asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the Road Board have made any grant to a local highway authority without requiring that body to contribute a sum beyond its ordinary expenditure towards the expense of the improvement?

No grant has been made by the Road Board to any local authority covering the whole cost of the proposed work of road improvement.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will issue a statement showing the sums that have been promised by the Road Board to the various local highway authorities, and also the amounts that the local authorities are required to expend in order to obtain these grants?

A list of the advances made by the Road Board with the approval of the Treasury was published in the newspaper Press on or about 13th February. Further lists will be published from time to time. These statements show in each case the estimated cost of the work of improvement and the amount of the Board's contribution thereto.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that James Stack, of Doon, Tralee, was granted a pension on a baptismal certificate in January, 1909, and continued in receipt of it till 15th November, 1909; that he was deprived of it on the grounds that according to the Census he would not be seventy years till 6th August, 1910, though, according to the baptismal certificate he was entitled on 3rd January, 1909; and that when on 12th August, 1910, the local committee again gave a pension to Stack the pension officer appealed on the question of means; whether this point was then raised for the first time; and whether, seeing that his means are well under the statutory minimum, as well as the irregularity of the first withdrawal, the Local Government will reconsider their decision?

No baptismal certificate was furnished by James Stack, as alleged. On the contrary, he forwarded a certificate to the Local Government Board that the leaves of the parochial register covering the period during which he states he was baptised are missing. His age, according to the Census Return of 1841, was only ten months, so that he would not be seventy until 5th August, 1910; and the Board accordingly on 15th November, 1909, allowed the question raised by the pension officer that Stack was under seventy years of age. There was no irregularity with regard to this decision, nor was it necessary to estimate Stack's means in view of the fact that he did not fulfil the statutory condition as to age. On attaining the requisite age, Stack made a second claim; but as it appeared that the value of his maintenance on a farm which he had assigned to his son exceeded £31 10s. a year, the Board upheld the pension officer's appeal against the decision of the local pension sub-committee awarding a pension of 5s. a week. It is not open to the Board to reconsider their decision.

asked the Chief Secretary what is the number of assistant teachers in Ireland discontinued in the last two years owing to reduction in the average attendance; what is the cost of the training of those teachers to the State; whether these men nearly all emigrate or seek other employment, thus causing the State to lose the whole cost of their training; whether he will impress on the Treasury the wisdom as well as the justice of allowing a swing of, say, ten in the average attendance before assistants already in the service are discontinued?

Salary was withdrawn from 134 assistant teachers, of whom seventy-two were trained, in the two years ended 31st December, 1910, owing to fall in the average attendance at their schools. Of this number fifty-five have been reappointed. The cost of the training of the teachers not reappointed was £2,825. The Commissioners of National Education have no official information as to what becomes of the teachers not reappointed. The question of a modification of the rule as to the tenure of assistant teachers is the subject of a correspondence between-the Irish Government and the Treasury.

asked the Chief Secretary whether, when tenants on the estate of W. H. Marshall, Callinaferry, wrote to-the Estates Commissioners twelve months ago requesting that as the landlord had been paid his money their lands should be immediately vested, the Commissioners in their reply gave no intimation to the-tenants that the delay was due to the non-completion of any further documents; and whether, seeing that under those circumstances the Estates Commissioners are solely responsible for the loss caused to those tenants by being kept for nearly two-years after payment of purchase money to the landlord before they get the benefit of purchase, he will cause a full inquiry to be made into the whole matter?

The Estates Commissioners do not know what particular letter is referred to by the hon. Member, and cannot admit responsibility for any delay which has occurred in the vesting of their holdings in the tenants. As stated in reply to the hon. Member's question for the 17th February, the holdings are not yet vested owing to the tenants' delay in-executing the necessary deed for the maintenance of an embankment on the estate.

asked when was the purchase money of the estate of W. R. L. Marshall, Milltown, county Kerry, paid to the vendor; what is the amount of the purchase money; what is the difference between what the tenants have paid since and the amount they would have paid at the rate of 2¾ per cent., the rate of interest paid by the Exchequer on Land Stock; where does this amount overpaid by the tenants go to; and whether, if this money will not be allowed the tenants, it will be spent on improvements on the estate?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that the purchase money of this estate (£37,413) was paid on the 29th July, 1909. Interest in lieu of rent payable by the purchasing tenants under Section 18 (1) of the Act of 1903 must be at the rate of not less than 3½ per cent. There has been no overpayment made in this case by the tenants who were only charged interest at this rate. Interest in lieu of rent collected by the Commissioners from tenants on estates purchased by them is utilised to meet the interest payable to vendors under Section 18 (2) of the Act, and interest payable to the National Debt Commissioners under Section 36 (1), as well as the expenses of management of the estates and the payment of local rates and taxes on the untenanted land comprised therein pending resale to the purchasers.

asked the Chief Secretary whether purchase agreements have been lodged with the Estates Commissioners for the sale of their holdings to the tenants on the estate of Lord Holmpatrick, Coolagh, Clonaslee, Queen's county; whether he is aware that one of the conditions of sale was that the untenanted land should be divided amongst the tenants, five in number; and, seeing that a proposal has been made to hand over this land, ninety acres, to one man, can he say whether the Estates Commissioners will, before sanctioning the sale, insist upon the original agreement being carried out?

