asked the Chancellor whether he would be willing to allow a drawback of the duty on spirit used by medical practitioners, chemists, and druggists?

I have given my sympathetic consideration to this matter, but the practical difficulties are very serious, and I am afraid I cannot undertake to grant such a drawback.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any concession has been promised to Ireland on the valuation upon which Licence Duty is to be charged previous to the completion of the register of annual licence values; and, if so, whether he will state the particulars?

For the purpose of the duties charged by the recent Finance Act on licences for the sale of intoxicating liquors where the duties depend upon the annual value of the premises, it is provided that the annual value is to be determined in the same manner and subject to the same conditions (including, as respects licensed premises in Ireland, the provisions of Sub-section (7) of Section 43 of the Inland Revenue Act, 1880) as the annual value of premises is determined for the purpose of a publican's licence. This Sub-section, which previously applied to public-houses only, provides that in the case of premises in Ireland to which Griffith's valuation applies, the value shall not exceed the amount of value assigned thereto in that valuation, with the addition of 20 per cent. of such amount. When this Sub-section was introduced in 1880, Mr. Gladstone said that "what was proposed was only that there should he given power to the authorities in certain cases, according to the merits of each case, to add an amount to Griffith's valuation which should in no instance go beyond 20 per cent.," and it was not intended that the addition should in all cases be 20 per cent. I have instructed the Commissioners of Customs and Excise that the present system—namely, Griffith's valuation plus 20 per cent.—is to be continued in the case of premises in Ireland which are of an annual value of £50 or less, but that where the annual value according to Griffith's valuation exceeds £50 the annual value for the purpose of the Licence Duties is to be calculated according to that valuation, with the addition of 5 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates would he the approximate number of persons, other than employers, contributing to the insurance funds against unemployment and invalidity under the proposals adumbrated by the Government, and what would be the approximate amount of their contributions?

It is estimated that 2,250,000 persons would contribute to the scheme for insurance against unemployment and about 15,000,000 to the scheme for insurance against sickness, invalidity, etc. I am not yet in a position to state what would be the amount of their contributions.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he would state why the claim of Mary Rowlands, of Cloughbrack, in the Lahardane sub-pension district, county Mayo, for an old age pension has been disallowed by the Local Government Board?

Mrs. Rowland's claim to a pension was disallowed by the Local Government Board on the ground that she had not satisfied them that she had attained the statutory age.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether Thomas Kennedy's claim for an old age pension has been refused on the grounds of no evidence of age; whether his sister, who is several years younger, is over seventy years and in receipt of a pension; whether Thomas Kennedy's name appears in the Census Return of 1841 as being four years old; and, if so, whether, under the circumstances, he will direct the Local Government Board to reconsider his claim for a pension?

The claim of Thomas Kennedy was disallowed by the Local Government Board on the ground that he had not attained the statutory age. He furnished the Board with baptismal certificates of two sisters who were baptised in 1836 and 1842, but he produced no evidence that he was born before the younger of the two. The Local Government Board have no power to reconsider their decisions, but it is open to Kennedy to make a fresh claim if he is now in a position to furnish definite evidence as to his age.

asked whether, in the case of the estate of Sir F. J. Hort, in the county of Kildare, all the undertakings by tenants have now been lodged; and, if so, will the Estates Commissioners at once complete the purchase thereof according to their offer to the Land Judge made on 23rd March, 1909?

All the undertakings have now been lodged. The sale will be completed as soon as possible.

asked whether a memorial has been addressed to the Estates Commissioners in respect to the estate of Montague E. Dobbs, esquire, situate in the parish of Ballinagagh, county Kildare, by the tenants thereof, praying that the said estate might be declared a separate congested estate under the Land Act of 1909; and, if so, whether any and what steps have been taken to accede to the prayer of this memorial?

