asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any provision has been made for the case of a man whose present contribution to his friendly society for sick pay is the same as the amount which it is proposed to deduct from his wages under the National Insurance Bill, who reaches the age of seventy, but is not eligible for an old age pension; whether it is proposed that such a man should be debarred from receiving the sick pay for which he may have contributed for many years, without compensation in the shape of an old age pension; and whether he is aware that there will be thousands of persons who will be in such a position if they reach the age of seventy?

The National Insurance Bill will deprive no one of any rights which he has acquired by past contributions to a friendly society; on the contrary, the Bill will set free vast accumulated reserves for friendly societies to use for the benefit of existing members.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is proposed to withhold the balance of the employer's contribution paid in respect of an insured person from the control of the insured person's approved society, after the necessary expenses of the Insurance Commissioners and other expenses have been deducted?

The moneys in question will be retained by the Insurance Commissioners for investment and will be eredited, together with interest at the prescribed rate, to the respective societies. I may perhaps remind the hon. and gallant Member that the expenses of the Insurance Commissioners will be borne separately by the State and will not fall to be deducted from contributions paid under the scheme.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that a postman is entitled to six months' sick leave without loss of pay while an established clerk to a surveyor of taxes is only entitled to one month's sick leave on full pay and one month on half-pay, after which his salary ceases; and whether he will arrange that in future established clerks to surveyors of taxes shall receive the same sick leave as all other established clerks in the Civil Service?

The scale of allowances for sick leave for established clerks in the offices of surveyors of taxes is considered adequate for all ordinary cases; in exceptional cases the Commissioners of Inland Revenue can, in the exercise of their discretion, grant some extension beyond the normal maximum of sick leave allowance.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will postpone for twelve months the introduction of the new regulations as to programme and age limits for the Excise and Customs; and whether, in view of the effect of these regulations if immediately enforced on students who specially prepare themselves for this examination according to the rules in existence for years, he will say if there is any precedent for such a change as is proposed here being made without giving some reasonable notification?

I must refer the hon. Member to the answers I have given to similar questions on this subject, especially to that to the hon. Member for the Newbury Division on the 8th instant.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland why the tenants on the Marshall estate, county Kerry, are again asked to pay interest at the rate of 3½ per cent., which gives no credit for sinking fund, instead of the annuity at 3¼ whether the landlord was paid the purchase money more than two and a-half years ago; if so, what is the cause of the delay in vesting the estate in the tenants; and what is proposed to be done with the over-payments which the tenants have made during the past two and a-half years?

I would refer the hon. Member to my numerous replies to his former questions on this subject. The Estates Commissioners expect that the holdings on this estate will be vested in the tenants during the present week. As I have already informed the hon. Member, there has been no overpayment made in this case by the tenants.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that agreements were entered into for the purchase of the Darley estate, Killarney, in 1907; that Mr. Cronin, of Ards, was then ready to sign on the terms offered to the other tenants, but was not allowed by the agent to do so owing to the application of Mrs. Sheehan, the only other tenant in the Ards portion of the estate, to be dealt with as an evicted tenant; that Mrs. Sheehan has since been recognised as such, and her farm compulsorily acquired; that an inspector visited the estate last September, and arranged with Mr. Cronin as to the price he would pay, promising him that the townland of Ards would be taken over at once, and vested in these two tenants, and, further, that he would get a grant for building; and whether the Estates Commissioners are now ready to carry out this offer made to Mr. Cronin, who has been put to annoyance and law costs during the past four years?

Proceedings for the sale of the lands of Crohane on the Darley Estate, county Kerry, direct to the tenants were instituted by the owner under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and purchase agreements were lodged in 1908. The lands of Ards were not included in these sale proceedings, and no purchase agreements were lodged in respect of them. The Estates Commissioners, however, have acquired part of the lands of Ards under the provisions of the Evicted Tenants Act, and have reinstated Mrs. Sheehan, widow of the tenant who had been evicted from them. They are at present in communication with the owner as to the purchase of Mr. Cronin's holding at Ards.

asked the Chief Secretary if he can state whether the negotiations between the Congested Districts Board and Mr. Richard Kelly as to the proposed sale of his congested estate at Caher and Carramore, Louisburgh, county Mayo, have yet been closed; if so, with what result; and, if not, when the Board hope to be able to complete the purchase?

