asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider the advisability of amending the present regulations as to Increment Value Duty, under which no allowance is made for interest on capital up to the time that a property is marketable in the case of estate development?

My right hon. Friend is unable to give the assurance required by the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what cases, and in respect of what class of property, full particulars of the annual site value of the land are in the possession of the valuation authorities in Ireland; at what dates and for what purposes such particulars were obtained, and where they are recorded; whether such particulars are available in the case of agricultural land in Ireland; whether it is possible by means of such particulars to ascertain without further inquiry the full site value, and the assessable site value, of the land under Section 25 of the Finance Act, 1910; and, if not, what further inquiry is being made, or is about to be made?

In the cities and towns a large amount of information as to site value is available. This information was obtained for the revaluation of Dublin and Belfast and for the annual revision of the rateable valuation of the urban districts of Ireland, and is recorded in the official note-books of the Department. The same information is to some extent available for the rural districts. Nearly all this information has been collected within the last eighteen years. In the case of holdings purchased under the Land Purchase Acts, where information as to fixed charges, title, etc., is to be found in the Local Registration of Titles and other Government offices, it may not be necessary to make any further inquiries. But where sales have not taken place, further information from owners may be required.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is prepared to modify the regulation under which owners of taxi-cabs in small provincial towns in which there are no cab ranks, and in consequence no badges and numbers are issued, are prevented from obtaining a rebate of the duty on the petrol used by them in plying for hire?

Rebate of motor spirit duty is allowed to hackney motor vehicles provided that they stand or ply for hire. As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer explained in reply to a similar question addressed to him by my hon. Friend the Member for Orkney and Shetland on the 27th February the provision of such facilities as will enable motor cars which are licensed as public vehicles to stand or ply for hire is a matter for the local authority by whom they are licensed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much Income Tax has now been refunded to owners of land and houses under Section 69 of the Finance (1909–10) Act, 1910; and how he proposes to dispose of any difference there may be between such sum and the £500,000 which he set aside for this purpose?

I will ask the hon. Member to await my right hon. Friend's Budget Speech for the coming year, when he will be in a position to review the revenue and expenditure for the whole of the current financial year, including the concession under the section to which he refers.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Congested Districts Board has again approached Sir Morgan O'Connell with a view to the sale of his property at Mastergechy and Bally-carberry, county Kerry; and can he state the result of the negotiations?

The Congested Districts Board wrote to the landlord of this property on the 6th instant, and no answer has yet been received.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Harlech estate, situate in the electoral division of Leitrim, union of Tubbercurry, county Sligo, which was sold to the tenants through the Estates Commissioners some years ago, has lately-been transferred to the Congested Districts Board; whether this congested estate contains a large grazing farm, known as Leitrim Hill, and at present in the occupation of a non-residential landlord and grazier, Mr. Phibbs, J.P.; if he can state the nature of Mr. Phibbs' title to this farm; and if he can say whether steps will be taken to have it acquired for the purpose of enlarging the uneconomic holdings in the neighbourhood?

The portion of the Harlech estate situate in County Sligo to which the hon. Member presumably refers has not been transferred to the Congested Districts Board. The lands of Leitrim South, part of which are situated on the estate of Lord Harlech, are at present pending before the Estates Commissioners for sale direct to the tenants under Section 1 of the Irish Land Act, 1903, except that part held in fee by Mr. Charles Phibbs, who purchased it some years ago from Lord Harlech, and who does not desire to dispose of it.

asked the Chief Secretary what progress, if any, has been made by the Congested Districts Board in purchasing the estates of Parkes, Dunally, county Sligo, Wynne, county Sligo, Gore Booth, county Sligo, and Middleton, Ross's Point, county Sligo?

Negotiations for the purchase of the Parker estate by the Congested Districts Board were suspended owing to the death of the owner. Nothing has been done since. The Wynne estate and one townland on the Gore-Booth estate have been offered to the Board, and an inspection will be made as soon as practicable. Inquiries are being made as to other portions of the latter estate. As regards the Middleton estate, the agent was informed some time ago that if the owner was willing to sell the Board were prepared to negotiate. So far the estate has not been offered to the Board.

asked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been called to the position of various tenants on the Erasmus Smith property, situate in Keelogoboy, parish of Calry, county Sligo, whose farms are not purchased and who are still paying high rents, and are being pressed for arrears of rent; and whether as the estate in question and the holdings are congested, the lands remaining unpurchased, will he at once acquire them by the Estates Commissioners or the Congested Districts Board, and transfer them to the tenants?