Four memorials have been received from tenants on the estate of Mr. Archibald E. Dobbs, county Kildare, to which the question presumably refers. The Estates Commissioners are in communication with the owner's agent in reference thereto.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that agreements to purchase their holdings were signed five years ago by the tenants on Colonel Lopdell's estate, situate at Cappamore and Gortnaclough, near Kinvarra; whether he is aware that the estate includes a large mountain farm which would be a great acquisition to the poor tenants if divided amongst them, and that the tenants have to travel a distance of three Irish miles for fresh water; and seeing that the tenants have been paying a high rate of interest on the purchase money for the past five years, will he bring the estate to the notice of the Estates Commissioners so as to have it immediately dealt with? Mr. BIRRELL: The purchase agreements in the case of this estate were lodged with the Estates Commissioners in January, 1906, and the estate takes priority accordingly. When its turn is reached the matters referred to in the question will be inquired into.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that an originating request to purchase has been served on the Congested Districts Board by the Scottish Insurance Company, representing the estate of Blake Forster, in the neighbourhood of Kinvarra, county Galway, and that this estate covers a number of congested villages in Crushoa, Towna East and Wrest, Mount Scribe, Nogara, and Kinturla; whether he is aware that this estate was sold to the tenants some years ago, but, owing to the quality of the land and the fact that most of the holdings were in rundale, was refused sanction by the Land Commission; whether he is aware that the estate was subsequently sold to the tenants under the Act of 1903 at £4,000 more, which the Estates Commissioners refused to sanction; and whether, in view of the urgency of bringing immediate relief to those poor congests, he will call the attention of the Board to the matter, in the hope of dealing with the estate at once?

The Congested Districts Board inform me that the owners of this estate have not lodged an originating request, but they have expressed their willingness to sell, and are at present preparing the maps and documents required under the regulations. On receipt of these documents the Board will at once have the estate inspected.

asked whether previous to the day of the man being shot, District Inspector Price was served with a summons by a man named Timothy O'Neill for assault; and if the police officer had any orders to use blackthorns?

A summons has been served upon the district inspector as stated in the question. The matter is at present sub judice.

asked how much untenanted land in the district of Fermoy, Castleloyns, county Cork, has been purchased since 1903; and the number of acres purchased from Mrs. Pyne, of Ballyvollane, whose tenants signed agreements to purchase in October, 1908?

The information asked for in the first part of the question is not available, as the statistics of the Estates Commissioners are not compiled by rural districts. Mrs. Pyne's estate is being sold by the landlord direct to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903. Agreements for the purchase of 672 acres were lodged in October, 1908.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the officers of public bodies in Ireland who held office at the date of the passing of the Local Government Act of 1898 possess protection from arbitrary treatment, the right to compensation, and increase of salary in the event that they are able to show that their duties are increased; and whether he will advise the Local Government Board to place similar officers who were appointed after the passing of the Local Government Act of 1898 on the same footing, provided they are able to show that their duties were increased since their appointment?

The Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, accorded to certain officers, who held office, at the passing of the Act, certain rights owing to the great change in local administration. The case, however, of persons who have accepted office since the passing of the Act is quite different; and their position is also defined in the Statute, which the local Government Board have no power to vary.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the damage done to private property in the town of Sheerness caused by the concussion when firing the heavy guns from the Ravelin and other batteries at Sheerness; and whether he will grant compensation for such damage?

My attention has been drawn to this matter. The whole question is being carefully investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the Yeomanry will soon be equipped with carbine buckets; whether such equipment can be effected before next spring; and whether he will consider the issuing to them of some weapon for defence in hand-to-hand fighting as soon as this has been done?

The present type of bucket in possession of the Yeomanry is suitable for the short rifle, and it is not intended to issue any other type of bucket to this force. As regards the last part of the question I may refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on Tuesday last.

asked what is the difference between the pay of adjutants of Yeomanry and of Territorial Infantry; and on what ground such difference is justified?

The adjutant draws the pay of his rank in the arm of the Service to which he belongs. At present the Yeomanry adjutant also draws five shillings a day additional pay. The question of additional pay has been recently under consideration, and I hope shortly to be able to announce a change which will remove the inequality.

asked whether a member of the Territorial Force, who has been efficient in its service since its inception, is, according to regulations at present in force, deprived of his pay during the time he is with his regiment in camp if he has not completed ten drills before his departure to camp?

