asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer from which fund, the men's or women's, will the maternity benefit under the National Insurance Bill be taken in each of the following cases: a married woman who is an insured person, a married woman who is not an insured person, and an unmarried woman who is an insured person?

Under the Bill as proposed to be amended by the Amendment which I have put down, maternity benefit will be payable as follows: In the case of a married woman who is an insured person, out of the husband's fund, if he is an insured person, and if he is not an insured person, out of the wife's fund; in the case of a married woman who is not an insured person, out of her husband's fund; and in the case of an unmarried woman who is an insured person, out of her fund.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer will contributions be payable under the National Insurance Bill by and for half-timers in the textile trades, or will they come under the exemption in Clause 2 (1), as the time they work would not make up thirty-nine full weeks in a year, and they are dependent upon their parents or guardians?

My right hon. Friend appears to have overlooked the fact that the words referring to thirty-nine weeks were cut out from Clause 2 (1) in Committee.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the facts as to the annual erosion on the coast of Essex and eleven other counties of England disclosed in the third and final Report of the Royal Commission on Coast Erosion and Afforestation, and in view of the great strain which the Report states the task of defending themselves against the sea often places on the resources of small local authorities, he will take steps to provide in this year's Budget some assistance out of Imperial taxes to bodies and persons engaged in the national work of protecting the shores of England from the ravages of the sea?

The Report of the Royal Commission is under consideration by the Board of Trade. I am not at present in a position to make any announcement upon the subject.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has yet taken, and, if not, when he intends to take, steps to carry out the recommendation contained in the third and final Report of the Royal Commission on Coast Erosion and Afforestation, at page 118 of that Report, that the Board of Trade should be made the central sea-defence authority, and that further powers should be conferred upon it enabling it satisfactorily to control the removal of materials and the construction of works on the shore, and enabling it also to assist, where necessary, and to supervise existing authorities concerned with coat protection, and to create new authorities representing all interests affected in particular areas where such bodies may be found to be required for the purpose of sea-defence?

The recommendations in the Report are being carefully considered by the various Government Departments affected, and I am informed that the Board of Trade have asked for the views of the other Departments, but have not yet reached the stage of considering the promotion of the Bill to give effect to the recommendations.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether, in view of the recommendation contained in the third and final report of the Royal Commission on Coast Erosion and Afforestation, at page 123 of that report, he will, when authorising loans for sea-defence purposes, allow more than twenty years as the period of repayment of loans for solid defence works; and whether, in the case of existing loans incurred for solid defence-works by small local authorities whose task of defending themselves against the sea places a great strain on their resources, he will extend the period for repayment of the amount outstanding?

It is the practice of the Board, in fixing the term for the repayment of loans for works of sea defence, to have regard to the design of the proposed works, and also to their probable life, and it is for this reason that the Board have in certain cases fixed twenty years as the appropriate term for repayment. Unfortunately, the poverty of an area does not extend the probable life of works of sea defence.

asked what is the reason for the delay in printing the Report of the East Cork Election Petition trial, ordered by the House to be printed on the 26th June last?

This Report contains over 300 pages of printed matter. The completed proof was sent to the Committee Office, House of Commons, on Monday last, the 31st July. It will take the printers about ten days to print off the copies of the Report after they have received the final corrections.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Estates Commissioners have considered the case of Patrick Carney, of Assaun, Croghan, county Roscommon, a tenant purchaser on the King-Harman estate, who was evicted on the 8th June, 1909, though all his annunities were paid up to the last gale day; and whether the Commissioners propose to reinstate this man in the holding from which he was evicted, or to provide him with a suitable holding elsewhere?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that this is not a case for any action on their part. Patrick Carney signed agreements to purchase under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and the holdings were vested in him on 20th October, 1905. He was continually in default in the payment of his Land Purchase Annuities, and the Land Commission had to institute legal proceedings for their recovery. The lands appear to have been transferred to the present registered owner, Peter Carney, by order of the Court of Chancery in an administration suit in which he was plaintiff and Patrick Carney defendant.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that a portion of the untenanted lands on the Hew-son property at Ballynorth, in the county of Limerick, was marked out for Cornelius Enright, also Patrick Wallace, Patrick Madigan, and Enright by an inspector of the Estates Commissioners so far back as 14th May, 1910; whether he is aware that they signed agreements to purchase the portions so marked out to them in January, 1911; and can he say why it is that they have not yet got possession of them?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that the estate of Everard Hewson, county Limerick, was sold by the vendor direct to the tenants under the Irish Land Act of 1909. An allotment was sold to Cornelius Enright and another to Patrick Wallace, tenants on the estate, and the lands were consolidated with their holdings and vested in them on the 15th June last. The inspector proposed that portion of the lands be allotted to Madigan, but the owner had no power to sell an allotment to him as he was not a tenant, nor could he create him a tenant for the purposes of sale, having regard to the provisions of Section. 16 of the Act of 1909.

asked what further 3teps have been taken by the Congested Districts Board, since its last meeting, to bring about the purchase of the Fermoyle estate, parish of Prior, of which Mr. Myles O'Mahony is a trustee?