Proceedings for the sale of this estate under Section 1 of the Irish Land Act, 1903, are pending before the Estates Commissioners. Purchase agreements have not been lodged in respect of six holdings on the townland referred to comprising some 176 acres, and when the estate is being dealt with in order of priority, the cases of these and any other tenants on the estate who have not signed purchase agreements will be inquired into by the Commissioners. The Congested Districts Board received memorials asking them to negotiate for the sale of the unsold portion of this estate, but as proceedings were still pending before the Estates Commissioners the Board declined to take any action pending the result of these proceedings.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he will ask the Estates Commissioners to consider the advisability of proceeding under the compulsory powers given to them by the Irish Land Act of 1909, for the purpose of acquiring all the land in the possession of Mr. Charles Nugent Humble in the county of Water-ford, except such portions as have been acquired by him under the Land Purchase Acts?

The Estates Commissioners will consider whether it would be possible or justifiable for them to acquire the lands referred to, or portion thereof, for the purposes of distribution?

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Estates Commissioners will take steps to have Sir H. Grattan Bellew include all the grass lands outside demesne and home farm included in the sale of his estate in the county of Galway for the purpose of enlargement of small holdings thereon?

The owner has accepted the Estates Commissioners' formal proposal for the purchase of some 1,700 acres of untenanted land on this estate, and the Commissioners will consider the question of dividing this land as soon as it is acquired by them.

asked whether the Estates Commissioners have acquired the lands of Shinglass, on Colonel Malone's estate, near Ballymore, county Westmeath; and, if so, when those lands will be available for distribution?

The lands referred to have not been acquired by the Estates Commissioners, but they recently informed the owner of the price they would be prepared to advance for the purchase of the lands under the Land Purchase Acts.

asked the Chief Secretary whether, in regard to the estate of Bridget Collins, of Knock, county Clare, which was inspected in August, 1910, he can state in what condition of progress the matter now stands; and whether, in view of the poverty of the land in question and the circumstances of the tenants, he will expedite the business in connection with this estate?

The Congested Districts Board informed the agent of the Collins estate that the Board would be willing to negotiate for a sale to the tenants, but an answer has not yet been received. The agent will be communicated with again.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the return in the form of a Land Purchase County Atlas (Ireland), of which notice stands on the Order Paper, will be granted?

I am not prepared to grant the return asked for.

asked the Chief Secretary if he would state on what grounds the Local Government Board disallowed the old age pension awarded to Mrs. McGarrigle, of Derrylehan, Grange, by the Cliffony local pension committee, Sligo; whether the Board had any evidence before them other than that submitted to the local committee; if the Board sent an official to investigate the case; and whether he will state the name and status of that official?

The Local Government Board upheld the pension officer's appeal on the ground that Mrs. McGarrigle had not reached the statutory age. The papers are not now in the Board's possession, so that it cannot be stated what evidence was before the local pension committee. Before deciding the case the Board sent one of their permanent inspectors to report as to Mrs. McGarrigle's age. It is contrary to the established practice to give the names of officials in such cases.

asked the Chief Secretary how many cases have been appealed by the pension officers in Ireland against the decisions of the local pension committees since January, 1910; in how many cases have the appeals been upheld; how many cases have been appealed under similar circumstances in England, Scotland, and Wales, respectively; and how many have been upheld by the English Local Government Board?

