asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he can state whether the Congested Districts Board will put the compulsory powers of the Land Act of 1909 into force, concerning the sale of the Latouche estate, situate in the vicinity of Carrigallen, county Leitrim, and as the tenants were entering into negotiations for the sale of the property, shortly after the passing of the Land Act of 1903, but met with every opposition from the estate agent; and whether, as proceedings were instituted against a number of the tenants at the recent quarter sessions in Carrick-on-Shannon in January last, and that the county court judge put a stay on the decrees, which he gave for a time, with a view to having the estate sold in the meantime, if negotiations will be commenced immediately for the sale of this estate, so that the tenants may be spared further litigation and expense?

The Congested Districts Board have not considered the question of putting their compulsory powers under the Irish Land Act, 1909, into force in this case. I understand proceedings were instituted in January last against a number of the tenants on the estate, and decrees given, but, by the consent of the agent, a stay of execution of the decrees was given until 1st March. The agent has been supplied, at his own request, with the necessary documents to enable him to furnish the particulars required before an inspection and valuation of the estate can be made. As soon as the documents are received the estate will be valued without avoidable delay.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that the Congested Districts Board prevent the appointment by parish committees of any member of a shopkeeper's household as supervisor of works; and whether, in view of the fact that the emoluments are small, and that it is often difficult to obtain a suitable man for the post, he will grant more freedom of action to parish committees in this matter?

Parish committees are obliged to administer the money placed at their disposal in accordance with rules made by the Congested Districts Board. Under Rule 11 no shopkeeper or member of a shopkeeper's household can act as a member of the committee or hold the office of secretary or supervisor. I see no reason to alter this rule, which has worked satisfactorily.

asked whether the Estates Commissioners have taken any steps to provide D. Cronin, Ballingarry, county Limerick, whose claim has been admitted to the approved list of evicted tenants, with a suitable holding; are there any untenanted lands in county Limerick at present available for this purpose; and when may he expect to be reinstated?

The Estates Commissioners, on further consideration of Denis Cronin's application for reinstatement in a holding formerly occupied by his father on the Lyons estate, county Limerick, and now in the occupation of another tenant, have decided to take no action in the matter.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury, with reference to the statement in the last Report of the Board of Inland Revenue that the number of assessments under Schedule E of the Income Tax in respect of the salaries, etc., of Government officials in Ireland for 1908–9 was 4,397, whether he would indicate the Parliamentary votes, other than the votes for Irish Public Departments, for which provision was made in the Civil Service Estimates, from which such salaries, etc., were defrayed?

The under-mentioned assessments are in respect of payments out of sources other than the votes for the Irish Public Departments, for which provision was made in the Civil Service Estimates:—

	Number of Assessments.
(a) Paymaster-General's Department, Dublin:—
Consolidated Fund	117
Treasury, etc.,	11
Temporary Commissions	5
Miscellaneous Expenses	2
Superannuations	202
	337
(b) Irish Lights Commission	23
(c) Dublin Port and Docks Board	26
(d) Representative Body of the Church of Ireland	1622
(e) Bank of Ireland	341
(f) Registry of Petty Sessions Clerk	178
	2190

(b) (c) (d) and (e) are not Government Departments, and the payments assessed at the Petty Sessions Office are not paid out of voted moneys. I should, perhaps, explain that the statistical heading, "Government Officials" is a short title under which are placed over 88,000 assessments in all, the vast majority of which are made upon Government officials.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he would arrange to change the area of the annual Army manœuvres from time to time, so as to prevent the recurrence of the unavoidable inconvenience to the resident population in the same district?

Manœuvres held under the Military Manœuvres Act cannot take place a second time in any area until five years have elapsed. With regard to manœuvres held by private arrangement with landowners, it is to be remembered that it is to the interest of troops, from a training point of view, that the area in which manœuvres take place should be changed as frequently as possible; consequently the military authorities are making every effort to use all suitable localities which are not excluded from consideration on account of the cost of transport of the troops to them.

asked the Secretary of State for War, whether he can state the number of pairs of boots purchased by the War Office in each of the last eight financial years, giving the quantities, respectively, of hand-made boots and machine-made boots; and the time given to the manufacturers for the completion of contract each year?

The figures asked for and the periods for delivery of the main orders are as follows, the year being the calendar year in each case:—

	Infantry Boots and Shoes, Pairs.	Delivery.
1903	220,052	April, 1904, to Feb., 1905
1904	221,248	March, 1905, to April, 1906
1905	247,887	March, 1906, to Feb., 1907
1906	65,004	June, 1906, to March, 1907
1907	433,630	March, 1907, to Feb., 1908
1908	352,918	April, 1908, to Dec, 1908
1909	259,765	March, 1909, to Jan., 1910
1910	304,696	Feb., 1910, to Oct., 1910
Dec,1910 for 1911	150,000	March, 1911, to Jan., 1912

The number of machine-sewn boots and shoes included in the above figures are:—

					Paris
1907	…	…	…	…	2,280
1908	…	…	…	…	204
1909	…	…	…	…	4,265
1910	…	…	…	…	10,246

The rest were hand sewn, except that the contractors have the option of stitching the uppers by machine. The extent to which they have availed themselves of this option is not recorded.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he would favourably consider proposals for allowing a distinctive uniform to be worn by members of the newly suggested London Veteran Reserve; and, if so, whether the Government would give a grant-in-aid to veterans desirous of obtaining the uniform?