Consideration of the application of the tenants on the Fermoyle Estate that the Congested Districts Board should purchase the property has been postponed until the next meeting of the Board.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, now that the Estates Commissioners have arranged to resell to Colonel Maxwell Lowe, under Section 3 of the 1903 Act that portion of his estate at Sunville, Ardpatrick, county Limerick, they have made any provisions in the way of compensation or reinstatement for Mrs. Ellen Ryan, who was evicted off these lands in the year 1888.

The Estates Commissioners have decided to take no action in the matter of Mrs. Ellen Eyan's application for reinstatement in her former holding, but should they acquire untenanted land in the neighbourhood her name will be considered in its allotment.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Congested Districts Board has now received the necessary maps and documents in connection with the purchase of the estate of the late Major Mahony at Dooks; if not, how many months ago was the agent requested to furnish them, and how many applications have been made to him on the subject; and whether an eviction has been carried out in the meanwhile, and that the tenants can get no information as to the progress, or otherwise, of the negotiations for purchase?

The maps and documents in connection with the estate referred to have not yet been lodged with the Congested Districts Board, but it is understood that this will shortly be done. The Board have communicated on three occasions with the agent. The Board have no information regarding the alleged eviction, and do not appear to have received any inquiry from the tenants as to the progress of the negotiations for purchase.

asked whether the Estates Commissioners have ordered an inspection of the farm from which Timothy Moynahan was evicted, the holding being on the Lisle estate, at Meens, Kiskeam, county Cork, with a view to taking steps towards his reinstatement, agreements to purchase have been lodged on behalf of the tenants on the estate?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that Moynahan's application was not received within the period limited by the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907, and cannot, therefore, be dealt with under that Act. The estate on which his former holding was situate is the subject of proceedings for sale under the Land Purchase Acts, and will be inspected at an early date when inquiries will be made.

asked on what date the Estates Commissioners were first asked to purchase Kilmore grass farm, on the Kavanagh estate, Westmeath, for distribution, and on what date they communicated with the owner and with the tenant of that farm; whether the Commissioners have given the owner and tenant a bid for the farm; and what the Commissioners propose to do regarding this farm?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that the papers in this matter are with the inspector. The estate is not the subject of proceedings for sale before the Commissioners, but, with a view to estimating the price they would be prepared to advance for the lands if sold to them as untenanted, they directed an inspector some time ago to make an inspection. He has recently visited the lands, and the Commissioners expect to receive his report at an early date, when they will consider the question of price.

asked the Chief Secretary on what grounds a reduced pension of only 3s. per week has been granted to Patrick O'Neill, Aghort, Ballinskelligs, although his means from all sources do not exceed £15 per year; and whether he will have inquiry made into the matter?

The Local Government Board are not in a position to state the precise grounds on which the pension subcommittee decided to allow Patrick O'Neill a pension at the rate of 3s. a week only. The Board have, however, received from him an application for a pension at an increased rate, and are making inquiries into the matter.

asked whether, in view of the fact that appeals against the granting of old age pensions have been frequently made by the pension officer, the question on which the appeals are made being the value of maintenance, and on which question the members of the sub-pensions committee and the pension officer do not agree; do the Local Government Board for Ireland obtain independent evidence as to the money value of maintenance in the district where the applicants reside before arriving at a decision, or is the statement of the pension officer accepted as value in opposition to the decision arrived at by the members of the pension committee, who are resident in the district and in possession of all information on which to make a valuation?

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the question on this subject of the hon. Member for West Cavan on 24th July.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the Tullamore Urban District Council recently obtained a Provisional Order authorising the acquisition of certain lands adjoining the town of Tullamore for the erection of artisans dwellings; that a petition having been lodged by Lady Emily Howard Bury, the owner in fee of such property, against such Provisional Order, the Local Government Board for Ireland then directed one of their inspectors, Mr. Richard Kelly, to hold a second inquiry; whether such procedure was usual in view of the fact that one of their inspectors had only reported in favour of the scheme and made a Provisional Order, after having held a full and exhaustive inquiry; and whether, having regard to the evidence given in both inquiries, particularly the medical officer's testimony that there are at the present time in Tullamore over 100 families living in houses unfit for human habitation, that the mortality rate from tubercular diseases in Tullamore was the third highest in Ireland, and that the necessity for the erection of artisans' dwellings in the interest of public health is imperative, he will recommend the Local Government Board for Ireland to dismiss the aforesaid petition and allow the Provisional Order already made to stand?