In the circumstances stated in the question pay is not issued unless special exemption is granted by the general officer commanding-in-chief in accordance with paragraph 577 of the Territorial Force Regulations.

asked the Secretary for War (1) whether, in view of the complaints made by county Territorial Associations in the course of their dealings with the Army Council and of the dissatisfaction that exists, he will appoint an impartial committee to inquire into the relations between the associations and the Army Council, and to recommend such changes of administration and legislation as it may consider necessary to remove the causes from which the complaints arise; (2) whether his attention has been called to a resolution passed by the West Riding Territorial Association at York, on 4th July, expressing the opinion that a change was necessary in the relations of the association with the Army Council, and urging the Government to give further effect to their policy of placing the administration of the Territorial Army under the control of the County Associations without undue interference to perform their duty of providing a properly-equipped force on the Grants allotted to them; whether he has received other resolutions of a similar character; and whether he proposes to take any action with the object of removing the grievances of which complaint is made?

In reply to these questions I would point out to the Noble Lord that on 30th June, in reply to a question put on his behalf by the Noble Lord the Member for the Chichester Division of Sussex, I gave a very full statement in regard to the relations of the Army Council with the county associations and of the steps that are being taken, and will be taken to settle the various questions that have arisen. To this statement I have nothing at present to add.

asked the Under-Secretary for the Colonies whether he has yet taken any steps to prevent further alienation of tribal lands by native chiefs to whites in the Gold Coast Colony or other Colonies on the West Coast; and whether he can say if the alienations made already to rubber and other companies have received such final sanction by the Governor, the High Court, or the Colonial Office as makes the transaction secure and irrevocable?

The attention of the Secretary of State has been drawn to the somewhat extensive alienation of native lands which is going on in the Colony of the Gold Coast, and he has asked the Governor to report whether any additional safeguards for native rights are required.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Foreign Office has received an invitation through the American Ambassador in London to appoint delegates to the World's Congress for the Deaf, to be held at Colorado Springs from the 6th to the 13th August; and whether he will take steps to appoint a delegate for that purpose?

The Congress is not held under the auspices or patronage of the Government of the United States, but an invitation from the President of the National Association of the Deaf has been received through the United States Ambassador. After reference to the Local Government Board and the Board of Education, I informed the Ambassador that His Majesty's Government were unable to appoint a delegate to the Congress.

asked the Prime Minister what steps he proposes to take to give effect to the opinion expressed by him on 18th March, 1909, that the length of time which is at present permitted for the repayment of loans raised for the erection of school buildings is very much too short, and that the life of the schools, particularly those built in these days according to modern requirements, is very much underestimated when it is treated as having come to an effective end at the close of thirty yars?

As I informed my hon. Friend the Member for the Middleton Division yesterday, the normal period will be extended to fifty years.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he has completed his further inquiry into the action of the Camberwell Board of Guardians in connection with the alleged supply of meat to the Salvation Army; and, if so, what is the result of his inquiry?

Further inquiry has been made into this matter, but no evidence is forthcoming to substantiate the allegations.

asked the President of the Local Government Board—(1) whether he will consider the advisability of prohibiting the introduction of a so-called improver into genuine flour, as it has been found that the improvers of certain chemical companies contain arsenic, and many of them are simply preparations of purified bone ash, while others contain large quantities of gypsum or sulphate of lime; whether he proposes to take any steps to deal with the use of these substitutes for the food values of pure flour in view of the provisions of the Bread Act of 1836; and (2) whether samples of the different flours for sale in the United Kingdom have been taken by the Government food inspectors for the purpose of analysis; and whether it has been found to be a practice among some millers to adulterate the flour by the addition of chemicals of an injurious character with a view to increasing its whiteness, and also to give the flour made from a poor, non-glutinous wheat the capacity to rise when in the process of baking, which would otherwise have to depend for its raising properties on the natural gluten Contained in the wheat, and that, glutinous wheats being over a series of years the most expensive, the manufacturers who practise these methods are reaping a financial advantage at the risk of the consumer, and supplying a flour which has not its proper food value in gluten?

The inquiry which I have directed into the bleaching of flour and the use of so-called improvers in its preparation is proceeding, and the points raised in these questions are receiving attention.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether, in view of the large aggregate mortality from measles and whooping cough in London, he would be prepared to approve of the utilisation of such hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board as may not be required for notifiable diseases for the voluntary admission and treatment of children suffering from measles and whooping cough?