The number of appeals received between January, 1910, and the present time is 14,953. The majority of these appeals were from pension officers, but the Local Government Board make no distinction in their statistics between appeals lodged by pension officers and by claimants. A special examination of each of the 15,000 cases decided since the date mentioned would therefore be necessary to enable the Board to state how many of the pension officers' appeals were upheld. I have no information as to the number of cases appealed against and upheld in England, Scotland, and Wales.

asked the Chief Secretary what evidence will satisfy the Irish Local Government Board in order that an applicant for an old age pension may be granted the same in cases where the age cannot be found in the Census returns nor on the parish registers, and where the statements and affidavits of respectable people, who verify that the applicant is beyond the age limit, will not be accepted; have such statements as the latter been accepted as sufficient evidence by the English Local Government Board; and, if so, why has not the same course been adopted in Ireland?

As regards the first paragraph of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply to a similar question asked by him on the 16th instant. The Local Government Board understand that the same difficulty does not arise in England as in Ireland, as registration of births was in force in England thirty years before it came into operation generally in Ireland, and birth certificates are therefore usually procurable in the case of English septuagenarians.

asked the Chief Secretary how many people in receipt of old age pensions have been struck off the pension list in Ireland since the beginning of January, 1910, the number similarly struck off in England, Scotland, and Wales, and the grounds on which they were taken off the list?

The number of old age pensions revoked, as the result of questions raised, during 1910, was in Ireland 4,401, and in England, Scotland, and. Wales 3,715. No figures are yet available for 1911; nor are there any statistics as to the various grounds of revocation.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that the Charleville Rural Council at their last meeting appointed a man named Maurice Hassett as tenant to a labourer's cottage in the Ballyhea district, and that Hassett is a clerk in the Ballyhea creamery and in receipt of more than 17s. 6d. weekly wages; and whether he will instruct the Local Government Board for Ireland that such letting is illegal, and direct them to issue an order to the Charleville Council to that effect?

On the 8th instant the Charleville Rural District Council appointed Maurice Hassett as tenant of a cottage erected under the Labourers Acts, and the Local Government Board have since received two complaints to the effect mentioned in the question. The Board have forwarded these two communications to the council, and have informed them that, if the facts be as alleged, Hassett would appear not to be an agricultural labourer, and that it is the council's duty in such circumstances to determine the tenancy forthwith, under Section 13 of the Labourers' Act of 1883.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Estates Commissioners investigated the circumstances under which the late James Sullivan was evicted from a farm on the Ware estate, Ballyknockane, county Cork; and whether, seeing that his widow and family now claim to be equitably entitled to reinstatement, it is intended to put them back in their old holding or to provide them with one of equivalent value?

The Estates Commissioners received an application from Julia Sullivan for reinstatement m a holding on the Ware estate, county Cork, formerly jointly occupied, together with another

Year.	Total Expenditure from Navy Votes (Net).	Annuity in Repayment of Loans under Naval Defence and Naval Works Act.	Total Expenditure exclusive of Annuity. —— (Column 2 deducted from Column 1.)	Expenditure from Loans under		Appropriations in Aid.	Gross Total of Naval Expenditure. —— (Totals of Columns 3, 4 and 5.)
				Naval Defence Acts.	Naval Works Acts.
	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)		(5)	(6)
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
1890–91	13,910,732	—	13,910,732	3,131,450	—	896,735	17,938,917
1891–92	14,278,049	—	14,278,049	2,876,052	—	894,518	18,048,619
1892–93	14,325,948	15,566	14,310,382	2,065,900	—	1,004,908	17,381,190
1893–94	14,306,546	57,535	14,249,011	1,030,692	—	990,878	16,270,581
1894–95	17,642,424	—	17,642,424	31,468	—	928,677	18,602,569
1895–96	19,637,238	—	19,637,238	—	721,099	906,040	21,264,377
1896–97	22,271,902	—	22,271,902	—	695,220	919,056	23,886,178
1897–98	20,848,863	—	20,848,863	—	710,428	988,554	22,547,845
1898–99	23,880,875	—	23,880,875	—	1,210,241	1,054,482	26,145,598
1899–00	25,731,220	—	25,731,220	—	1,498,898	1,248,724	28,478,842
1900–01	29,998,529	—	29,998,529	—	2,132,533	1,171,198	33,302,260
1901–02	30,981,315	122,255	30,859,060	—	2,745,176	1,268,063	34,872,299
1902–03	31,003,977	297,895	30,706,082	—	3,198,017	1,323,738	35,227,837
1903–04	35,709,477	502,010	35,207,467	—	3,261,083	1,533,315	40,001,865
1904–05	36,859,681	634,238	36,225,443	—	3,402,575	1,434,057	41,062,075
1905–06	33,151,841	1,015,812	32,136,029	—	3,313,604	1,709,602	37,159,235
1906–07	31,472,087	1,094,309	30,377,778	—	2,431,201	1,790,562	34,599,541
1907–08	31,251,156	1,214,402	30,036,754	—	1,083,663	1,615,350	32,735,767
1908–09	32,181,309	1,264,033	30,917,276	—	948,262	1,646,181	33,511,719
1909–10	35,734,015	1,325,808	34,408,207	—	—	1,651,445	36,059,652
*1910–11	40,603,700	1,322,752	39,280,948	—	—	1,808,824	41,089,772
*1911–12	44,392,500	1,322,752	43,069,748	—	—	1,812,299	44,882,047
* Estimated