Purchase agreements have been lodged in respect of the tenanted portion of this estate, and the owner has included some 177 statute acres as untenanted land for sale to the Estates Commissioners for sale amongst the tenants. No arrangements have yet been sanctioned for the allotment of the lands by the Commissioners. They have no knowledge of the other matters referred to in the question.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that a deputation of the Slievardagh Ratepayers' Protection Association appeared before the Local Government Board auditor, at Callan workhouse, on 29th November, 1910, and lodged objections in writing against several items of the accounts of the Callan Union for the half-year ending 31st March, 1910; whether he can state the reasons why a copy of the auditor's decisions upon the objections was not furnished to the Slievardagh Ratepayers' Protection Association, or to the members of the deputation, as provided for by Article 35 of the Union Accounts Order, 1905; whether the Local Government Board have directed the clerk of the Callan Union to comply with the requirements of Article 35 of the Union Accounts Order, 1905, as requested by the Slievardagh Ratepayers' Association in their resolution of the 6th ultimo, in order to enable the members of the association to appeal against the decision of the Local Government Board auditor, in accordance with the provisions of Article 39 of the Union Accounts Order, 1905?

Written objections were lodged by a deputation at the audit of accounts in the circumstances mentioned. The Clerk of the Union did not comply strictly with the terms of the Union Accounts Order, but he informs the Local Government Board that three of the six-members of the deputation, being Guardians, heard the auditor's report read at the meeting of the Guardians, that a fourth member read it for himself shortly afterwards, and that the remaining members saw it in the local papers. The Clerk has now sent a copy of the report to each member of the deputation.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he will state the Poor Law valuation of the land rented by the Messrs. Payne on the Pollok estate and the valuation of the land given in exchange for it on the Crofton estate; whether their interest in the former consisted of only twelve years of an unexpired lease; and if the land given to them in return is a fee simple with a terminable annuity?

The Estates Commissioners are unable, from the information in their possession to state the Poor Law valuation of the lands surrendered by the Messrs. Payne on the Pollok estate. They held these lands on a lease for twenty-one years from 1902, and were offered £3,000 cash for their interest in the lands, but refused to accept this offer. The Poor Law valuation of the lands of Ballybeg allotted to them is £389. They have signed an undertaking to purchase these lands which, as in the case of all lands sold under the Irish Land Act, 1903, will be vested in the Paynes in fee simple, subject to a land purchase annuity for sixty-eight and a half years.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that a national school teacher named Daniel Dooley, Kilbricken, Mountrath, Queen's County, has taken possession of an evicted farm situated at Castletown, Queen's County; and, seeing that the legal representative of the evicted tenant claims the farm, if he can say whether the Commissioners of National Education approve of Dooley's action?

The Commissioners of National Education inform me that Mr. Daniel Dooley, teacher of Kilbricken National School, has resumed possession of a small holding from which he was evicted some three years ago. The rights in the holding of the person who claims to be the legal representative of a former tenant, said to have been evicted, cannot be decided by the Commissioners of National Education.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Sergeant Joseph Hodges, who enlisted in 1858 and was discharged after serving honourably for ten years and sixty-six days, was, on his application at the age of sixty-five, refused a pension; that this refusal was made on the ground that he had not received the requisite marks of good conduct, but that it was stated on his discharge certificate that he would have been awarded the two good-conduct badges required by the Regulations had he not been promoted; and whether, therefore, he will take steps to secure the grant of this man's pension?

Sergeant Hodges is not eligible under the Regulations either for a deferred pension or a special campaign pension, and the Commissioners of Chelsea Hospital have no power to make any award. The statement that he was refused a pension on the ground that he had not received the requisite marks of good conduct is inaccurate.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware of the deadlock in promotion in the Royal Garrison Artillery; and if he proposes to take any step to remedy the hardship to the officers in that regiment?

