asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state whether the amount paid by employers in the National Insurance Bill will be allowed in rebate off their Income Tax?

I will refer the hon. and gallant Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Cheltenham on the 25th May.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that more than eight months have elapsed since the Congested Districts Board undertook to complete the purchase of the Jermyn estate at Castle Cove; and whether, in view of the fact that the tenants received a circular from the agent four months ago stating that the owner had accepted the sale price fixed by the Board, he will state the cause of delay in completing the purchase?

The Congested Districts Board's offer for the purchase of this estate was accepted on 10th May last, and rents are being collected by the Board. Some time must elapse before the necessary legal steps are completed in order to have the property vested in the Board, and until this is done no works can be undertaken.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Mrs. Judy Quin, Knockahornaduff, Drombane, county Tipperary, was deprived of her old age pension on the ground that she was not seventy years of age, although she obtained a certificate from the parish priest stating she was seventy-two years of age last July and her marriage certificate certifies she was married fifty-one years; and, seeing that her case was appealed to the Local Government Board about six months ago, whether he can state the cause of delay in the Local Government Board deciding her case; and whether, under the circumstances, she will receive the pension from the date upon which she was deprived of it by the pension officer?

The pension officer's appeal was received in this case on the 4th April, 1911, but all the documents relating to the case were not furnished by the pension sub-committee until the 17th August last. Mrs. Quin was married on the 12th February, 1861, but there is a doubt whether the baptismal certificate mentioned relates to her, and this matter is at present being investigated. According to the Census Returns, there was no child named Judy in the family of Mrs. Quin's parents in 1841, and in 1851 Judy was returned as only seven years old.

asked on what grounds the Local Government Board rejected the case of Mrs. Sarah O'Brien of Shanid, Shanagolden, county Limerick, to whom the Askeaton pension committee granted an old age pension; and what evidence had the Local Government Board before them when rejecting her claim?

Sarah O'Brien's claim was disallowed by the Local Government Board on the ground that she failed to furnish satisfactory evidence of having reached the statutory age. The evidence consisted of the statement of two persons that they believed her to be seventy years old, and her own statement that she was about eighteen months younger than a brother who was certified as having been baptised on 24th June, 1839.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will consider the advisability of the warrant officers recommended for advancement being promoted to the rank of chief warrant officer automatically on the attainment of fifteen years' seniority as warrant officer; and whether he can see his way to recommend that the pay of chief warrant officers so promoted shall be the same as that now paid on attaining fifteen years' seniority with biennial increments after the first two years of 1s. a day and 6d. a day for every subsequent two years?

It is not intended to alter the rank and pay of commissioned warrant officers and warrant officers in the manner suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether Mr. V. W. Baddeley, a principal clerk at the Admiralty, has been appointed assistant secretary for finance duties; if so, whether this is an entirely new office; what experience Mr. Baddeley has had in financial matters; is the House to understand that all the superior officials of the Accountant-General of the Navy's Department were regarded as incapable of filling this new post; how long has Mr. Baddeley been in the Civil Service; and in what branch of the Admiralty has he been engaged since his appointment?

The answer to the first two questions is in the affirmative. In selecting Mr. Baddeley for this new appointment, which is not in the Accountant-General's Department, all the circumstances were fully considered by my predecessor. The period of his service is fourteen years, and he has been employed both in the War Office and in the Secretary's Department of the Admiralty.

also asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether Mr. J. H. Brooks, a principal clerk in the secretariat, has been appointed director of victualling; and, if so, has Mr. Brooks had any experience in that Department, and are the superior officers in the Victualling Department at the Admiralty and in the victualling establishments at home and abroad deemed to be incapable of holding this position?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. In regard to the second part of the question, Mr. Brooks was selected as being in the opinion of the Admiralty the best officer in the interests of the Service.

asked the Under-Secretary for War whether officers and men of the Army Service Corps were granted medals issued in connection with the Coronation of King Edward VII.; and whether they will be granted medals issued in connection with the Coronation of His Majesty King George V.?

On the occasion of the Coronation of King Edward VII. the Army Service Corps received forty-nine medals, receiving the medal under the same conditions as the rest of the Regular Army. They have again received a similar number of medals in connection with the Coronation of King George V., this being the proper proportion calculated on the relative establishment of the corps to the establishments of the rest of the Army.

also asked what number of officers and men of the Army Service Corps were performing duty in London at the time of the Coronation?

Fifty officers and 606 other ranks were performing duty in London at the time of the Coronation.

asked why any distinction is made between the Army Service Corps and other troops, seeing that officers and men of the Army Service Corps are granted medals for active service?

