asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in the cases of several old age pensioners who entered Westport union infirmary recently as paying patients, the local pension officer visited the infirmary and took up their pension books; and whether he will take immediate steps to have the pensions restored to these patients, who must otherwise remain in the workhouse as paupers?

I am not aware that any such cases have occurred; but, if the hon. Member will furnish me with the names of the pensioners concerned, I will make inquiries.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Matthew estate, Gortnaglurk, Thurles, from which Con. Callanan's ancestors were evicted, has been sold to the tenants by the present owners; whether the purchase money has been paid to the owners; whether the Estates Commissioners will cause inquiries to be made with a view to provide a holding for Con. Callanan, the representative of the evicted tenant, on the farm from which his ancestors were evicted; and whether the farm is untenanted at present?

The hon. Member presumably refers to the estate of J. B. O'Brien and another, county Tipperary. This estate is the subject of direct sale proceedings under the Irish Land Act, 1903, but has not yet been reached in order of priority. With regard to the last two paragraphs of the question, I "would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a similar question asked by him on the 24th November last.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will consider the possibility of arrangements being made hereafter by which the national teachers of Ireland can receive their salaries monthly, instead of quarterly, as at present?

The matter will not be lost sight of.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will state how many acres of barley were sown in the province of Munster in the years 1908, 1909, and 1910; and what was the average price per barrel of barley in those years?

The number of acres of barley sown in the province of Munster in the years 1908, 1909, and 1910 was 37,759, 41,031, and 41,506 respectively; the average price per barrel in those years was 14s. 9½d., 14s. 6½d., and 13s. 10d. respectively.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that the tenants on the estate of Sir Samuel Falkiner, at Currihaly, Crossbarry, Knockraha, and Glanmire signed agreements to purchase their holdings in September, 1906; can he explain why they have not yet received their vesting orders; and when will their cases be reached in their due order of priority?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that the estate referred to will be dealt with in order of priority, but, having regard to its position on the principal register of direct sales and the prior claims of other estates, they are unable to say at present when its turn will be reached.

asked the Chief Secretary if he can say what is the estimated price which the Estates Commissioners are willing to give the owner of the untenanted lands of Craggs, Borrigone, in the county of Limerick, and at which he would not sell?

It is not the practice of the Estates Commissioners to furnish the information requested by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the privileges of hiring camp equipment, of purchasing disused carbines, and of being inspected by officers of the Army, Regular or Territorial, in uniform, have been withdrawn from companies of the Boys' Brigade which do not accept recognition as cadet units through the Territorial Force Associations; whether he is aware that there is a force of opinion which regards such recognition as detrimental to the primary object of the brigade as set forth in its-constitution; and whether he will state-the reason for the enforcement of a scheme which may endanger the prosperity of the organisation?

The hon. Member is correct in inferring that the privileges mentioned are given only to cadet units which are recognised by Territorial Force Associations. This course was not adopted with any intention whatever of bringing into the organisation of recognised units any associations of boys which prefer not to comply with the conditions necessary for recognition; and no attempt has been made to bring such organisations into line with military requirements. I do not. however, think that it is justifiable to give military aid to bodies which do not comply with any military requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps, if any, have been taken to give effect to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Trade Relations between Canada and the West Indies?

The recommendations with regard to reciprocity with Canada have been referred to the Governors of the West Indian Colonies for the consideration of the Legislatures of those Colonies. The recommendations with regard to steamship services and telegraphic communication are engaging the attention of His Majesty's Government, but I am not yet in a position to make any statement with regard to them. His Majesty's Government have accepted the recommendations as to the Imperial Department of Agriculture, and have decided to continue to make provision for the maintenance of the Central Office of the Department in the West Indies for a further period of ten years. The other matters touched on in the Report are receiving attention.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether any correspondence has taken place between His Majesty's Government, and the Dominion of Canada, and the Governments of the West Indian Islands in regard to the Report of the Royal Commission on the Trade Relations beween Canada and the West Indies, and, if so, will he publish the same?

I am in correspondence with the Governments both of the Dominion of Canada and of the West Indian Colonies on this subject. The correspondence is still continuing, and it would be premature to consider the question of publication at present.

asked the Home Secretary whether he can give the names and occupations of the members of the committee who recently inquired into the treatment of boys on the reformatory ship "Akbar"?

There is no reformatory ship "Akbar," and I suppose the hon. Member refers to the inquiry at the Heswall Nautical School. The inquiry was held not by a committee, but by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department at my request.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, if he will furnish, in addition to the figures already supplied relating to Home consumption, a statement of the estimated quantity exported of the wheat and wheat-flour, in equivalent of grain, grown in the United Kingdom during the year 1910, so as to make possible a calculation of the estimated cost of a bounty of 2s. a quarter on home-grown wheat and wheat-flour, both consumed in the United Kingdom and exported, and of Is. a quarter on British-grown imported wheat and wheat-flour consumed in the United Kingdom only, on the basis of the actual consumption for 1910, and on the basis of the home-grown supply doubled as a result of the bounty, and of three-fourths of the balance of the total consumption coming from British Possessions?

It is not possible to state how much of the wheat grown in 1910 was exported, but the exports in that year of wheat, the produce of the United Kingdom, reached 149,600 quarters. This figure was, however, exceptional, the exports in 1909 having only been 54,900 quarters. Exports of flour milled in the United Kingdom are classed as of United Kingdom manufacture, irrespective of the origin of the wheat, and no information is available with regard to the quantity of wheat grown in this country which left the United Kingdom in the form of flour. The total exports of flour of United Kingdom manufacture exported in 1910 were equivalent to 410,900 quarters of wheat, and in 1909 to 442,500 quarters.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if he will state upon what statutory provision the Board relied in declining the invitation of the Development Commissioners to nominate a representative upon the advisory committee on fishery matters?

The provisions as to procedure are contained m Section 4 (1) of the Development and Road Improvement Funds Act, 1909.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the conflicting interests of the English and Scottish fishery industries, he will take steps with a view to securing adequate representation of English interests on the advisory committee appointed by the Development Commissioners?

The Board have already been in communication with the Commissioners on this subject, and further representations will be made to them.

asked the Lord Advocate whether his attention has been drawn to the case of the Bent Colliery Company, Limited, against Thomson, in which, in a summons of removing at the instance of an employer against a miner, the sheriff substitute refused to allow the defender to lodge written answers, notwithstanding the fact that he offered to find caution for violent profits; whether, prior to the Sheriff Court (Scotland) Act, 1907, the sheriff substitute, in the circumstances narrated, had no alternative but to allow written answers; and whether, as this Act appears to have altered the previous law, he will undertake to introduce in the new Sheriff Court Bill a provision restoring it?

My attention has been directed to the case referred to in my hon. Friend's question. I may say that the matter referred to is having my most careful consideration; but, as I understand that the case in question is shortly to come before the Court of Session in a Bill of Suspension at the instance of the defender, and will probably be decided before the introduction of the Sheriff Courts Bill, I cannot, at present, express any opinion upon the present state of the law.