As I have already informed the House, promotion in the Garrison Artillery has recommenced. Five sub alterns were promoted in November and December, nine more were promoted in January, and five more will be gazetted this next Friday. Provision has been made in Estimates for an additional major and captain, and from this and from other vacancies about ten promotions are in prospect before the end of April.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, if he will state, so far as the facts are officially published, the provision for new construction, armaments, and repairs in 1909–10, 1910–11, and 1911–12 for Great Britain, Germany, and the United States.

The figures asked for by the hon. Member are as follows:—

United Kingdom:
1909–10	£13,780,000
1910–11	17,731,000
1911–12	20,496,000
Germany:
1909–10	11,942,000
1910–11	13,149,000
1911–12	13,518,000
United States:
1909–10	11,865,000
1910–11	10,082,000
1911–12	9,160,000

But it must be understood that these figures are only given with the qualification that, owing to the form in which the foreign Estimates are presented, material inaccuracies may have arisen in the separation by us of the various items.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will explain why his estimated expenditure on postage, etc., has risen from £27,300 in 1910–11 to £32,050 in 1911–12?

The quadrennial recount of War Office correspondence has recently been taken, and it is found that the correspondence has increased considerably since the previous count.

asked the Home Secretary whether he could see his way to releasing a youth named Albert Crocker, who was ordered to be detained in Kingswood Reformatory School, at. Bristol, for a period of three years two years ago, the boy's mother having now a good home where he would be properly looked after.

I have made inquiry, but am not prepared to interfere with the discretion of the Managers of the School as regards the time of the boy's release. He was brought up by an aunt and grandparents, not by his mother, and he is now learning farm work which he would follow when he leaves the school. His conduct is good, and I am sure the Managers will release him as soon as it is to his advantage to go.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, if he would explain the increase from £246,000 to £365,000 of the grant-in-aid for Northern Nigeria?

A considerable part of the increase in the grant-in-aid is due to the necessity of making provision for working the Baro-Kano Railway as an open line, it being anticipated that the whole line will be completed about June next. There is also an increase in the amount payable as interest on the railway loan. The sudden development of the tinfields of the Protectorate has entailed an increase of expenditure, as it is necessary to create a small department to deal with the great mass of technical work involved. Increases have also been necessary in the expenditure on police, posts and telegraphs, sanitation, and certain other services. The task of making accurate estimates for Northern Nigeria is rendered peculiarly difficult by the fact that it is necessary to prepare them some five or six months before the end of the financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can state the number of chambers, the number of members of each chamber, the duration, and whether that duration is fixed, in the case of each Parliament in His Majesty's self-governing Colonies?

The information desired by the hon. Gentleman so far as it is available will be circulated shortly with the Votes and Proceedings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Crown, through its representative, possesses the prerogative, when deemed advisable, to dissolve the Parliament of any self-governing colony before the expiration of its-statutory duration; and whether he will name those Colonial Parliaments concerning which the Crown possesses this prerogative?

There is no statutory minimum for the duration of any Parliament in a British Dominion.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any information with reference to the situation in Mexico; and whether the Mexican Government is taking adequate precautions for the protection of British subjects and property?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the question of the hon. Member for mid-Armagh on the 13th instant. In the only case in which it has been necessary to communicate with the Mexican Government on behalf of British interests, I hear that the situation has much improved; and, so far as my information goes, the Mexican Government are doing all that is necessary to protect British subjects and property.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state the number of Chambers, the number of members of each Chamber, the duration, and whether that duration is fixed, in the case of each of the following Parliaments:—Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and United States of America?