The Congested Districts Board inform me that the negotiations for the purchase of this estate have not yet been closed. The question of making an offer for purchase will probably be considered by the Board at a very early date.

asked how the sale of the town of Kilfinane now stands; and, in view of the rents charged for houses, will steps be taken to have the sale carried out?

No proceedings have been instituted before the Estates Commissioners for the sale of the holdings in Kilfinane under the Land Purchase Acts.

asked how many civilians hold the position of field superintendent in the Irish division of the Ordnance Survey, and how many of those are Catholics; and how many civilians at present employed in the field in the Irish division of the Survey are on the first class for pay under the classification scheme of 1910, and how many of them are Catholics?

Nine civilians are employed as field superintendents and twenty civilians are employed in the field on the first-class scale of pay on the Ordnance Survey in Ireland. I have no knowledge of the religious belief of any of the men in either category.

asked whether the heads of the Royal Irish Constabulary in Ireland present an Annual Report to the House of Commons; and whether it gives the names of the members who resign or are dismissed, and the respective causes?

No such report is presented to Parliament.

asked whether the case of Bernard Dunne, evicted from the Radcliffe estate, at Dromiskin, Moynalty, has been inquired into and noted for consideration; and whether his claim will now be satisfied by allotting him a portion of the Newtown estate, in the same parish?

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to his previous question on this subject on the 9th instant, to which I cannot add anything at present.

asked the Chief Secretary how many resolutions he has received from borough or district councils, or other public bodies in Ireland, in favour of the adoption of Greenwich time in Ireland; and what proposals, if any, he contemplates for carrying out this scheme, in view of the advantages which would result to Ireland?

Thirteen resolutions have been received from borough or district councils and other public bodies in Ireland in favour of the proposed change. With regard to the last paragraph of the question I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the question on this subject asked by the hon. Member for East Down on 26th October.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) if he can now state what the department proposes to do in the cases of Courtown and Blackwater, in county Wexford?

I am not in a position to make any statement in regard to the places mentoined in view of the fact that the Development Commissioners have not yet come to a final decision on the application for funds made to them by the Department.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he has brought under the notice of the Development Commissioners the necessity of extending the north pier, Newcastle Harbour, county Down, in view of the fact that in stormy weather the boats cannot at present be kept to their moorings; and whether, as the cost would be small in comparison with the importance of the work, he will cause a further inspection to be made of the harbour and a further report presented to the Commissioners?

The reply to the first paragraph of the question is in the negative. The Department of Agriculture are prepared to consider the question of co-operating with the local authorities in improving the accommodation in Newcastle Harbour.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty has the Admiralty received any Report from the consultative committee of the Royal Naval Medical Corps and when did they receive it; will he give instructions that this Report in its original form shall be laid upon the Table of the House; has the Admiralty been advised by the consultative committee that the only practical means of obtaining the additional number of medical officers of the high standard necessitated by modern requirements to makeup the shortage in the Royal Naval Medical Corps is by offering a substantial increase of pay; is this opinion endorsed by the Admiralty; has the Admiralty received any communication from the Army Council upon the subject to the effect that the Army Council would view any decision of the Admiralty to make the career in the Royal Naval Medical Corps more attractive by offering a higher scale of pay as antagonistic to the desired flow of candidates to the Royal Army Medical Corps; and, if so, does the Admiralty intend to allow the Royal Naval Medical Corps to continue to suffer both in efficiency and numbers in order to enable the Army Council to keep down the pay of members of the Royal Army Medical Corps to its present rate?

The Committee on Naval Medical Service forwarded a report relating to Naval medical officers on the 2nd July, 1909. My right hon. Friend the First Lord is not at all convinced that the public interest would be served by laying this Report, which deals fully with medical organisation in time of war, and he hopes the House will not press for it. In reply to the third and fourth parts of the question, the Committee advised that the question of pay was a most important factor to be considered when endeavouring to obtain the requisite number of medical officers of the standard necessary, and framed proposals which would substantially increase the emoluments of Naval medical officers. The Admiralty endorsed this view, and obtained authority for increasing their emoluments. The revised scales of pay and allowances were published in Circular Letter of the 11th August last, a copy of which I am forwarding to the hon. Member. The Army Council agreed that a margin of superiority in rates of pay should be given to the Naval Medical Service, and the Scales of Pay promulgated in the Circular Letter quoted provided for this margin in future.

