asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he can state what is the average age, number of years' service prior to promotion, and the increase of salary by promotion of the lower section clerks in the Customs port service promoted to the upper section during the 12 months ending 22nd May, 1909; and if he can furnish similar particulars regarding the second-class examining officers in the same service promoted to the first class during the same period?

The particulars are as follows:—

asked how many examining officers of the first and second classes in the Customs port service were made redundant by the transfer of the tea and dry goods accounts from the outdoor to the clerical branch, and by how many years did this transfer retard the promotion of the assistants then awaiting appointment to the second class?

Ninety-six examining officers of the second class were made redundant by the transfer of the tea and dry goods accounts from the outdoor to the clerical branch in 1901, but this did not retard the promotion of the assistants then awaiting appointment to the second class of examining officers, for, mainly owing to the imposition of the new duties in that year, there were 120 promotions of assistant to the rank of examining officer, and the whole of the redundant 96 places referred to were retained.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the examining officers in the Customs port service were promoted as the result of a severe Departmental examination amounting to a competition; and if he can state whether any similar test was imposed on the clerks promoted?

Promotions to the rank of examining officer, 2nd class, in the Customs service proceed by seniority only (subject to good character) from the rank of assistant. The promotion of second-class examining officers to the first-class depends on success in a qualifying (not a competitive) examination in purely Departmental subjects; rib similar test has been applied in the case of clerks.

asked how many vacancies. are likely to be open to the second-class examining officers in the grade next above them during the next 12 months?

Pending the Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the whole subject of amalgamation, it is not possible to state how many vacancies are likely to be open to second-class examining officers in the grade next above them during the next 12 months.

asked in what particular are the duties of the clerks in the Customs port service more responsible or onerous than those of the examining officers; and in what manner do the duties of the upper section clerks differ from those of the lower?

Any comparison of the duties of one class of official with another is always difficult and usually inexact, but generally it may be stated that the work of the clerks is wider, more varied, and in the higher ranks more responsible than that of the examining officers, and it is for this reason that the entrance examination for clerks is so much more difficult than that for assistants. As regards the duties which fall to be performed by upper section and lower section clerks, it may be said that the former are employed on the more important work, and are required to undertake the duties of the first-class clerks on emergency, and at certain smaller ports to act as collector during the absence of that officer.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he can do anything to expedite the payment of the sub-committee clerks appointed by local authorities under the Old Age Pensions Act, both as regards their salaries and their out-of-pocket expenses, as in the case of the county of Derby, and possibly other counties, on 1st June no payment had been made for the quarter ending 31st March?

The staff dealing with these accounts has been strengthened within the last few days, and I trust that the outstanding claims will now be rapidly disposed of.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury, with reference to the Treasury Circular of the 22nd December last granting an increase of £10 for special merit to assistant clerks who have completed five years service on the maximum salary of £150, if he will state what, in addition to efficiency and good character, constitutes such special merit on the part of clerks on this lowest grade as will enable them to obtain the increase of £10?

"Efficiency and good conduct" constitute merit; special merit implies "efficiency and good conduct" in a special degree.

asked the Lord Advocate whether, having regard to the acute distress at present existing in Glasgow, the Government will grant an additional sum of money to the local distress committee before August; and whether his attention has been directed to the fact that, in default of such contribution, the relief works at Palacerigg will be closed and 700 men at present employed there will lose their employment?

As the hon. Member is aware, the Government have not voted funds for the purposes of the Unemployed Workmen Act for the year 1909–10, and no grant can be promised to the distress committee before August, as suggested. It will, therefore, fall to the distress committee to make what arrangements they can for dealing with the present distress. The Local Government Board for Scotland have already informed the distress committee that they will urge upon the Government to allow the cost of maintaining the colonists at Palacerigg, and a reasonable number of men and women at Tollcross and women's workrooms respectively, so far as it falls to be met, out of the Voluntary Contribution Account, to form a first charge on any grant that may be voted during the current financial year.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he is aware that, during the absence of the resident magistrates in Belfast on their summer holidays, inconvenience is caused at the Belfast Police and Summons Courts owing to the fact that no locum tenens is appointed during these intervals; and whether, in view of the often-expressed opinion by the professional men who practise at these courts and the public in general, he will arrange that a locum tenens or resident magistrate take their place during their absence?

The question of appointing a locum tenens when either of the resident magistrates at Belfast is absent on his annual leave will be considered.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether the Board of Education purpose including in the forthcoming Code of Regulations any relaxation of the regulations in Schedule 3, with a view to prevent local education authorities from continuing to suffer the present loss of grant, any provision increasing the percentage of attendance allowed for half-timers to the average attendance obtained by ordinary scholars in the same school, and any provision increasing the amount of grant paid per head for infants to the higher amount paid for senior scholars?

I regret that I cannot state what changes will be included in the forthcoming code before it is laid on the Table.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Bank of England is deducting Income Tax on quarterly dividends due in June at the full rate of 1s. 2d. for the three months; whether this rate is only payable from 5th April; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take in the matter?

I may, perhaps, be allowed to refer my hon. Friend to my previous replies on the subject of the deduction of Income Tax from dividends, etc., and particularly to that given on the 26th ultimo to the hon. Baronet the Member for the City of London.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the extension of sub-section (2) of section 15 of the Finance Act, 1894, so as to include legacies left for the benefit of institutions performing national work, such as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution?

I regret that I cannot hold out any hope of an extension on the lines suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can give the amounts of money granted from Imperial sources during the 20 years ending 1st April, 1909, to Ireland for fishery piers, Congested Districts Board, drainage, light railways, and improvement of agriculture,

respectively, and were any equivalent grants made to England and Wales and Scotland; and, if so, what are the proportions of the grants to the three countries respectively?

The services which might be said to bear upon the "improvement of agriculture" are so various that it is not possible to give figures under this heading or to compare the grants in the three countries. Much information on the steps taken for the improvement of agriculture in Ireland will be found in the Report of the Departmental Committee on the Department of Agriculture (Cd. 3,572) and in the annual Reports of the Departments. The grants for the other purposes mentioned in Ireland, in England and Wales, and in Scotland respectively, are as follows:—

asked the First Commissioner of Works how many men were employed on the site of the British Museum Extension on Friday, 28th May?

Ninety-five men were employed on the site on the day in question, and eighty men at the stone yard.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the case of Mary Jane Walker, at Wolver-hampton, who narrowly escaped premature burial owing to a medical man having given a certificate of her death without having viewed the body; and whether he will take steps so to amend the law with regard to the certification of death as to render such dangers impossible in the future?

I have seen a newspaper report of the proceedings at the inquest in this case. I am afraid I could net undertake to propose legislation on the subject of death certification during the present Session.