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state what are the numbers to be voted for the German personnel this year, and the number contemplated under the German Navy Act as amended for succeeding years?

The total number voted this year is 60,805 officers and men. The amendments to the Fleet Law of 1906 and 1908 give no forecast of the numbers to be voted in future years.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can furnish a table giving for each year from 1897 to 1910 inclusive, the number of vessels laid down and the number struck off the lists in the German navy in the following classes—namely, battleships, coast-defence vessels, armoured cruisers, protected and unarmoured cruisers, and destroyers?

furnished the following statement:—

Financial year.		Battleships.	Coast defence vessels.	Armoured cruisers.	Protected and unarmoured cruisers.	T.B.D's.
1897–98—
Laid down	…	1	…	…	…	…
Struck off	…	…	…	…	1	…
1898–99—
Laid down	…	2	…	1	2	6
Struck off	…	…	…	…	…	…
1899–00—
Laid down	…	3	…	…	3	6
Struck off	…	…	…	…	…	…
1900–01—
Laid down	…	2	…	1	…	6
Struck off	…	…	…	…	1 (a)	…
1901–02—
Laid down	…	2	…	1	3	6
Struck off	…	…	…	…	1 (a)	…
1902–03—
Laid down	…	2	…	1	3	6
Struck off	…	…	…	…	…	…
1903–04—
Laid down	…	2	…	1	2	6
Struck off	…	…	…	…	…	…
1904–05—
Laid down	…	2	…	1	3	6
Struck off	…	…	…	3 (b)	2	…
1905–06—
Laid down	…	2	…	1	3	6—
Struck off	…	…	…	…	2	…
1906–07—
Laid down	…	…	…	1	2	12
Struck off	…	…	…	…	…	…
1907–08—
Laid down	…	4	…	1	2	12
Struck off	…	…	…	…	1	…
1908–09—
Laid down	…	3	…	1	2	12 (c)
Struck off	…	…	1	…	2	…
1909–10—
Laid down	…	3	…	1	2	12
Struck off	…	2	4	…	1	…
1910–11—
Laid down	…	3	…	1	2	16 (d)
Struck off	…	3 (e)	3	…	2 (f)	4 (g)
(a) Lost, (b) Previous to 1897, these were reckoned as battleships, 3rd class. (c) Includes four sold to Turkey in 1810. (d) Includes four building to replace those sold to Turkey. (e) Includes two sold to Turkey. (f) Does not include "Blitz" and "Pfeil" removed from list of cruisers to list of special vessels by Imperial Cabinet order, nor "Sperber" transferred to list of gunboats, (g) Sold to Turkey.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he would state the naval expenditure of Germany in each year since 1890; and if he would state what this expenditure includes of a character which is not covered by British Naval Estimates, and what this expenditure excludes of a character which is covered by British Naval Estimates, giving the actual figures relating to these items for each year as far as that is possible, and correcting the crude expenditure figures accordingly?

