asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that, although the Regulations in force in the Royal Dockyards stipulate that danger-money shall be paid to workmen when engaged on work 30 feet or upwards from the ground, it has been refused to men at Chatham Dockyard when employed on dangerous work at a height of over 70-feet; and whether, under those circumstances, he will give instructions that danger-money must be paid to the men so employed?

No case is known in which the payment of danger-money has been refused at Chatham Dockyard for work the nature of which could be considered as dangerous in the sense laid down in the Regulations.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he will give a Return for the last five years of the education authorities in England and Wales who have not received the full grant in consequence of not having spent the equivalent of a 3d. rate on elementary education, giving the names of such authorities and the dates and amounts of such deductions?

presented the following statement showing the reduction of grant payable under Section 10 (1) of the Education Act, 1902:— 1904–5— £ s. d. Bournemouth 6 9 10 Bury St. Edmunds 2 17 8 Whitehaven 274 4 2 1905–6— Pontefract 26 5 0 Whitehaven 103 11 5 1906–7— Pontefract 25 16 4 Radnor 10 16 9 1907–8— Radnor 12 8 7

The Returns for 1908–9 are not yet available.

asked the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, if he will state for each of the last three years, so far as the particulars are available, the estimated quantities and values of the Home production and imports for Home consumption, respectively, of the chief varieties of foods raised in the United Kingdom, including grain, meats, dairy produce, vegetables, fruit, and fodder?

No general official estimate of the total quantity and value of the agricultural produce of the United

The production of certain crops in the United Kingdom, as published in Agricultural Statistics.

1906. 1907. 1908. Wheat … … … Qrs. 7,577,305 … … 7,066,399 … … 6,741,180 Barley … … … Qrs. 8,434,961 … … 8,386,541 … … 7,696,112 Oats … … … Qrs. 21,859,076 … … 22,961,094 … … 22,001,009 Beans … … … Qrs. 1,258,548 … … 1,338,944 … … 1,114,445 Peas … … … Qrs. 565,573 … … 593,220 … … 545,457 Potatoes … … … Tons. 6,089,292 … … 5,223,973 … … 7,117,296 Turnips and Swedes … Tons. 27,583,436 … … 26,181,428 … … 29,185,193 Mangolds … … … Tons. 9,881,630 … … 10,118,473 … … 10,574,295 Hay … … … Tons. 13,511,942 … … 15,603,180 … … 14,637,326 Hops … … … Cwts. 245,688 … … 374,129 … … 470,761

The following estimates of the quantity of meat produced in the United Kingdom were submitted by the Board to the Departmental Committee on Combinations in the Meat Trade:— 1905–6. 1906–7. 1907–8. Beef and Veal … … Cwts. 13,792,980 … … 14,290,500 … … 13,886,360 Mutton and Lamb … … Cwts. 5,910,780 … … 5,696,900 … … 5,635,560 Pig-meat … … Cwts. 5,166,960 … … 4,847,860 … … 5,791,100