asked the Under-Secretary for War whether his attention has been called to the case of Alfred Pike, of Wessex Buildings, Wedmore Street, Holloway, late of the 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade, who was discharged from the Army 25th October, 1901, on a pension of 8d. per day, as unfit after over eighteen years' service; was he entitled to this pension in respect of length of service irrespective of invalidity; will he state whether the regulations entitle a man to some additional pension when discharged through physical unfitness; is he aware that Alfred Pike is still suffering from the ailment contracted while in the Army, which interferes with employment in his occupation, and that the wording of his discharge certificate, that he is unfit for further service, is of itself a disability when seeking employment; and will he cause inquiry to be made with a view to ascertaining whether this is a case which calls for some further allowance?

This case has already been specially considered by the Commissioners of Chelsea Hospital who reported that Alfred Pike was in receipt of the full pension to which he is entitled. He was entitled by length of service to a pension of a similar amount, but two pensions cannot be drawn at the same time.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many local authorities have put the Elementary Education (Defective and Epileptic Children) Act, 1899, into operation; how many children of the various classes were treated by such local authorities during the last statistical year; and what is the estimated number of children not treated through the inaction of those authorities which have not adopted the Act?

The answer to the first part of the question is 142. With regard to the second part of the question, the number of children on the registers of special schools under the Elementary Education (Defective and Epileptic Children) Act, 1899, in England and Wales on the 31st July of this year was 17,333, of whom 12,253 were mentally defective, 4,703 physically defective, and 377 epileptic. I have no information with regard to the last part of the question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state how many inspectors of quarries have been appointed during the past two years; how many vacancies there are at the present time; and, if any, when it is proposed to make further appointments?

Inspectors of the higher grade are not appointed specially for inspection of quarries; each inspector inspects both mines and quarries. Of the new class of sub-inspectors which is being constituted a certain number are to be assigned to quarry inspection particularly, as follows:—Of the first fifteen appointments, the examination for which will be held in the course of a few weeks, two will be allotted to quarry work; and of the second fifteen, the examination for which will, it is hoped, be held early next year, six will be so allotted, making eight in all.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will state what number of certified lunatics have, during the last five years, been discharged from asylums and subsequently re-admitted?

The Commissioners in Lunacy inform me that they have no means of supplying this information. In Appendix B., Table III., of the Annual Reports of the Commissioners there will, however, be found the figures of the number of persons admitted to asylums during the year who are known to have been at some previous time in an asylum. Of 23,266 persons admitted during the year 1909 to county and borough asylums, 3,462 were known to have been in asylums before.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that a boy named Cyril Gold was returned to his parents from the Lichfield Truant School on 25th September last suffering from a contagious disease, namely, ringworm, which complaint was caught by two brothers who were attending another school in London; and whether steps may be taken to ensure that children sent from these schools may be properly examined before being sent home?

I have made inquiry, and am informed that this boy was licensed out in September, 1910, and that when readmitted in the following month he was suffering from ringworm. He was then kept in the school nearly a year—much longer than the usual time—in order that he might get quite clear of ringworm before he was sent to his home. Before his discharge he was examined by the medical officer of the school, who reports that he found the boy free from all infectious or contagious complaint when he left the school.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the case of a young man named Stokes, who was sentenced to six months' imprisonment at Wolverhampton, on a charge of stealing some articles of luggage; whether he is aware that a fortnight ago the conviction was quashed and the man was liberated from prison, his innocence having been established; whether he is also aware that the man served three weeks in prison and has also lost his employment; and whether, under the circumstances, any compensation can be given to him for this miscarriage of justice?

My attention has been called to the case, and the facts are as stated in the question, except that the terms of the judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeal are not such as to warrant the belief that the Court regarded the appellant's innocence as established. It has always been held that the reversal of a conviction on appeal does not afford any ground for compensation from public funds, and I fear there is nothing in the facts of this case to justify any departure from that principle.

asked the Home Secretary when the police in the county of Essex are likely to get the Coronation medals which have been awarded to them; if he can state the cause of delay in the distribution of the medals, seeing that all other public officials who are entitled to medals have received them, including the troops and Territorials; and whether he will say if the medals in question have yet been minted or if orders to the Mint for their production have been given by the Home Office?