The question of the practicability of utilising the spare accommodation in the institutions under the control of the managers of the Metropolitan Asylum District for diseases other than those with which they are at present empowered to deal is under consideration, and I understand that a proposal on the subject is coming before the managers at their next meeting. I shall not lose sight of the matter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what were the quantities of tea imported into the United Kingdom from British Possessions and foreign countries, respectively, during the financial year ending 31st March, 1910?

The quantity of tea imported into the United Kingdom during the year ended 31st March, 1910, was 342,890,589 lbs. Of this amount 302,351,836 lbs. were consigned from British possessions and 40,538,753 lbs. from foreign countries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if it is his early intention to introduce legislation on the lines of the Report presented unanimously by the Committee on Bankruptcy in April, 1908?

I am afraid I cannot give any definite undertaking in the matter at present.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether officials of Labour Exchanges are to have the right of becoming candidates and, if elected, to sit as members of public bodies if they so desire; and if he will state what their position is with regard to civil rights generally?

Officials of Labour Exchanges are subject to the same rules as to service on public bodies as other officials of the Board of Trade.

asked the Attorney General in what order or rotation jurors are supposed to be summoned to serve at assizes; whether there is any provision for having the regular order observed in practice, and preventing the arbitrary summoning of jurors of a particular com- plexion to try a particular class of cases; and whether, as distinguished from the right of challenge, the present practice enables a party against whom a jury has been packed in that way to compel a disclosure of the order in which the jurors were summoned.

The order or rotation in which jurors are selected from the names in the jurors' book is left to the discretion of the Sheriff, and the manner of selection varies in different localities, but it usually involves some element of chance. Jurors are not summoned to try particular cases, the selection from the panel of the jury in each particular case being decided by ballot. I am not aware of any case in which the jury has been packed against any party, and there is no such practice as is suggested in the question.

asked the Postmaster-General, if he can say whether any, and what, progress has been made in the proposed decentralisation of Post Office work; whether he will consider the advisability of making Wales a separate district; and will he receive a deputation from the council of the city of Cardiff on the matter before arriving at any final decision?

I regret that I am not yet in a position to make any definite statement on this subject; but, as I have already informed the City Council, I shall be glad to receive a deputation from Cardiff before any scheme is promulgated affecting the general organisation of the work of the Post Office in Wales.

asked the Postmaster-General, whether, in view of the

Year ended. Total Number of postal packets of all kinds deal with. Total No. of Staff. No. dismissed for Dishonesty. Percentage of Staff dismissed for Dishonesty. 31st March, 1900 … 3,588,748,000 167,070 230 .14 31st March, 1901 … 3,723,817,000 173,184 310 .17 31st March, 1902 … 3,919,000,000 179,202 269 .15 31st March, 1903 … 4,143,900,000 183,595 237 .12 31st March, 1904 … 4,300,900,000 188,031 265 .14 31st March, 1905 … 4,479,400,000 192,454 237 .12 31st March, 1906 … 4,686,200,000 195,432 246 .12 31st March, 1907 … 4,862,920,000 199,178 224 .11 31st March, 1908 … 4,972,070,000 203,597 193* .09 31st March, 1909 … 5,035,920,000 207,947 214* .10 * These figures partly estimated. Exact returns not at present available.

geographical position of Newport and its importance as the key of the railway system of South Wales, he has considered the advisability, in the proposed decentralisation of Post Office work, of making that town the centre for the surrounding district: and will he receive a deputation from Newport on the matter before arriving at a final decision?

I am not at present in a position to make any definite statement on this subject, but I will communicate with the hon. Member when the proposals for decentralisation have reached a somewhat more advanced stage, in order that representations on behalf of Newport shall have an opportunity of receiving full consideration, should the interests of Newport be affected by any change which may be in prospect.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention had been directed to the increasing number of complaints of missing letters sent through the post during the past few years; what is the number of postal officials who have been dismissed, or whose services have been dispensed with, for irregularities each year during the past ten years.

I cannot accept the hon. Member's suggestion that the number of complaints of missing letters sent through the post is increasing. The number of postal officials who have been dismissed, or whose services have been dispensed with for dishonesty during the period of ten years ended March 31st, 1909, is shown in the table below. I have also added the total number of postal packets dealt with and the total number of the staff employed.