supplied the following figures:—

Financial year.		Total naval expenditure.	Amount of non-corresponding Votes.	Corrected figures.
		£	£	£
1890–91	…	3,878,869	…	…
1891–92	…	4,210,436	…	…
1892–93	…	4,943,775	…	…
1893–94	…	3,989,845	…	…
1894–95	…	3,696,148	…	…
1895–96	…	4,083,967	…	…
1896–97	…	4,312,995	62,772	4,250,223
1897–98	…	5,876,275	141,124	5,735,151
1898–99	…	6,083,874	99,920	5,983,954
1899–00	…	6,672,788	50,997	6,621,791
1900–01	…	7,648,781	54,370	7,594,411
1901–02	…	9,530,000	118,762	9,411,238
1902–03	…	10,045,000	70,260	9,974,740
1903–04	…	10,400,000	69,581	10,330,419
1904–05	…	10,105,000	95,162	10,009,838
1905–06	…	11,300,000	172,715	11,127,285
1906–07	…	12,005,000	218,089	11,786,911
1907–08	…	14,225,000	286,863	13,938,137
1908–09	…	16,490,000	371,803	16,118,197
1909–10	…	19,702,685	432,959	19,269,726
1910–11	…	21,235,090	543,368	20,691,722
1911–12	…	22,029,635	541,732	21,487,903

The total naval expenditure for Germany includes the following items not covered in the British Navy Estimates:—Fortifications and garrisons of naval ports, pilot and lighthouse service, meteorological service, secret service, grants to municipal authorities, Admiralty buildings, etc.This expenditure excludes the following items covered by the British Navy Estimates:—Retired pay, pensions, gratuities, and compassionate allowances, civil superannuation, etc., allowances, coastguard, steamship subsidies, reserves, loan charges, and certain expenditure on big works.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will inform the House if the Admiralty Circular Letter, No. 54, N. 12,122, of 15th December, 1910, has been brought into operation;

As stated yesterday, in my reply to the hon. Member for Devon-port, the improved scale of pay for ship's stewards ratings was brought into operation on 1st January last. Steps are being taken for the advancement of ship's officer rating of second ship's steward, but it is important that the claims of eligible candidates, wherever serving, should receive careful consideration in respect of their qualifications and suitability for advancement, and when a new rating is being introduced the selection of the men to be advanced must necessarily take time.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state in how many cases letters had been written to the parents or guardians of cadets at Osborne, warning them that their son or ward was backward in his studies during the years 1907, 1908, 1909, and 1910 respectively; in each year how many of these cadets passed on to the Dartmouth Royal Naval College; and how many are still serving at Osborne?

In 1907 the number warned was forty-nine. Of these, thirty-three proceeded to Dartmouth, and sixteen were withdrawn. In 1908 the number warned was twenty-seven. Of these, fifteen proceeded to Dartmouth, and twelve were withdrawn. In 1909 the number warned was twenty-seven. Of these ten have proceeded to Dartmouth and ten are still at Osborne, but of these the number who may still be withdrawn cannot be stated. In 1910 the number warned was twenty-seven. Of these, five have already been withdrawn, and the remainder are still at Osborne.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the fact that he has given special permission for the children in the elementary and other schools in Wales to celebrate St. David's Day and to make it a holiday, on which patriotic addresses may be given and patriotic songs sung by the children, he will grant the same privileges to children in England on St. George's Day?

I do not think that I can usefully add anything to the answer which was given to the hon. Member by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education on the 4th April, 1910.

asked the Secretary for War whether the rate of additional pay for Regular officers appointed adjutants of yeomanry artillery, and infantry, and of engineers who are gazetted as adjutants of the Territorial Force, has been recently revised; whether the revised rate is applicable only to officers appointed on or subsequent to the 12th July, 1910, and, in the case of appointments prior to that date, to officers who have been granted a period of extension, the revised rate in the latter case dating from the commencement of the period of extension only; and, if so, whether, seeing that all these officers, irrespective of the dates of their appointment, are performing the same duties, he will consider the desirability of according more equal treatment to those appointed prior to the 12th July, 1912?

I must refer the hon. Member to replies given to questions on this subject put by the hon. and gallant Member for Bodmin on 16th and 28th February, to which I have nothing to add.

asked for a statement of the total actual British Army expenditure in each year since 1904–5, comparing like with like?