The police Coronation medals for the county and borough police have been ordered and the dies are in course of preparation. I understand that the Metropolitan Police medals will be ready next month, and that the county and borough medals will follow early next year. There has been no undue delay. The distribution lists had to be settled before the medals could be ordered, and this has involved much correspondence with the police forces.

asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the fact that since August prosecutions for non-vaccination of children have been taking place nearly every week in the Isle of Man; whether the Island Legislature has considered the question of introducing the exemption clause, similar to that operating in England, Wales, and Scotland; and, if not, whether he will bring to the notice of the Governor of the Isle of Man the desirability of legislation which would give Manx objectors to vaccination the same rights as those possessed by their fellow citizens of Great Britain?

I understand that there have been several prosecutions lately. The Lieutenant-Governor informs me that the Insular Legislature has not considered the question of exemption; and that no representations have ever been made to him as to the desirability of the legislation suggested. If there is any grievance, the matter is one for the Insular Legislature to consider.

asked the President of the Local Government Board (1) if he can state how many men are usually employed at the labour colony, Hollesley Bay, Woodbridge; whether any men having clean characters on arrival have been damaged by reports on departure; whether complaints have been made to the managers in regard to the lack of cleanliness; and whether only eight wash-tubs are provided for washing both the men and their clothes; (2) how much the men receive per week for their labour; how the amount is divided between themselves and their wives and families; and whether men so employed come under the provisions of the Insurance Bill; (3) what furlough is permitted to the men each week for the purposes of looking for permanent employment; and (4) the cost of the colony to the country, and what share of its upkeep is borne by the local rates of the various boroughs interested?

I am informed that the number of men employed at the Hollesley Bay Colony is 330 during the winter and 200 during the summer; that the Central (Unemployed) Body have no information to show that men have been damaged by reports made on their leaving the colony; that no complaint has been made as to lack of cleanliness; that baths are provided for the men, and that the eight washtubs referred to are for the washing of the men's underclothing and towels. As regards payments to the men and their families, I understand that each man receives 6d. a week, and under certain conditions a bonus not exceeding 10s. at the end of four months, and that, subject to certain deductions for her own and her children's earnings, and a small abatement on account of clothing supplied to the husband, the wife receives 10s. a week, with an allowance in respect of each child under fourteen years of age, varying with the number of children. In no case, however, is the total allowance to the wife and family more than 17s. 6d. a week, except that on the occasion of her husband's return on furlough, she receives an extra shilling, and that after the twelfth week an extra 1s. per week is paid to her. The men are allowed one furlough in every four weeks, when they leave the colony at twelve o'clock on Saturday and return on the following Monday morning. As regards the question whether the men employed at the colony come under the provisions of the National Insurance Bill, I may refer the hon. Member to Clause 81 and Part II. of the First Schedule to the Bill. The sum expended on the colony out of the Parliamentary Grant in the last-five years is £99,432. No part of the upkeep (as distinguished from loan charges) is payable out of local rates.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the statement made at the last meeting of the London County Council that the cost of central and local municipal administration in London amounts to £2 10s. per head of the population, as contrasted with £1 15s. in Manchester and £1 11s. in Birmingham; whether this is due to the multiplicity of local authorities in London; and whether the Board has under consideration the desirability of simplifying the system of government, and so reducing the burden, of the rates?

The statement referred to appears to be substantially correct, but a final judgment cannot be based upon this one set of statistics. For instance, if the rate in the pound had been taken instead of the rate per head of population, it would have been found that the figure for London was lower than those of the cities mentioned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, having regard to the decision of the Court of Appeal in Darlaston Local Board v. London and North-Western Railway Company (1894) 2 Q. B. 694, he will introduce legislation to empower local authorities to raise before the Railway Commissioners questions relating to the closing of railway stations?

I do not understand that the decision referred to would altogether debar local authorities from raising such questions before the Railway and Canal Commission. In any case, I cannot at present undertake to introduce legislation on the subject.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the value of agricultural machinery exported in the years 1908, 1909, and 1910, respectively?

