asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether it is proposed in the present Session to re-introduce and proceed with the Navigation Works (Ireland) Bill, previously introduced by the Government in 1907?

The object of the Bill has been accomplished so far as present necessities demand by the passing of the Grand Jury (Ireland) Act, 1836, Amendment Act, 1908. This being so, I am not aware of any demand for the re-introduction of the Bill.

asked the Chief Secretary what are the names of the temporary inspectors, assistant inspectors, and assistant commissioners appointed by the Irish Land Commission for the years beginning 1st April, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, and 1910, respectively; and whether it is proposed to appoint any additional temporary inspectors, assistant inspectors, and assistant commissioners for the year beginning 1st April, 1911?

The number of temporary inspectors, assistant inspectors, and assistant commissioners appointed for the purposes of the Land Commission (including the Estates Commissioners) for the periods mentioned was as follows:—

		Inspectors.	Assistant Inspectors.	Assistant Commissioners.
1906	…	1	12	29
1907	…	16	24	29
1908	…	16	12	29
1909	…	23	16	9
1910	…	22	16	6

No useful purpose would appear to be served by publishing the names of the gentlemen appointed. It is not at present proposed to make any additional appointments for the year beginning 1st April next.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he will have further inquiry made into the claim of Andrew Sullivan, Keelnabrack, Glenbeigh, for an old age pension, in view of the fact that although his baptismal certificate cannot be found, that of his eldest sister, aged seventy-nine, has been found, and that he is the third next to her in the family?

Andrew Sullivan's name did not appear in the Census Return of his parents' family in 1841, and his age is recorded as five years in the return of 1851. It is not open to the Local Government Board to reconsider their decision disallowing the pension in this case.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he will have inquiry made into the reasons for withholding an old age pension from Timothy Coffey, of Tubrid, Killorglin, about whose age a statutory declaration was lodged?

The Local Government Board upheld the pension officer's appeal on the ground that there was no evidence that Timothy Coffey had reached the statutory age. His parent's family was found in the Census Return of 1841, but as his name did not appear among the members it would seem that he was not then born.

asked the Chief Secretary if he can state what action the Estates Commissioners propose to take on the application by Mr. Timothy Mangan, Glencuthane, on the Drummond estate, for an inspection of his holding; whether he is aware that, in accordance with the direction of the Estates Commissioners, the applicant brought the matter before the vendor's agent on 8th December, 1910; and can he state what action was then taken by the Estates Commissioners?

Mr. Timothy Mangan was informed by the Estates Commissioner" that when the estate on which his holding is situate was being inspected in order of priority his application would be considered, and that, meanwhile, he should bring the matter under the notice of the owner's agent. The Commissioners cannot say what action, if any, they will take until the estate has been inspected. If the tenant considers his rights are being interfered with, it is open to him to take such legal steps to protect his interests as he may be advised.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Estates Commissioners have received an application for reinstatement from Daniel O'Brien, an evicted tenant on the Elizabeth White estate, county Cork, his former holding being situate at Ballinrea, Doneraile, county Cork; if such application was received, what decision have the Commissioners arrived at; and, if the application has been considered bonâ fide, will the Commissioners substitute the names of the representatives of Mr. Daniel O'Brien, Mr. O'Brien being lately deceased?

The Estates Commissioners received an application from Daniel O'Brien for reinstatement in a holding formerly occupied by him on the White Estate, county Cork, and after inquiry and consideration decided to take no action in the matter.

asked the Chief Secretary whether, in view of the fact that the steam trawler "Evelyn," which trawls in Bantry Bay, is considered by the local net and line fishermen to exceed the tonnage allowed in the by-law regulating trawling in that bay, he will consent to an independent survey of this vessel?

The question whether the tonnage of the steam trawler "Evelyn" is such as to exclude that vessel from the operation of the by-law affecting steam trawling in Bantry Bay is one of fact to be decided in case of dispute by the ordinary tribunal of the country.

asked whether negotiations for the sale of the Puxley estate, situate in Castletown Bere, were entered into; and, if so, what stage have they arrived at?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that the late owner instituted proceedings for the sale of this estate to them, but after inquiry and consideration they decided not to make an offer to purchase the property.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether, seeing that an inspector has several months ago visited Dursey Island, Castletown Bere, with a view to reporting whether the holdings should be vested in the tenants who have lodged agreements in 1905 he is aware that the tenants are paying an annuity of four per cent. on the purchase money; and can he explain the delay in vesting their holdings in these tenants?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that there has been no delay in the proceedings in regard to this estate. They hope to be in a position to advance the money and vest the holdings at an early date.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will request the Congested Districts Board to communicate with Mr. O'Connell, solicitor, Skibbereen, agent to the M'Carthy estate, situate in Hare Island, with a view to the sale of their holdings to the tenants on the said island?

The Congested Districts Board will communicate with the agent with reference to the sale of the estate referred to.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many seamen in the Navy are registered as Presbyterians; and how many Presbyterian commissioned chaplains are there in the Navy?

The latest Return showed 4,299 Presbyterians as included in the personnel of the Royal Navy, a percentage of 3.65 of the total. There are no Presbyterian commissioned chaplains in the Navy, but when His Majesty's ships are in port every endeavour is made to permit attendance at places of worship of the church or denominations to which the men belong.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has recently received petitions from various sections of the Coptic community in Egypt drawing attention to the religious disabilities from which they now suffer, particularly in regard to elementary education in the Kuttabs; and whether he has received any information to show that these grievances are receiving proper attention from the authorities, independently of the provincial councils, with a view to their redress?

I have received telegrams on this subject from four Coptic communities in Egypt, and have referred them to His Majesty's Agent and Consul-General at Cairo for report.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any British companies operating in Egypt, duly registered in England and conforming to the provisions of English company law, have been declared illegally constituted by the judgment of the mixed courts in Egypt during the last three years; and, if so, whether he will give the names of such companies and the grounds on which the mixed courts decided that these companies were illegal?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. In 1908 the Mixed Court of Appeal declared the City and Agricultural Lands of Egypt, Limited, to be null and nonexistent in law in Egypt, on the ground that, having been formed in Egypt, it had not complied with the requirements of Egyptian law as laid down in the Mixed Commercial Code. In May, 1910, the Mixed Court of First Instance declared the Helouan (Egypt) Development Company, Limited, to be non-existent in Egypt, as is believed on similar grounds.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been directed to the fact that the unemployment chart published monthly in the Board of Trade "Labour Gazette" is chiefly based upon Returns from three industries: coal mining, engineering, and textiles, which in January accounted for 446,000 out of 753,000 trade unionists reported upon; if he is aware that of the three industries named, two, namely, coal mining and textiles, meet unemployment in great part by working short time, so that their inclusion unduly weights favourably the average expressed in the chart; if he is aware that building, a great industry which severely suffers from unemployment, is represented in the table by only 56,000 men, which further unduly weights the mean in a favourable direction, and that the inclusion of 223,000 engineers and shipbuilders only sometimes adequately counterweights the mean as a fair expression of the general condition of unemployment; and if, therefore, he will in future publish, not merely the mean un employment rate of all the men reported upon taken together, but the mean of each group, in order that the public may not be misled as to the meaning of the table?

I am aware of the details of the figures upon which the Employment Chart in the Board of Trade "Labour Gazette" is based, but I would remind my hon. Friend that the main purpose of the Chart is to indicate the fluctuations in employment rather than to measure the volume of unemployment throughout the country. I am, however, considering how far it is possible to adopt the suggestion in the last part of the question.