation of another tenant, but her name has been noted for consideration in the allotment of untenanted land.

asked whether the Estates Commissioners' inspector was offered sufficient untenanted land on the Kenmare estate, county Kerry, to meet the just claims of the evicted tenants; and whether he can state the names of the evicted tenants whose claims are to be dealt with in this way?

The Estates Commissioners have had an inspection made of the evicted farms in the occupation of the owner, and also of such portions of the untenanted lands as would be suitable for the evicted tenants whose former holdings are not available. The Estates Commissioners are about to intimate to the owner the prices at which the evicted tenants should be reinstated, so that this may be done without delay. The Commissioners are not in a position at this stage of the proceedings to furnish the particulars, asked for in the concluding portion of the question.