The figures are as follow:—

—			Army Votes.		Loan Expenditure.	Total Expenditure.
			Estimate.	Expenditure.
			£	£	£	£
1906–06	…	…	29,813,000	28,478,863	1,287,416	29,766,279
1906–07	…	…	29,796,100	28,501,421	560,980	29,062,401
1907–08	…	…	27,760,100	27,141,642	308,252	27,449,894
1908–09	…	…	27,459,000	26,859,299	212,056	27,071,355
1909–10	…	…	27,435,000	27,243,825	168,204	27,412,029
1910–11	…	…	27,760,100	—	200,000 (Estimate)	27,960,100 (Estimate)
1911–12	…	…	27,690,000	—	300,000 (Estimate)	27,990,000 (Estimate)

asked what is the distance in a bee line from the new artillery range in Northumberland to the War Office property at Stobs; why the property at Stobs could not be used as an artillery range; and for what purposes it is now used?

The distance in a bee line from Stobs to the site proposed for the new range is about thirty miles. Stobs is unsuitable for an artillery range, as the maximum length is only 7,000 yards. It is now used for rifle range and training.

asked the Secretary for the Home Department if his attention has been called to the case of Alice Emily Gordon, aged seventeen, who was sentenced to six weeks' hard labour for failing to report herself on probation; and whether he intends to take any action on the subject?

I have made inquiry and find that the girl's offence was larceny, and that the magistrate released her on probation; but she broke the conditions of her probation and disappeared, and when arrested obstinately refused to give any account of herself. The magistrate again postponed sentence to give her an opportunity of reconsidering her attitude, but she declined to avail herself of the special opportunity thus given her. In these circumstances I cannot interfere with the sentence. If the Probation Act is to be of any real effect it must be made clear that probation will be firmly enforced, and that a person who deliberately breaks the conditions of probation is liable to punishment for the original offence.

asked the Home Secretary if he will consent to appoint at least two women upon the Departmental Committee now being formed to inquire into the management of reformatory and industrial schools, especially having regard to the number of girls in these institutions?

The names of the members of the committee, including three women, were announced in the newspapers last Saturday.

asked the Prime Minister if he can state what steps have been taken as regards the appointment of a consultative committee to deal with the recommendations for justices of the peace in the county of Shropshire, and, if appointed, the names of the members of the committee?

There has not been as yet any committee appointed for Shropshire. A committee will be appointed when the Lord Chancellor thinks it desirable to consider an addition to the bench of justices.

asked the Prime Minister whether the fact that the arbitration proposals of the President of the United States have not yet been formally presented will necessarily preclude the subject being discussed in principle at the Imperial Conference; and, if so, whether he will state by what means, and to what extent, the Government proposes to consult with the other nations of the Empire on the matter of international policy affecting the whole Empire?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. As to the second part of the question the usual means of consultation with other parts of the Empire are always open, and when proposals are under consideration His Majesty's Government will avail themselves of them to the extent which any proposals require.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he will state how long it is since the question of flour adulteration and fraud was brought to the notice of his Department; how long the foods department has been inquiring into the matter; if he can give any information as to the dimensions to which the trade in adulterated flour has grown; whether he is aware that many merchants have had to take back flour which, as the result of water-spraying, had formed into solid blocks, known in the trade as tombstones; whether he has taken the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown as to the sufficiency of the existing law regarding adulteration and false description to deal with this form of adulteration, with a view to bringing the perpetrators of the alleged fraud to justice; and, unless he thinks it contrary to the public interest, will he state why no action has hitherto been taken?

My attention was drawn to this matter in May, 1909, and inquiries have been proceeding in regard to it during the last eighteen months. A report will, I hope, be issued very shortly, and at present I have nothing further to add, beyond referring the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on the 13th instant.

asked the President of the Local Government Board the number of paupers relieved in the United Kingdom for the years 1890 and 1909 respetively; the sum expended on Poor Law relief in the same years; the number of persons emigrated out of funds raised under the provisions of the Unemployed "Workman Act, 1905, and the gross amount of money expended on such emigration; the net amount after deducting moneys returned by the emigrants; the number of emigrants other than children, orphans and deserted, emigrated under the provisions of the Poor Law and the cost of such emigration in the years 1890 and 1909 respectively; the number of children, orphans and deserted, emigrated by boards of guardians, and the cost of such emigration in the years 1890 and 1909 respectively?

