asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that there has been considerable delay in the construction of the Home destroyers on the stocks in the Clyde because of constant changes in design, and whether, even yet, the contractors are waiting for certain details from the Admiralty in order to get on with the work; whether he can state how many destroyers are so affected and can he give the dates on which they were laid down, and the approximate dates on which it is expected they will be completed?

The reply to the first part of the question is in the negative. The eight destroyers building on the Clyde are:—

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what facilities for the repair and docking of His Majesty's ships of various classes exist in British dockyards to the east of Malta and to the west of Haulbowline?

supplied the following particulars:—

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the inquest on Diana Green, who died in Poplar workhouse, and whose death was declared by the coroner's jury to have been occasioned by shock due to fractured ribs and other injuries; whether he will cause a public inquiry to be made with a view of discovering how her ribs had been fractured, and how she had received those other injuries; and whether proper care was taken of sick persons in the Poplar workhouse?

My attention has been called to this case, and I have communicated with the guardians with regard to it. They are holding a special meeting to-day for the purpose of inquiring fully into the circumstances attending the death, and I have requested that a copy of the report of this inquiry may be forwarded to me.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will take steps to secure that the railway companies will concede to members of the Territorial Force an extension of season tickets held by them equal to the period during which the holder is attending camp during the currency of such tickets?

The concession asked for by the hon. Member would be a matter for arrangement between the individual claimants and the railway companies concerned, and I do not think it is a case in which the War Department can properly intervene.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he will state the present condition of the negotiations between Mr. Beirne and the Estates Commissioners for the acquisition by the latter of the lands of Tonlegee; whether he is aware that a considerable time since the offer of the Commissioners was accepted by Mr. Beirne, and that nothing has been done by the Commissioners to complete the transaction; and whether, in view of the dissatisfaction in the locality arising from the prolonged delay, and of the fact that Mr. Beirne has threatened to evict the herd, the Commissioners will endeavour to bring these negotiations to an early termination?

The owner has not accepted the formal offer of the Estates Commissioners for the purchase of these lands, and until this is done the Commissioners can take no further steps in the matter.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that a new holding on the Balfe estate, county Roscommon, was given by the Estates Commissioners to a man named M'Govern in exchange for another holding which he surrendered, and that, in addition, a fine of £50 had to be paid by him for the new holding; whether, in any other similar case of transfer from one holding to another, any fine has been paid; and whether he will explain the circumstances of this transaction?

The Estates Commissioners allotted to Patrick M'Govern 22 acres on the Balfe estate, county Roscommon, in exchange for a smaller holding of 14 acres on an adjoining estate, and they expended £127 on buildings and fences on the new holding. Of this sum M'Govern repaid £50 in cash, and £20 is repayable in the purchase annuity. No fine was paid in this or any similar case.

asked the Chief Secretary if Thomas Butler's estate of Ballyvass, county Kildare, has been sold to the tenants through the Estates Commissioners; if the purchase price was £2,868 and the bonus £344; if that money or any portion of it has been paid to any person and, if so, to whom; if the solicitor having carriage of the sale obtained a fraudulent conveyance to himself of the estate on 9th November, 1903, and sold the estate in 1907 in Butler's name and manifestly as Butler's estate; if, since the sale, the solicitor procured a return of the original application and other papers so that no person interested in the matter could see them; and will he say if those papers should have been retained by the Commissioners and be available for inspection by any person interested; and, if so, will he explain the action of the Commissioners in returning those papers; and if he will direct the Commissioners to resume possession of the papers and give an explanation as to why their possession was parted with?

I am informed by the Land Commission that the originating application and the purchase agreements in connection with the sale of this estate were lodged in the Land Commission in the latter part of the year 1906. The advances applied for by the tenants who have signed such agreements amount to £2,868. No portion of the purchase money has been advanced, nor have the titles to the claims against the purchase money been investigated, and no order has been made with regard to the payment of bonus. The affidavit to the originating application appears to have been sworn by Thomas Butler in due form before the Commissioner for taking affidavits, and the signature thereto appears to be the same as the signature "Thomas Butler" on each of the purchase agreements lodged. Thomas Butler having died since the sale proceedings were instituted, the sale proceedings have by order been continued in the name of the widow and executrix of the deceased. The documents referred to in the question were returned to the solicitor having carriage of the sale proceedings to enable him to comply with the rules of the Estates Commissioners of November, 1907, by procuring the Certificate of Counsel as to the primâ facie right of the vendor to sell the lands in accordance with the 17th section of the Land Act of 1903. Having procured that certificate the solicitor in question duly relodged the documents in question last month. There is no justification for the charges made against the solicitor.

asked the Postmaster-General whether it is proposed to discontinue the mail service by rail between Cappoquin and Cahir, and to have the mails carried by car; and, if so, what advantages are expected from the change?

I am having inquiry made on the subject, and will communicate the result to the hon. Member.

asked the Post master-General whether only the comparatively few Higher Division Clerks in his Department take the additional annual leave allowed under the Order in Council of August, 1890; and whether he will allow the additional leave to all those officers who come within the scope of the Order, as is done in other Departments of the Civil Service?

The leave granted under the present regulations to officers in the Post Office Service appears to me to be sufficient.

asked the Postmaster-General if he can say whether he received a memorial from the priests and people of Granagh and district, in the county of Limerick, relative to the establishment of a post office at Granagh village, with a delivery of letters viâ Ballingarry for the seven days of the week; if so, whether he has yet considered it; and will he grant the facilities asked for?

I have received an application upon the subject, and I am having inquiry made. I will communicate the result to the hon. Member.

asked the Under-Secretary for India whether, during the past year, there has been any increase of flogging for prison offences in India; and, if so, whether he can state to what cause the increase is due?

The Secretary of State has not yet received all the Reports on the Administration of Gaols in India for 1908, and is therefore unable to say whether there has been on the whole any increase of flogging for prison offences. As the hon. Member is no doubt aware, flogging is very sparingly used as a gaol punishment in India, and is reserved (as it is in this country) for the most serious offences.

asked the Under-Secretary for India whether his attention has been drawn to the case of a student at Navokhali, in the Bombay Presidency, who received a flogging of 30 stripes, in spite of a certificate from the civil surgeon that he was unfit to bear that punishment; and whether inquiry will be made into the facts with a view of mitigating the severity and restricting the practice of corporal punishment under the Indian Whipping Act?

The Secretary of State has no information on the subject; he will inquire as to the facts. The recent Amendment of the Whipping Act reduced the maximum number of stripes in the case of a person under 16 years of age to 15.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can state if the Pharmaceutical Society have yet framed bye-laws for the registration of Army compounders and certified dispensers under section 4(6) of the Poisons and Pharmacy Act of 1908; whether he is aware of the effect upon Army compounders and certified dispensers who have for many years held good appointments and yet who, until registered, are liable to a penalty of £5 if they dispense a prescription containing even an infinitesimal quantity of poison, although actually qualified to do so; and what steps he proposes to take to hasten the Pharmaceutical Society in drafting the necessary bye-laws?

I am informed that a Committee of the council of the Pharmaceutical Society is now engaged in the consideration of the question of these byelaws, but that some time must necessarily elapse before they can be formulated. The matter will not be lost sight of. I would point out that a certified assistant who dispenses a prescription containing poison is not liable to a penalty of £5; the penalty is incurred only when unregistered persons sell poison or keep open shop for the sale of poison.