The facts are correctly stated in the first two paragraphs of the question. The Local Government Board considered it necessary, in view of the petition lodged against the inspector's order, to make further inquiry under Section 6 (4) (b) of the Labourers (Ireland) Act, 1906, as adapted for the purposes of the Housing Acts. The report on the second inquiry is at present under the consideration of the Board.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he can state the total emigration from Ireland and from each county in Ireland since 1841?

The Registrar-General informs me that there is no information regarding emigration by counties from Ireland prior to 1851. I would refer the hon. Member to Table III. of the Emigration Statistics of Ireland for the year 1910 (Cd. 5607), which shows the number of emigrants from each province and county from the 1st May, 1851, to the 31st December, 1910.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the case of John O'Brien, late private in the Royal Munster Fusiliers, Regimental No. 5328, C Company, who enlisted in the above on the 22nd September, 1896, and was discharged as medically unfit on the 27th August, 1899, having contracted varicose veins, and who is now unable to perform any hard work; and whether, this being the case, some pension will be awarded him to enable him to live outside of the workhouse?

The varicose veins which caused the discharge of John O'Brien, after serving for two years and 329 days, were not, in the opinion of the Invaliding Medical Board, either caused or aggravated by military service. In these circumstances I regret that he bas no claim to pension.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that the Bombay Legislative Council propose to make revaccination compulsory in Bombay; whether the Governor has received a petition against the suggested law; and whether, seeing that small-pox is not checked in India in spite of the amount of vaccination that is practised there, he will point out to the Bombay Council the inadvisability of enacting a compulsory revaccination law and counsel them to take all possible steps to improve the sanitary condition of the city?

The Secretary of State is not aware that any such legislation is contemplated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that a sentence of one month's imprisonment without the option of a fine has been recently passed upon a locked-out boilermaker at Sunderland for an alleged assault, under provocation, whilst acting as a picket, the convicted man bearing a good character for the past eighteen years, having served in the Army for many years carrying the rank of sergeant; and whether he can see his way to mitigate the sentence passed upon this workman?

As the defendant has appealed to quarter sessions against his conviction, and pending the hearing of the appeal is discharged from custody, I can say nothing of the merits of the case.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that by regulation of his Department the £20,000 which it is necessary to lodge before starting an insurance company must be paid before the issue of a prospectus of a company; whether he is aware that this regulation quite prohibits new companies being floated and gives a monopoly to the large companies now in existence; and whether he can see his way to alter this regulation so that the money can be paid before starting business, but not before issuing the prospectus?

There is no regulation of my Department that the deposit of £20,000 mentioned in my hon. Friend's question must be paid before the issue of a prospectus by a new insurance company. The Assurance Companies' Act of 1909 (which, in this respect, exactly reproduces the Act of 1870) provides, however, that the Registrar shall not issue a certificate of incorporation of the company until the deposit has been made, but there is no provision in the Statute or elsewhere that the deposit must be paid before the issue of the prospectus.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether Regulation 1 (a), dealing with Glasgow Corporation tramways, which requires a speed indicator to be fitted on every car, has ever been put in force by his Department; and, if not, will he say how he can ensure that the maximum speed of sixteen miles per hour allowed the tramcars is not often exceeded, especially in view of the fact that the corporation encourage motor cars in their streets at twenty miles an hour?

The regulation referred to requires that a speed-indicating apparatus should be fitted to the tramcars, if and when required by the Board of Trade. The Glasgow Corporation have not been required to fit such an appliance owing to the difficulty of procuring a reliable apparatus and the cost thereof, but I understand that improvements in speed-indicators have been made, and the Board have recently suggested to tramway authorities that indicators should be fitted to a certain number of their cars for the purpose of educating motormen in estimating speeds. The responsibility for seeing that the speed limits in Glasgow are observed by the motormen rests with the corporation, and no complaints have been received by the Board of Trade that these limits are exceeded.

asked the Postmaster-General when the telephone to Danebury, near Stockbridge, will be completed, seeing that it was ordered nearly a year ago.

A telephone exchange to serve Stockbridge and the neighbourhood is being provided by the National Telephone Company. I will inquire when it is likely to be opened and will let the hon. Member know.

asked the hon. Member for the Doncaster Division, as Church Estates Commissioner, what is the area of agricultural land in Leicestershire owned by the Commissioners; in what parishes it is situate how many holdings there are; the rent per acre at which it is let; the names of the tenants, and the dates when the agreements of tenancy terminate.

The area of the agricultural land of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in the county of Leicester amounts to 2,833 acres in the six parishes of Bringhurst, Cossington, Great Dalby, Hinckley, Seagrave, and Welham. Allotments and cottage gardens amount to 130 acres, and the residue is let in thirty-two holdings. The Commissioners do not see their way to give the other information asked for, as they consider that it would be prejudicial to their interests and calculated to embarrass them in the administration of their estates.