asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will state the number of evicted tenants, including representatives of evicted tenants, noted as suitable for reinstatement or new holdings, but remaining unprovided for on 1st July, 1910, in each county and in the whole of Ireland.?

As I have already informed the hon. Member, the Estates Commissioners propose to give full information on the subject in their Annual Report for the year ending 31st March last.

also asked the Chief Secretary whether negotiations have been broken off between the Estates Commissioners and Patrick Whelan, planter, of Brittas, Boher, county Limerick; did Whelan agree to leave the evicted farm; if so, who is responsible for the break-up in the settlement come to; and will he say whether it is the landlord, Lord Cloncurry, or the Estates Commissioners?

The question of acquiring Patrick Whelan's holding with the view of reinstating evicted tenants is still under the consideration of the Estates Commissioners.

asked by what authority a secretary to the Board of National Education wrote a letter, dated 22nd November, 1909, in which he demanded the withdrawal of certain statements of facts as to the sale of situations in national schools made by an Irish teacher on 23rd October, 1909?

I understand that in October last the attention of the Commissioners of National Education was called to an anonymous newspaper article on the subject of the alleged sale of situations in national schools. A letter was there-upon addressed to the editor of the newspaper, by special order of the Commissioners, pointing out that they had always carefully investigated any charge of the kind brought before them, and requesting that the writer of the articles should be called upon either to substantiate or withdraw his statements.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Hugh M'Ginley, of Tirheman, Milford, county Donegal, has been deprived of his old age pension, of his book, and noticed to refund amount already received, on the statement of the pension officer that the Census records showed the pensioner to be only eight years of age in 1851, and so under age; whether he is aware that searches have been duly made, and that no record of the pensioner's family has been found in the Census records of 1841 or 1851; on what grounds did the pension officer make the above statement; and, seeing that other sufficient evidence has been and can be produced, will he take steps to have the arrears of pension paid, the book returned, and the pension continued?

The Local Government Board decided in March last that Hugh M'Ginley had not yet attained the age of seventy years. His parents' family was found in the Census Returns of 1841 and 1851. His name did not appear in the Return for 1841, and he was recorded as being eight years old in 1851. If he considers that he has now sufficient evidence to establish his age, it is open to him to lodge a fresh claim.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Mrs. Jane Rooney, of Aughalative, Kin-lough, county Leitrim, has been deprived of her pension as she was not, according to the Census record of 1841, up to the statutory age until 5th September, 1909; and whether, in accordance with recent decisions of the Local Government Board, the pension officer will be instructed to restore her book and refund her the amount stopped on account of the pension paid?

I am informed that Mrs. Rooney was awarded a pension from 1st January, 1909, but on an appeal by the pension officer the Local Government Board decided in April last that Mrs. Rooney had attained the statutory age on 5th September, 1909. Pension officers are not under my control, and questions as to the payment of pensions by those officers should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary to the Treasury.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he will consider the advisability of withdrawing proceedings against the Kilmallock Rural District Council in connection with their refusal to put the Dairies and Cowsheds Order into force; and, having regard to the fact that every single ratepayer in the entire rural district is against putting this Order in force, and is determined to fight the matter out, will proceedings be withdrawn and thus prevent public money being wasted in legal proceedings?

On 8th June the King's Bench Division granted a conditional order calling upon the Kilmallock Rural District Council to show cause why they should not comply with the Local Government Board's mandatory order requiring the council to put the Dairies Order in force. As the Council have decided to oppose the conditional order, the matter is at present sub judice.

next asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether some of the Sub-Commissioners' and Estates Commissioners' inspectors are at present letting their land on the eleven months' system; and, if so, will he say how many men are engaged on both staffs, and what were their previous occupations; and, if of the farming population, what way they are at present working their holdings, whether on the eleven months' system or otherwise?

The Land Commission have no knowledge as to the manner in which their Assistant Commissioners or inspectors may let or otherwise arrange for the user of the lands owned by them. The Returns presented to Parliament in 1906 (House of Commons Papers 231 and 237) contained the latest published particulars with regard to the previous occupations of the Assistant Commissioners and inspectors.

asked Whether the Estates Commisioners have made any offer for the untenanted land on the Vandeleur estate, at Dunkip, Meanus, rural district of Croom, county Limerick; and, if not, will they take the necessary steps to acquire this land for distribution among the deserving people in the district?

The Estates Commissioners are unable to identify this estate as being the subject of proceedings for sale under the Land Purchase Acts.

asked if anything can be done to expedite the sale of the Bolton estate in county Wexford; and when the sale is likely to be completed?

The Estates Commissioners are unable to identify the particular estate to which the hon. Member refers, as there are several estates of that name in county Wexford.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will say what was the total amount paid by women under Section 145 (3) of the Army Act in respect of applications under the Bastardy Acts during 1907, 1908, and 1909, respectively; and what was the largest sum so paid by any woman in each of those years?