The mean number of persons classified as paupers in the United Kingdom was, for the year ended Lady Day, 1890, 976,573, and the year ended Lady Day, 1909, 1,136,084. The expenditure on poor relief for the year 1889–90 was £10,024,113, and for the year 1908–9 £17,334,840. According to the latest figures 16,317 emigrants and dependants have been emigrated out of funds raised under the provisions of the Unemployed Workmen Act, 1905, the gross cost being £130,048. No complete information with regard to moneys returned by the emigrants is available. In England and Wales seventy-two emigrants other than orphan or deserted children were emigrated under the Poor Law in 1890 at a cost of £271, and 213 at a cost of £1,433 in 1909. The number of orphan or deserted children emigrated under the Poor Law in England and Wales was 375, at a cost of £4,191 in 1890, and 422 at a cost of £6,531 in 1909. No statistics of persons emigrated under the Poor Law in Scotland are available. In Ireland, so far as my information goes, 533 persons were assisted to emigrate in 1890, under the Irish Poor Belief Acts, at a cost of £880, and twenty-two persons at a cost of £69 in 1909. I am unable to distinguish the number of orphan or deserted children, if any.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state how many places named Salford besides Salford, Manchester, are in the Postal Guide; which of them is open on Sunday; which of them has a money order and telegraph office; are there any returns made of the business passing through these offices which would enable a comparison to be made with the 15,000,000 postal communications annually passing through the office at Salford, Manchester; and would a letter addressed Salford and posted in any part of Oxfordshire be delivered at Salford, Chipping Norton, or at Salford, Manchester?

There are three places named Salford, in addition to Salford, Manchester, shown in the Post Office Guide. One of them only—that at Clitheroe—has a money order and telegraph office. At none of them is the post office open on Sunday. There are no returns available of the business transacted at the post offices in these places, but there can be no question that the business transacted at Salford, Manchester, greatly exceeds that at any of the other places of the same name. A letter addressed "Salford" only, and posted in Oxfordshire, without any indication in the address for which of the places named Salford it was intended, would, in all probability, be sent to Salford, Chipping Norton; but I am inquiring whether cases have occurred of letters so directed, but intended for Salford, Manchester, having been delayed in transmission, and I will communicate with the hon. Member.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the electric cable connected with the Chiswick telephone exchange runs along King Street, Hammersmith, within 300 yards of No. 21, Ravenscourt Park, which is a road, running at right angles to King Street; whether, in view of the fact that no question of wayleaves should be raised by running a connection between the Chiswick main line and No. 21, Ravenscourt Park, and in view of the fact that spares existed on the Chiswick exchange and that no necessity existed for connecting No. 21, Ravenscourt Park by means of a line connecting with the western exchange crossing Ravenscourt Park, for which wayleaves would be necessary, he will explain the reason for the delay which has occurred in supplying Mr. B. H. McCarthy with a telephone; and whether he will produce copies of the letters sent by the Post Office authorities to Mr. McCarthy dealing with this question?

The hon. Member is under a misapprehension. There is not, and has not been, any intention of connecting No. 21, Ravenscourt Park, with the Western Exchange. The overhead wayleave which was required was for the purpose of connecting the house with the Chiswick Exchange; and the delay in making the connection is due to the difficulty my engineers have found in obtaining this wayleave. I will give instructions for the matter to be pressed forward as much as possible.

asked the Lord Advocate if the Secretary for Scotland will introduce an Amendment of the Congested Districts (Scotland) Act, such as will admit of land being provided for the landless cottars in the island of Lewis and other congested districts, and so arrest the depopulation of the Highlands?

As my hon. Friend is aware, such legislative proposals as he desires were contained in the Small Landholders (Scotland) Bill, which embodied the Government land policy for Scotland, and was rejected by the House of Lords. Under these circumstances the Government cannot give at the moment any undertaking as to when they will re-introduce their proposals.