The following mere the *Imports of the chief varieties of food and fodder referred to in 1906–8:— Quantities. Values. 1906. 1907. 1908. 1906. 1907. 1908. £ £ £ Live Cattle No. 561,140 471,942 383,125 9,730,220 8,103,353 6,549,160 Live Sheep No. 103,359 105,597 78,898 156,947 168,511 122,518 Fresh Beef Cwt. 5,518,169 5,721,787 5,596,286 9,773,872 10,372,332 10,246,501 Fresh Mutton Cwt. 4,080,728 4,572,877 4,380,063 7,642,128 8,676,555 8,128,695 Fresh Pork Cwt. 492,121 567,319 572,217 1,130,950 1,338,184 1,331,419 Bacon Cwt. 5,413,056 5,250,955 5,604,772 14,306,290 14,533,985 14,249,263 Hams Cwt. 1,269,942 1,097,397 1,184,337 3,364,596 3,098,028 2,937,983 Rabbits Cwt. 800,462 685,198 544,294 997,655 854,836 677,565 Poultry & Game Cwt. — — — 941,188 1,004,521 1,026,863 Butter Cwt. 4,259,754 4,126,565 4,155,743 23,063,201 21,999,283 23,775,183 Margarine Cwt. 1,092,110 876,221 808,021 2,709,887 2,202,434 2,067,393 Cheese Cwt. 2,583,677 2,319,941 2,249,184 7,428,590 6,731,971 6,500,869 Eggs 1,000's 2,247,774 2,209,911 2,167,280 7,041,581 7,068,972 7,127,433 Lard† Cwt. 1,857,088 1,800,151 1,876,656 3,959,656 4,112,058 4,151,138 Wheat Grain Cwt. 92,576,017 96,665,902 90,336,989 32,534,048 37,148,961 37,947,159 Wheat Flour Cwt. 14,043,480 13,239,670 12,876,626 6,739,902 6,657,147 7,020,539 Barley Cwt. 19,886,944 19,478,874 18,127,194 5,663,464 6,518,116 6,110,920 Oats Cwt. 15,263,761 10,461,142 14,238,439 4,524,690 3,374,349 4,151,685 Beans Cwt. 600,909 788,819 998,648 216,620 285,557 354,259 Peas‡ Cwt. 1,440,052 1,223,958 1,027,176 606,202 590,106 519,871 Hops Cwt. 229,491 195,554 267,163 840,865 740,197 729,234 Apples Cwt. 2,736,717 3,434,891 3,291,826 1,694,959 2,156,202 2,006,382 Cherries Cwt. 191,105 165,411 160,479 245,904 199,486 234,883 Pears Cwt. 575,112 499,040 521,715 570,023 476,433 513,101 Plums Cwt. 890,698 325,453 402,609 757,966 344,443 426,400 Potatoes Cwt. 3,641,420 8,145,760 6,908,549 1,282,109 2,343,698 1,934,228 Onions Bushels 7,464,138 7,658,551 7,091,428 859,459 894,809 887,301 Hay Tons 155,091 97,192 42,070 518,411 337,451 153,948 Straw Tons 78,509 58,715 15,941 169,812 127,181 35,152 *Less re-export. † Excluding Imitation Lard. ‡ Excluding Dhol or Pigeon Pea.

Kingdom has been made. The Board, however, have been recently making special inquiries in connection with the Census of Production, which will, it is believed, provide statistical material for such an estimate. Such particulars, as are available, are as follows:—

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that at recent revisions of the register of voters a number of electors in the borough of West Bromwich and elsewhere were disfranchised on the ground that they had received Poor Law relief, although they did not receive either indoor or outdoor relief, but worked for a wage, in some cases only for a day or two, in a labour yard established by a board of guardians; and whether he will consider the possibility of so altering the existing law as to prevent the disfranchisement of men who earn what they receive?

I apprehend that, in the cases to which my hon. Friend refers, the men were set to work as a condition of receiving outdoor relief. In such cases they would not, have worked for a wage, but would be relieved according to their necessities. As regards the last part of the question, I may refer to the answer given yesterday by the Prime Minister to a similar question by the hon. Member for Sunderland, in which he said that whilst the state of things called for serious consideration, he could not give any undertaking as to the introduction of legislation in the immediate future.

asked the President of the Local Government Board, whether he will give instructions to vaccination officers to accept declarations under the Vaccination Act, 1907, made by mothers in the absence of their husbands at sea or anywhere where they are unable to make the declaration?

The Law Officers advised in 1898 that under ordinary circumstances the father was the person to obtain a certificate of conscientious objection, and a similar view would no doubt apply to the making of a statutory declaration under the Vaccination Act, 1907. A declaration made by the mother would not relieve the father from liability. It would, however, relieve her from liability, and for this purpose it should be accepted by the vaccination officer. Where it has appeared to me necessary, I have informed the vaccination officer to this effect. It does not seem to be necessary to make any general communication on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the number of teachers in the Duke of York's School has been reduced by about 10 and the number of boys by about 30; and, if so, whether this loss to the sons of old soldiers is to be permanent?

The hon. and gallant Member has been misinformed. While in view of the formation of the new Queen Victoria School it was decided to reduce the students by 10, from 40 to 30, it was also decided to increase the boys by 30, from 480 to 510, three boys being admitted for each student reduced. As the Queen Victoria School was unable to accommodate students as soon as was expected, the reduction of students at the Duke of York's School has been temporarily suspended.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether he can state when the park gates at Marble Arch will be reopened for carriages; and whether in future it will be possible to keep one gate open while part of the road is being repaired, instead of closing both at one time?

