asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Kilkenny borough local pension committee have been refused by the Treasury facilities for obtaining legal assistance in questions of law arising in the course of their duties; that, after long correspondence, in which both Treasury and Local Government Board had been asked to refer them to the words relied in officially as giving jurisdiction to committees to reopen the question of the age of persons already in receipt of pensions, both these Departments failed to refer them to any such words, but the latter in general terms specified a certain Sub-section of the Act; that the committee then came to a decision, specifically reviewing each grammatical Clause of said Sub-section, and deciding that neither there nor elsewhere in the Act were they given any jurisdiction; and whether, seeing that the Local Government Board have, by letter dated 10th inst., intimated to the clerk of committee (Mr. Doheny, solicitor, Kilkenny) that they regarded the committee's decision as so set out as a refusal to determine the question raised by the pension officer, and would accordingly, under their powers in the Act, proceed to decide it themselves, he will take steps to ensure that the committee's decision will not thus be overridden, unless and until it can be shown to be incorrect in point of law and the grounds for attributing jurisdiction to determine open decisions in matters of age to the committee shown by the officials to have such jurisdiction exercised, which up to this has not been done?

Arrangements are in operation under which pension committees can obtain legal advice upon points of law arising in the course of the discharge of their duties through the Local Government Board, and, in these circumstances, the Treasury has not felt justified in sanctioning expenditure by such com- mittees upon obtaining advice through other channels. As regards the particular case of the Kilkenny committee, the Treasury have undertaken, as the committee ware not satisfied with the advice given them through the Local Government Board for Ireland, to make themselves responsible for defending any action taken by the committee in accordance with that advice. The competence of the Local Government Board to decide questions coming before them in the manner explained in the latter part of the question is a matter upon which their decision can, if necessary, be challenged in the courts by any person who may regard himself as aggrieved by it, and the Treasury would not be justified in interfering in the manner suggested in the question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will say how many males and females are now undergoing penal servitude for offences committed by them when between the ages of 16 and 18, for what offences such persons were so sentenced, and the period for which each such person has now been kept in penal servitude?

The following list gives the information which my hon. Friend desires:—

MALES. Initials. Sentence Age on conviction. Offence Period for which each has now been kept in penal servitude. J. E. C. … Death, commuted to penal servitude for life. 17 11/12 Murder … … … 8 years and 8 months. L. A. T. … 10 years … … … 17 8/12 Administering poison with intent to murder. 5 years and 10 months. F.H. … Death, commuted to penal servitude for life. 17 11/12 Murder … … … 3 years and 9 months. T.W.W.D … 5 years … … … 17 11/12 *Burglary and stealing … 3 years and 6 months. M. H. … 4 sentences of 3 years each running concurrently. 17 †Shopbreaking, stealing, uttering forged cheque 1 year and 2 months. E.J … … 4 years. … … … 17 3/12 Unnatural offence … 2 years and 3 months. FEMALES—None. * After five previous convictions of shopbreaking, larceny, etc. †After a previous conviction of larceny

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that as a recent medical examination of a regiment of Hussars that is leaving this

country for India, 12 men were found to have defective teeth; that they were given the alternative of paying the dentist out of their own pocket for having their teeth attended to or taking their discharge; that 11 of them took their discharge; and whether this action which resulted in the loss of 11 trained and experienced soldiers has his sanction?

I am making inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the names and positions of the officers and others who comprised the Committee recently appointed under the chairmanship of Major-General F. T. Clayton, C.B., to consider the question of Soldiers' Messing; whether the Committee has concluded its labours; and whether its Report will be made public, and when?

The Committee is composed of Major-General F. T. Clayton (chairman), Director of Supplies; Brevet-Colonel F. S. Derham, East Lancashire Regiment; Brevet-Colonel W. H. P. Plomer, Royal Irish Fusiliers; Lieutenant-Colonel E. M. Woodward, D.A.A.G., War Office; Mr. D. Neylan (Accountant), Army Accounts Department, and Mr. H. C. Gordon, War Office, Secretary. The Committee has not concluded its labours.

asked the Under-Secretary for the Colonies whether any Reports are received by him from time to time as to the administration of justice by the British North Borneo Company; and whether, on any occasion since the grant of the Charter to the company in 1881, the Secretary of State has acted under the powers contained in Article 10 of the Charter?

The Colonial Office have not been called upon to make any suggestions to the company since 1907; prior to that date, while the affairs of the company were dealt with in the Foreign Office, I understand that there have been occasions on which the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs did make suggestions to the company, and, I presume, that this was done after certain representations under the powers conferred by Section 10 of the Charter.