I am not at present able to give any information on this subject, but I hope to be able to make a statement on the introduction of Army Estimates.

asked the Home Secretary if he will state the places in which children's courts are now established in buildings entirely separate from the ordinary police-court, in the same building as the ordinary police-court, but with a separate entrance, staircase, and other accommodation, in one of the ordinary courts for adult offenders, the children's court being held on a different day or at a different hour?

I have not got this information, and could only obtain it by calling for a return from all the petty sessional courts and local authorities throughout the country. This would involve a good deal of labour, and I think it had better be deferred till the Children Act has been in force a little longer.

asked the Prime Minister whether any objection is raised by any public department to the Police (Weekly Rest-Day) (Scotland) Bill, standing in the name of the hon. Member for Holborn?

I must refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Lord Advocate to my hon. Friend the Member for the College Division of Glasgow on Monday last. I cannot add anything to the answer then given.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he would give a list of all the town-planning schemes which have been submitted for his approval since the Housing and Town Planning Act, 1909, came into force; and if he will state which of them have received his approval, and which of them are at present being carried into effect?

Under Section 54 (2) of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, it is necessary for a local authority, before preparing a town planning scheme, to obtain the authority of the Local Government Board for the preparation of the scheme. Application for such authority has been made in three cases, namely:—

(1) By the Corporation of Birmingham, in regard to an area comprising the parish of Quinton, and parts of the parishes of Harborne, Edgbaston, and Northfield (2,320 acres).

(2) By the Corporation of Birmingham in regard to an area comprising part of the parish of Aston (1,477 acres).

(3) By the Urban District Council of Ruislip-Northwood (about 6,000 acres).

I have given the necessary authority in respect of the case first-mentioned, and the corporation are now in a position to proceed with the preparation of a scheme to be submitted to the Board for approval. As regards the other two cases, I have caused local inquiries to be held into the applications, and my decision thereon will be given at an early date. I may add, for the information of my hon. Friend, that although the three cases above mentioned are the only cases which have reached the stage of formal application to the Board for approval of the preparation of town-planning schemes, I have information that the question of preparing such schemes is being considered by a number of local authorities, urban and rural, and numerous Conferences have taken place with the Board's officers on the subject. I have reason to suppose that in several cases the authorities are taking definite action with a view to the preparation of schemes in the near future.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the number and names of the submarine signals which have been established off the British and Irish coasts respectively; whether these have been erected by private enterprise or at the public cost, or partly by both; whether it is proposed to establish any others; and, if so, when and where?

As regards England and Wales, submarine signalling apparatus has been established by the Trinity House on the following fourteen lightships:—

Spurn	Royal Sovereign
Outer Dowsing	Nab
Cross Sand	Shambles
Outer Gabbard	Owers
Sunk	St. Goven
Tongue	Break sea
East Goodwin	Morecambe Bay

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can state by what approximate date the volume on the wages and conditions of labour in the United States will be issued?

The report is in type, and is being revised as quickly as possible, but the completion of a volume of this size must necessarily take some time, and I cannot name a precise date for its issue. The hon. Member may, however, rest assured that there will be no avoidable delay.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he had recently received representations from the Irish Railway Workers' Trade Union, Inchicore, county of Dublin, with reference to putting in force the provisions of the Trade Boards Act of 1909 for the protection of railway workers; whether he was aware that it was alleged that the railway workers at Inchicore have serious grievances for which they cannot obtain redress, including those resulting from sweating; and whether he will take care that the Trade Boards Act shall not be nullified by any action of the railway companies?

I have received a letter from this union, and statements have also been received as to the grievances of the railway workers. I have considerable doubt, if the provisions of the Act referred to could usefully be applied to railway workers, and in any case for reasons stated in the answer given by me yesterday to the hon. Member for West Belfast, it is at present premature to consider its extension to any trades other than those included in the Schedule.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can see his way to alter the regulation re the withdrawal of sums over £1 from the Post Office Savings Bank, as at present it is a hardship on persons of small means, as they have to wait four days after giving notice before they can draw their money?

The system of telegraphic withdrawal is available for cases of urgency which are not met by the facility for withdrawing sums up to £1 on demand. The system of withdrawal on demand is open to abuse, and it is not considered desirable to extend its scope.

asked the Postmaster-General the reason why three years' superannuation papers or thirty-six receipts have of late years been sent out to retired servants of his Department who are entitled to pension; and will he say what loss to his Department has been suffered by the number of these lost and requiring to be replaced?

It has been the practice for many years past to supply Post Office pensioners paid weekly with a three years' supply of receipt forms; and as the practice effects substantial economies in the cost of printing, postage, and stationery it has in recent years been extended, wherever practicable, to pensioners paid monthly or quarterly. So far from any loss having been occasioned by the adoption of this practice, there has been appreciable gain.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture how many applications have been granted under the Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1907, how many acres have been applied for, and how many obtained under that Act; and how many acres to how many persons have been so allotted to applicants in the counties of Somerset and Gloucester respectively?

In Gloucestershire 754 applications have been made for 12,374 acres, but it is not possible to state the number approved as suitable, inasmuch as no definite decision is arrived at by the county council until they have land to let. The total area required is 4,119 acres. The county council have acquired, or agreed to acquire, 1,547 acres, of which 1,467 acres have been let to 141 applicants, and 108 have obtained holdings from private landowners direct. In Somerset 2,106 applications have been made for 29,087 acres, of which 1,182 for 16,702 acres have been provisionally approved. The county council have acquired, or agreed to acquire, 4,135 acres, of which 3,365 acres have been let to 227 applicants, and eighty-four applicants have obtained land privately.