The road between the Marble Arch and Grosvenor Gate is being repaired; this portion will be completed on Thursday, and the gates at the Marble Arch opened. To repair the roads for half their width at a time would be costly and slow. Work would frequently have to be stopped whilst horses, which were, or were thought to be, restive, passed the road-breakers and rollers. Such a system would result in more inconvenience to the public than that at present followed.

asked the First Commissioner of Works at what date the Regulation was first issued which prohibits motor cars in certain parts of Hyde Park during stated months in the summer; has it been in force continuously from that date; and will he say whether it is the speed of the cars or the odour of the petrol which leads to the continuance of the Regulation by him?

The Regulations to which my hon. Friend refers were made under the authority of the late Government in June, 1905, and have been continu- ously in force since that time. The maintenance of these Regulations is based upon my view of what will best contribute to the general comfort and convenience of the great mass of people for whose enjoyment the park is primarily intended.

asked the Chancellor whether he will state, for each of the years 1894–5 to 1908–9, both inclusive, the total amount of the nine Death Duties, namely, Estate Duty, Settlement Estate Duty, Probate Duty, Inventory Duty, Account Duty, Temporary Estate Duty, Legacy Duty, Succession Duty, and Corporation Duty, actually received during the year, the total capital amount on which those duties were paid, and the average aggregate rate per cent. of the whole nine duties?

The figures are as follows:— Year. Total Duties. Total of corresponding Capital.* Average Aggregate Rate per cent. £ £ £ 1894–5 10,894,385 194,465,000 5.61 1895–6 14,088,608 249,942,000 5.63 1896–7 13,878,274 245,883,000 5.64 1897–8 15,449,190 270,326,000 5.71 1898–9 15,732,578 271,901,000 5.78 1899–0 18,409,293 312,819,000 5.88 1900–1 16,721,129 284,884,000 5.87 1901–2 18,513,714 295,829,000 6.26 1902–3 17,913,177 296,382,000 6.04 1903–4 17,326,137 291,161,000 5.95 1904–5 17,258,431 284,309,000 6.07 1905–6 17,344,925 296,233,000 5.85 1906–7 18,958,763 319,579,000 5.93 1907–8 19,108,256 304,093,000 6.28 1908–9 18,310,280 294,662,000 6.21 * Corporation Duty being chargeable on annual value, the capital value in respect of this duty has been estimated at 20 years' purchase of the annual value.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the new Mineral Taxes apply to clay used for the manufacture of bricks, which is but a few inches under the surface?

Yes, Sir.

asked whether the registers containing the particulars of and site value of land will be open to the inspection of the public?

I beg to refer the hon. Member to the reply of my right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary on 19th July last to a similar question by the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that copies of the official organs of other Government Departments are, for the convenience of Members, placed in the Library of the House; and whether he will arrange for the Post Office Circular to be placed there for reference.

I have given instructions for this to be done.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that a practice has arisen among potato growers of transmitting diseased potatoes through the post for examination and diagnosis; and whether, in view of the losses which are being caused by the potato disease known as black scab and the infectious nature of this disease, he will issue orders prohibiting the transmission of diseased potatoes through the post?

I am having inquiry made on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received for sanction and ratification the new bye-laws of the council of the Royal College of Surgeons regarding the admission of women to their examinations, agreed to on 1st April last; whether he is aware that the delay in issuing the bye-laws is causing inconvenience to women students waiting to go up for their examinations; and whether he can say when the bye-laws are likely to be issued?

I have already, on the 25th ultimo, signified to the council my decision to approve these bye-laws. My approval will be given as soon as they submit the formal document for my signature. I understand that they cannot do this before their meeting on 14th October, but it will still, I believe, be possible to complete the necessary formalities in time for women to be allowed to enter for the examination of the Royal College to be held in January next.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will review the facts of a case tried at Malmesbury on 3rd instant, in which the defendant, a child of 14 years, was sent to a reformatory for three years; was the defendant subjected to personal violence, at or just before his arrest, by a person who was a witness against him at the trial; was the child offered the advantages of the First Offenders Act; was the case tried before and under the conditions of a juvenile offenders' court; and will he state whether he will advise a mitigation of the sentence?

I will make inquiries, and will inform my hon. Friend of the result.