I am afraid that it is impossible to furnish the information asked for. It would involve communicating with the commanding officer of every unit at home and also of any unit now abroad which has left this country during the period in question. Moreover, it is improbable that a commanding officer would keep any record of the sums referred to, and the order itself, when made, shows the costs in a lump sum and does not distinguish the travelling money separately from the legal costs.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that there is a growing disparity between the local and Imperial subventions to the cost of education, the total Government Grant for Portsmouth for the year amounting to £63,512, the total sum drawn from the local rates being £85,600; and whether he can see his way to more equitably allocate these subventions?

I am aware that the contributions of the Exchequer to the cost of education have not grown in proportion to the increase of the expenditure of local education authorities. I do not know on what basis the two totals quoted in the question have been calculated. They do not appear to agree with the latest available statistics of the Board of Education. With regard to the last part of the question, the Board are not, of course, responsible for the allocation of money raised from rates, and their own subventions cannot exceed the sums placed at their disposal by Parliament.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he would consider the advisability of issuing regulations to enable boards of guardians to detain feeble-minded females chargeable to them, as the absence of such power is a continual source of difficulty in dealing with this class of females?

I can at the present time only refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for the Eddisbury Division of Cheshire on the 23rd ultimo.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether, having regard to the fact that no legislation to secure purity of milk is contemplated this Session, he proposes to adopt any further administrative steps this year for that object?

I regret that it was not possible to reintroduce the Milk and Dairies Bill this Session, and I am afraid that, pending the reintroduction of the Bill, administrative action in the direction of preventing the introduction of impurities into milk must necessarily be of limited scope. Certain inquiries have been and are being made by my inspectors into other aspects of the matter, such as the addition of preservatives to milk, and when these inquiries are complete I will carefully consider what administrative action can be taken. Pending legislation, it is to be hoped that the local authorities will exercise to the full such powers as they at present possess.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention had been called to the report of Miss Margaret Irwin, of the Scottish Council of Women's Trade, on the wages and conditions of work of women workers in Belfast; and whether he proposes to include these industries under the extension of the Trade Boards Act?

I have seen a report by Miss Irwin on home work in Ireland. It is at present too soon to consider the extension of the scope of the Trade Boards Act.

asked the Lord Advocate, in view of the remarks contained on page 22 of the recently issued report of the medical officer for Ross and Cromarty, will he state what steps are being taken to provide the townships of Cromore and Calbost, Island of Lewis, with a suitable supply of water?

The Local Government Board are informed that the question of the water supply at Cromore has frequently been considered by the local authority. A new well with a pump was built some years ago at a considerable cost, but the people destroyed it. Efforts by the local authority have been in progress for some time back, both for Cromore and Calbost.

asked the Lord Advocate if the Barvas School Board, Island of Lewis, will be instructed to institute an inquiry into the charges of excessive punishment brought against the master of Bragar public school by the parents of children attending the school?

I am to refer the hon. Member to my answer to his question of 19th April last, and to state that the question of excessive punishment having already been the subject of inquiry in the Sheriff Court with a favourable result to the schoolmaster, the Department see no necessity for instructing a fresh investigation on the part of the school board.

asked the Lord Advocate, in view of the fact that children attending the Bragar School, in the parish of Barvas, Island of Lewis, are in the habit of carrying peats to school, and that the Scottish Office issued an Order some years ago deprecating the practice, will a copy of the Order be sent to each school board in the island; and will these boards be instructed to arrange for each school under their control to be provided with a sufficient supply of peats at the cost of the respective boards?

I would refer the hon. Member to my answer to a previous question on the same subject on 26th April last, and to the explanations of the general position of the Department in the matter given on 8th March and 25th April, 1906.

asked the Lord Advocate, in view of the fact that the Report of the Scottish Poor Law Commission, published at the end of last year, directs attention to the insufficiency of medical aid throughout the Western Highlands and Islands of Scotland, if he will state whether it is proposed to augment the medical staff, and, if so, to what extent?

I am unable to add anything to the reply which I gave to the question which my hon. Friend put on the same subject on 29th April last.

asked the Lord Advocate, having regard to the proposals relative to the medical inspection of school children. if he is yet in a position to say how many medical inspectors will be appointed for the Island of Lewis and the Mainland of Ross-shire, respectively?

The scheme for the medical inspection of school children which has been formulated by the Secondary Education Committee for Ross-shire, and which has received the Department's approval, provides, for the present, for the following staff: The medical officer of health for the county. A subordinate medical officer for the mainland section of the county. A second subordinate medical officer for the Island of Lewis.

asked the Lord Advocate whether he is aware that dissatisfaction exists among procurators fiscal in Scotland at the difficulty they have in getting convictions against motorists for exceeding the speed limit; that this difficulty is greater when the cases are appealed; and whether he will introduce legislation either dealing with the methods of timing the speed of motors, or giving an appeal to the sheriff in these cases?

I have made inquiry into this matter and find that no such dissatisfaction exists among procurators fiscal. I find also that only a very small proportion of such cases are appealed to the High Court, and it is only in a very few cases that convictions for exceeding the speed limit have been quashed. The existing legislation appears to be quite sufficient to secure convictions in cases where reliable evidence of excessive speed is furnished, and I see no reason for further legislation on the subject.