asked the President of the Board of Trade how many pianofortes and reed and pipe organs were manufactured in the United Kingdom in 1907 and 1908, respectively, giving separately those made in London and the provinces; how many pianofortes and reed and pipe organs of British origin were exported in 1907 and 1908, respectively, giving the countries to which they were sent and the value declared for Customs purposes; how many were imported from foreign countries in 1907 and 1908 respectively, with their value; and how many pianofortes and reed and pipe organs of foreign origin were re-exported in 1907 and 1908 respectively, with their value?

There are no official records of the number of pianos and reed and pipe organs manufactured in the United Kingdom. These articles are included in the official accounts of imports and exports under the heads of "Pianos" and "Organs and Harmoniums" respectively, and particulars of numbers and values imported and exported under each of these heads are given in the "Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom." I am sending to the hon. Member a statement giving the fullest available details.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the practice constantly prevails with impunity of trawling after dark in the Start Bay, South Devon, without lights; and whether he will take into consideration the possibility of putting a stop to procedure so dangerous, and of compelling observance of the law?

No recent reports on this subject have reached the Board of Trade, but I will communicate with the local Sea Fisheries Committee and see whether the cases are such that proceedings ought to be instituted under the Merchant Shipping Acts.

asked the Lord Advocate whether the attention of the Secretary of Scotland has been called to the published annual reports of the director of the Royal Scottish Museum and to a recent official Return, from which it appears that during the period of 10 years ended 3lst March, 1908, the sum of only £1,274 was expended in Scotland on the purchase of sites, erection of buildings, and extension of existing buildings, while in the same period £550,597 was expended for similar purposes on the London museums; and will he say whether any steps are being taken to provide the increase of accommodation required by the Royal Scottish Museum?

The question will be considered when the Estimates for 1910–11 are being settled.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, having regard to the fact that the Irish Land Bill, 1909, while providing for the compulsory deprivation of landowners in Ireland of lands in their own occupation, and which they may desire earnestly to retain, leaves them to bear all costs of making title to the lands of which in the presumed interest of the State they are to be deprived, and whether the area of the land taken be large or small, and however difficult and expensive making title may be, he will be prepared to favourably consider any suggestion in Committee for indemnifying vendors from such costs of compulsory sale, as was done by the Evicted Tenants Act of 1907?

I am aware that the hon. Member has put down Amendments to the Land Bill for indemnifying vendors against the costs of compulsory sale, but the Government, as at present advised, are not prepared to accept these Amendments. The vendor will now receive a bonus on compulsory sale which he would not have got under the Bill which was before the House in December last, when I promised the hon. Member to give favourable consideration to his suggestions. I have already pointed out that to give both costs and bonus would be giving compulsion an unfair advantage over voluntary sale.

asked the Chief Secretary if he can say whether the Board of Works have received proposals from the Joint Committee of the Great Northern (Ireland) and Midland Railways relative to the provision of an additional train on the Burtonport Extension Railway in connection with the cross-Channel service and early morning trains from Dublin and Belfast viâ Raphoe; whether the joint companies have offered to contribute towards the cost; whether the Lough Swilly Railway Company still refuses to-agree to the proposal, and further refuses to accept the establishment of through rates for traffic viâ Raphoe; and whether the Board of Works will take steps in the matter, in accordance with Sections 13 and 14 of Schedule D to the Tramways Order in Council (Ireland), Londonderry, and Lough Swilly (Letterkenny to Burton-port Extension) Railway Confirmation Act, 1898?

The replies to the first three parts of the question are in the affirmative. The Lough Swilly Company were unable to accept the proposals because the proposed train service could not in existing circumstances be fitted in without seriously dislocating their present traffic arrangements, and because they considered that the proposed contribution towards the cost of the additional train would have left them with a considerable deficit to face. The company have also refused to agree to through rates viâ Raphoe unless they are made applicable viâ Londonderry. The Board of Works have recently suggested to the Joint Committee to arrange a conference with the companies interested to settle the matter. In reply to the last part of the question, the Board, in view of the company's reasons for not running an additional train, do not propose to take steps under Section 13, schedule D to the Tramways Order in Council, and they will not take any steps under Section 14 pending the issue of their proposal for a joint conference.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the recent removal of the Duke of York's School from Chelsea, the Treasury has considered the question of the sale of the freehold of the site; whether the advantage of retaining the said freehold, while letting the same on a building lease, has been duly considered, so that the unearned increment thereon may continue to revert to the Treasury; and whether any conditions as to the laying out of the site and the preservation of a portion as a garden for the public use are proposed to be annexed to such lease or deed of sale?

The matter is under consideration.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state the number of old age pension claims in the United Kingdom partly dealt with and the number not dealt with in any way in the hands of pensions officers on 1st January, 1st April, and 1st July, 1909; the number of claims received during the quarters ended 31st March and 30th June; and the number of pension order books due for delivery to pensioners on 25th June remaining undelivered on 1st July in the collections of Cork, Galway, Limerick, and Londonderry respectively?

The number of old age pension claims in the United Kingdom partly dealt with, and the number not dealt with in any way, in the hands of pension officers on 1st January, 1st April, and 1st July last were as follows:—

		Partly dealt with.	Not dealt with in any way.
1st January	…	19,601	25,434
1st April	…	21,111	7,702
1st July	…	11,756	9,112

The number of old age pension claims received during the quarters ended 31st March and 30th June last were 95,379 and 44,864 respectively. The number of pension order books remaining undelivered on 1st July last in the Excise Collections named were:—

Cork	…	…	…	472
Galway	…	…	…	5,369
Limerick	…	…	…	870
Londonderry	…	…	…	8,494

asked the President of the Board of Education if he is aware that, by the present system of selecting candidates for admission into residential training colleges, a number of student teachers who have proved themselves excellent teachers and who have passed the examinations which qualify them as candidates for admission into those colleges, are unable to gain admission; that many of them are unable to get a situation as teacher, and that many of them, owing to their parents not being in a position to give them tuition until there is a vacancy in a training college, have to give up all hope of becoming teachers, and have to accept employment of a nature for which they are not so well qualified; and whether, under those circumstances, he will take steps to secure that when a student teacher has proved an efficient teacher it shall be a recommendation for admission into a training college?

A large number of new training colleges have been provided during the past few years, and others are in course of erection. I am aware, however, that notwithstanding this increase the available accommodation is not sufficient to provide for all qualified candidates who apply for admission. Inquiries which the Board have instituted tend to show that no widespread difficulties peculiar to student teachers have yet arisen, and special arrangements have been made, I think successfully, to meet as far as possible such difficulties as have been brought to their notice. I do not think it would be advisable to require training college authorities to give a preference to student teachers, over other candidates in filling their vacancies, as the hon. Member appears to suggest in the last paragraph of his question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that on 3rd August the Governor of His Majesty's prison at Strangeways, Manchester, refused to allow representatives of the Press to attend an inquest on the body of a man who had that day been hanged in the prison; and whether he will give instructions that in future representatives of the Press shall be allowed to attend inquests held into the death of persons upon whom sentence of death has been carried out?

The exclusion of the representatives of the Press on the occasion referred to was the result of a misunderstanding of a message sent to the Governor whilst he was giving evidence. The Governor much regrets the mistake. The question of what persons should be admitted to inquests held in such circumstances as the present is a matter for the coroner, and all governors have standing instructions to admit to the prison representatives of the Press who are duly approved by the coroner, for the purpose of reporting the proceedings of inquests.