The information desired by the hon. Member will be found in the current issue of the "Statesman's Year-Rook," from which, for the convenience of the hon. Member, the following extracts have been made:—AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.—Representative Assembly of the Empire, known as the Delegations, consisting of two bodies. Each of the two Chambers consists of sixty members, of whom twenty are selected from each of the Austrian and Hungarian Upper Houses and forty from the Lower House of each country. The members are elected for one year.AUSTRIA.—Reichsrath, consisting of an Upper and a Lower House. The Upper House is composed of about 267 members (the number varies according to the number of life members): (1) Princes of the Imperial Family who are of age, (2) Hereditary Members, (3) ten Archbishops and seven Bishops, (4) Life Members nominated by the Emperor (not less than 150 or more than 170). The Lower House is composed of 516 Members. The duration of its term is six years.HUNGARY.—Upper and Lower Houses. The Upper House is composed of (1) Archdukes, (2) Hereditary Peers (249), (3) Official, Ecclesiastical, and nominated Life Members (67), (4), 3 delegates of Croatia-Slavonia. The Lower House is composed of 453 Members, elected for five years.BELGIUM.—Senate and Chamber of Representatives. The Senate is composed of 110 Members, elected for eight years, but one-half of them are subject to re-election every four years. The Chamber of Representatives is composed of about 166 Members (the number is proportioned to the population, not exceeding one for every 40,000 inhabitants), elected for four years, but one-half of them retire every two years.COSTA RICA.—Legislative power is vested in a single Chamber. The Members of the Chamber of Representatives are elected for a term of four years, one-half retiring every two years. One Member is elected to represent every 8,000 inhabitants. There were 32 Deputies in 1902.DENMARK.—Rigsdag, consisting of two Chambers:—Landsting (Upper House) and Folketing (Lower House). The Landsting is composed of sixty-six Members, twelve nominated by the King for life and fifty-four elected for eight years. Half of the elected Members retire in rotation every four years. The Folketing is composed of 114 Members (one for every 16,000 inhabitants), elected every three years.FRANCE.—National Assembly, consisting of Senate and Chamber of Deputies. The Senate is composed of 300 Members, elected for nine years, one-third of them retiring every three years. The Chamber of Deputies is composed of 584 Members, elected for four years.GERMANY.—The Bundesrat (representing the individual States of Germany) and the Reichstag (representing the German nation). The Bundesrat is composed of fifty-eight Members appointed for each session. The Reichstag is composed of 397 Members elected for five years.GREECE.—Legislative power is vested in a Single Chamber. The Legislative Assembly is composed of 235 Members (in the proportion of one for every 12,000 inhabitants), elected for the terms of four years.ITALY.—Senate and Chamber of Deputies. The Senate is composed of Princes of the Royal Family over twenty-one years of age, and an unlimited number of Members nominated by the King for life. In November, 1909, there were 328 Senators, exclusive of five Members of the Royal Family. The Chamber of Deputies is composed of 508 Members. The duration of the Parliament is five years.JAPAN.—The Imperial Diet, consisting of a House of Peers and a House of Representatives. The House of Peers is composed of 364 Members (December, 1910). The term of membership is seven years in the case of Peers elected by members of their respective orders, and in that of persons elected in each Fu and Ken. Princes and Marquisses, and persons nominated by the Emperor are life Members. The House of Representatives is composed of 379 Members, elected for four years.NETHERLANDS.—The States General, consisting of two Chambers. The Upper Chamber is composed of fifty Members, elected for nine years, one third of them retiring by rotation every three years. The Second or Lower Chamber is composed of 100 Members elected for four years.NORWAY.—The Storting, consisting of two Chambers, Lagting, and Odelsting.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he proposes to take any action with the object of giving effect to the recommendation made by the recent Board of Trade railway conference, that an advisory committee of experts should be appointed to whom the Board of Trade might refer questions at issue between traders and the railway companies in connection with the inclusion of articles other than explosives in the list of dangerous goods?

The committee to which my hon. Friend refers has already been constituted. The members are Sir Thomas Thorpe (nominated by the Board of Agriculture and the Board of Trade), Colonel Hefferman (nominated by the Admiralty and War Department), and Major Cooper-Key (nominated by the Home Office).

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether the official information in the hands of the Board shows that the spread of small-pox can be most effectively prevented by vaccination; whether it is the duty of Boards of Guardians, in whose areas the disease appears, to take prompt measures, so far as the law allow, to secure the vaccination or re-vaccination of all persons exposed to the danger of infection; and what action the Board are taking in view of the present outbreak?

Small-pox is a contagious disease, and the most effective means of preventing its pread from the person attacked consist in removing the patient to a place of isolation and surrounding him by protected persons. Statistics relating to vaccination and small-pox obtained by my Department are published, and I do not think it necessary for me to attempt to interpret them. Boards of Guardians are empowered by Section 28 of the Vaccination Act, 1867, to pay reasonable expenses incurred by them in taking measures to promote vaccination upon any actual or expected outbreak of small-pox. My officers have visited the districts in London recently affected by small-pox, and have conferred with the officials of the authorities as to the measures to be taken.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether Boards of Guardians have been advised that vaccination officers should receive gratuities in respect of the reduction in their income by the operation of the Vaccination Act, 1907; that such gratuities should be calculated on the difference in earnings at the present time and the average earnings during the years 1903–7; and that where the deficiency was likely to be permanent it was desirable to bring the officer's income to the former standard by increasing his fees; whether he has received any complaints and, if so, how many from vaccination officers to the effect that their Boards of Guardians have declined to follow this course; and what action he has taken in the matter?