No distinction has been drawn between the Army Service Corps and other troops in respect of the grant of medals for the recent Coronation.

likewise asked whether there is anything in their conditions of service which debars officers and men of the Army Service Corps from being granted medals in the same manner as other troops performing duty in connection with the Coronation?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Under-Secretary for War if any report was made to the War Office of the proceedings at the inquests on the men killed by the military at Llanelly and Liverpool in connection with the recent strikes; and, if so, whether he will lay those reports upon the Table of the House?

The War Office was legally represented on both the occasions referred to; the legal representatives forwarded to the War Office the accounts of the proceedings in the local newspapers. The War Office was represented at the inquests by military officers, who reported verbally to the authorities. They furnished no information beyond that which appeared in the Press; there would therefore be no advantage in laying papers.

asked the Prime Minister whether it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to repeal the Eight Hours Miners Act in any parts of Great Britain?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Prime Minister whether, during the absence of His Majesty the King in India, His Majesty will, owing to modern facilities of communication, be enabled to give the Royal Assent to Bills by commission and to transact other business without inconvenience to the conduct of government, as in the case in recent times of the visits of the Sovereign abroad, or will the appointment of Lords Justices be necessary to exercise the Royal prerogative in accordance with a series of precedents of which the last is that of 1821; if the appointment of Lord Justices be considered necessary, will such appointment be under the Great Seal with powers specified in the Letters Patent giving them their commission; and when will the names of the Lord Justices designate, and the terms and powers of the contemplated commission, be communicated to the House of Commons?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave yesterday on this subject.

asked the Prime Minister whether anything has been done with regard to appointing advisory committees as to appointing magistrates for the county of London?

The names of the advisory committee for the county of London were settled last week, and invitations to them asking them to act have been sent out. The Lord Chancellor has decided, after much consideration, that the best course is to appoint one central committee for London, and to co-opt additional members in respect of different districts. The central committee consists of sixteen.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state what is the estimated number of casual labourers in the United Kingdom; whether he can give an estimate of the numbers of casual labourers who will be exempted from the regulations of the Insurance Bill under Part II. of the First Schedule of the Bill; and further, in the case of dock and riverside labour, whether he can give any estimate of the number of casual labourers who will become employed contributors under the Bill?

I regret that it is impossible to give an estimate on any of these points.

asked the Postmaster-General whether Money Order and Savings Bank business is now being carried on at Victoria Station on the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway; and, if so, whether established staff employed by the Post Office are engaged on these duties; whether it is intended to extend the practice; and if he will state the reasons for the departure from the official declaration made in April, 1910, that no necessity existed for the establishment of post offices at railway stations?

Money Order business is being carried on at the Victoria Station Post Office; Savings Bank business is not. Post Office staff is not employed. The work is carried on by the railway company's servants on the condition applicable to the smaller sub-post offices. The question of opening similar offices on other railway stations in London is being considered. I do not think it necessary to open full branch post offices at railway stations.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can give any information as to the contemplated alterations in the Southall post office and when they will be commenced?

It has not yet been possible to decide upon a scheme for the provision of improved accommodation for post office business at Southall. The matter is, however, receiving special attention.

asked the Postmaster-General whether more complaints have been received from the public respecting damaged parcels since the substitution of bags for baskets for the conveyance of the same; what is the computed financial saving due to the alteration; and were the increased possibilities of damage to the contents of parcels entrusted to the Post Office, and the probable detrimental effects on the health of the staff caused through the bags harbouring greater quantities of dust and dirt than did baskets, taken into consideration before the change was given effect?

Owing to decentralisation of the work of dealing with claims for compensation for damage it is not possible to give any exact figures with regard to complaints of damage to parcels, but I have no reason to think that there has been any appreciable increase as a result of the more extended use of bags. As regards the remainder of the hon. Member's question, I beg to refer him to the answer which I have given to a similar question on 14th August, a copy of which I will send him.

asked the hon. Member for Southampton, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, if he has had complaints from the supernumerary park-keepers employed in the Royal parks that, owing to the fact that they do not wear uniforms, they have not that control over the frequenters of the parks that they ought to have; and whether he will inquire into their complaint with the object of removing the cause of it?

No complaints of the nature indicated have been made to the First Commissioner. As stated on the 20th of July last, in reply to a question from the hon. Member on this subject, experience has shown that the absence of full uniform is in no way detrimental to the control exercised over frequenters of the parks by supernumerary park-keepers.