The Local Government Board have not taken any general action in regard to loss of income sustained by vaccination officers since the operation of the Vaccination Act, 1907. In many cases boards of guardians have awarded gratuities to their vaccination officers to meet the deficiencies in their incomes. The Board have sanctioned gratuities to meet the loss of income in the past and have suggested to the guardians that where the deficiency was likely to be permanent the officers' fees should be increased. Many boards of guardians have adopted this suggestion, and the Board have sanctioned increased fees. In some cases vaccination officers have informed the Board of the loss they have sustained and that their guardians have not taken any steps to make up the deficiency. In these cases the Board have written to the guardians setting out the average earnings of the vaccination officers in 1903–7 and the earnings since, and have suggested to the guardians that they should award gratuities based on the figures given and increase the officers' fees. Some boards of guardians have adopted the Board's suggestion, but others have declined to take any action. There are about twenty-five of the latter cases.

asked what was the number of certificates of conscientious objection to vaccination received by the vaccination officers in respect of children whose births were registered during 1906, the number of statutory declarations of conscientious objection to vaccination received by the vaccination officers in respect of children whose births were registered during 1909, and the number, irrespective of the dates of the birth of the children whom they concern, in the years 1907 to 1910 respectively?

The number of certificates of conscientious objection to vaccination received by the vaccination officers in respect of children whose births were registered during 1906 is 53,828. The numbers of certificates actually received in the years 1907–9 and in the first half of 1910, irrespective of the dates of the birth of the children, were:—1907, 57,675; 1908, 162,799; 1909, 190,689; 1910 (first half), 110,851. The others figures desired by the hon. Member are not yet available

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he has at any time allowed boards of guardians to pay a fee to their vaccination officers for each statutory declaration of objection to vaccination received by them; and, if so, whether he will give the names of these boards of guardians and state whether their officers are still receiving such fees?

The answer is in the negative.

asked what were the areas in which cases of small-pox have been notified since January, 1911, and the number of such cases?

The following list shows the counties in which cases of small-pox have been notified since January, 1911, and the number of cases notified in each:—Cheshire, eight; Durham, thirteen; Essex, two; Glamorgan, one; Hertfordshire, one; Lancashire, twenty-six; London, fifty-eight; Middlesex, one; Norfolk, eight. Total, 118.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture, if he will now give the names of the members of the departmental committee to consider the effect on farm tenants whose holdings have been sold?

The Committee will consist of:—Lord Haversham (Chairman), Lord Clinton, Lord Ninian Crichton-Stuart, M.P., Sir Frederick Cawley, M.P., Sir Charles Hose, M.P., Sir Edward Holden; Mr. Colin Campbell, Chairman of the Lincolnshire Farmers' Union; Mr. Ellis Davies, M.P., Mr Trustram Eve, Secretary of the Farmers' Club; Mr. Howard Frank, Mr. George Nicholls, and Mr. Abel Smith.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if he will state how many applications for small holdings have been received by the Wiltshire County Council; how many of these applications have been approved; whether any of these applicants have withdrawn their applications; and how many of the applicants are still without land?

The numbers are as follows:—

Applications received	…	…	1,059
Approved	…	…	517
Withdrawn	…	…	130
Still without land	…	…	378

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if he can state what is the minimum standard of butter fat in cheese in Canada and New Zealand?

In Canada 45 per cent. of milk fat in the water-free substance. In New Zealand 50 per cent. of fats wholly derived from milk in the water-free substance in the case of whole milk cheese, and 10 per cent. of fats wholly derived from milk, in the water-free substance, in the case of skim-milk cheese.

asked the Lord Advocate whether the School Board of Lochs, island of Lewis, have yet taken steps to meet the complaint of Dr. Cameron, the medical officer of health for the parish, relative to the sanitary condition of the Keose and Kershadder public schools?

The complaint referred to, which appeared in the Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the county, of date April, 1910, was brought to the notice of the School Board, who in September last informed the Department that the parts of the premises complained of were now being kept in a clean condition, that the arrangements were such that there is no school in the parish where a child need have any difficulty in getting drinking water, and that a supply of cloak room pegs had been furnished for use where required. It is understood that the Board have been to considerable expense generally in effecting repairs during the past year, and that the Medical Officer is now satisfied with the state of the premises in the circumstances.

asked whether the Secretary for Scotland has received a memorandum from the Educational Institute of Scotland relative to the schools in the parishes of Barvas, Lochs, and Uig, Island of Lewis; and will he state what action he proposes to take in regard to the institute's recommendation that the medical officer of the Local Government Board should be asked to report as to the sanitary condition of the schools.

The Secretary for Scotland has given careful consideration to the memorandum to which the hon. Member refers and to the statements of the School Boards in reply, and has seen no occasion to depart from the ordinary course of Department administration.