The following statement shows the value of agricultural machinery of United Kingdom manufacture exported from the United Kingdom to all destinations in each of the years 1908, 1909, and 1910:—

Description of Machinery.	1908.	1909.	1910.
Agricultural Machinery—	£	£	£
Prime movers	1,016,103	964,892	1,243,991
Not prime movers	1,295,538	1,306,885	1,443,302
Total	2,311,641	2,271,777	2,687,293

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he could say what percentage the amount of wages paid in the building of a ship bears to the total selling price of an ordinary cargo steamer?

I regret that I have not the necessary data to enable me to give my hon. Friend the information he desires.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether any local authorities who have adopted either, or both, of the regulations under the Dogs Act, 1906, have since revoked it, and for what cause; whether the Board can compel them to continue the regulations when they have been once adopted; and, if any local authorities have revoked these regulations, will he give a list of such authorities?

The Board are not aware that any local authority has revoked regulations, either as to the wearing of collars by dogs or for their control at night. The local authority for West Sussex, however, modified their regulations as to the control of dogs at night, so as to restrict their application to purely agricultural districts. I shall be happy to make inquiries with regard to any case in which I am informed that the regulations made by a local authority under the Act have been revoked. With regard to the second part of the question, it is within the power of the Board to make an Order either of general or of local application, under Section 2 (1) (b) of the Dogs Act, 1906.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his Department has received any complaints of sheep-worrying by dogs within the last twelve months; and, if so, from what counties?

One complaint was received from the Isle of Skye in May last, and the Chief Constable for the county of Durham stated in his last quarterly report that there were twenty-eight cases of sheep-worrying in that county during the quarter.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture if he will give a list of those local authorities in Great Britain who have made orders under the Dogs Act, 1906, prescribing the wearing of collars by dogs, and a list of local authorities in Great Britain who have made regulations under the same Act as to the straying of dogs at night?

Two hundred and sixty-five local authorities have made regulations prescribing the wearing of collars by dogs, and orders of the Board to the same effect are in operation in the rest of Great Britain. The wearing of collars by dogs, subject to certain special exceptions, is therefore required throughout the country. The Board have made orders empowering the local authorities of 188 areas to make regulations for the control of dogs at night. Of these, forty-seven county authorities and nineteen urban authorities have made regulations which have been confirmed by the Board. I shall be happy to send the hon. Member a list of the authorities, but I do not think it would be worth while to print it in the Votes.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will state the number of hours overtime worked, and at what cost, by the indoor and outdoor staffs at the West Central district office during the months of July, August, September, and October last, respectively; how much of such overtime was caused by the rebuilding operations; and whether it is proposed to augment the staff at the West Central office in order to meet the increased volume of work?

As the overtime accounts are made up each week it would not be possible without considerable time and trouble to furnish particulars for the exact months referred to by the hon. Member, but the information contained in the subjoined statement will doubtless suffice:—

Period.		Indoor.				Outdoor.
		No. of hours.	Cost.			No. of hours.	Cost.
			£	s.	d.		£	s.	d.
Four weeks ended 30th July	…	7,172½	412	18	6½	13,570¼	558	19	9½
		*325¼	15	4	0	*101¾	4	16	6
Four weeks ended 27th August	…	8,640¼	509	2	8	12,715¼	535	9	3
		*1,055¾	53	16	5	*395¾	18	11	6
Five weeks ended 1st October	…	9,711¾	581	17	4½	18,530¼	767	1	7½
		*1,749	83	10	7	*648¾	30	14	9
Four weeks ended 29th October	…	7,378	441	1	9	18,362¼	782	6	3½
		*1,050¾	53	19	10	*191¾	9	9	4½
Totals	…	32,902½	1,945	0	4	63,178	2,643	16	11½
		*4,180¾	206	10	10	*1,338	63	12	1½
Grand Total	…	37,083¼	2,151	11	2	64,516	2,707	9	1
* Overtime due to the rebuilding operations.

I have sanctioned the employment of additional force at the West Central district office, and inquiry is being made whether the circumstances justify further additions. Since the period mentioned above the amount of overtime has decreased considerably, and I hope that the termination of the leave season and the completion of the work of taking annual returns of correspondence will result in a further substantial diminution.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will invite the Rule Committee to consider the expediency of assimilating the practice in debenture holders' actions in cases of registered debentures to that in the winding-up department in the case of a return of capital and to the practice outside the court, so that a registered debenture holder shall be put to the trouble and expense of

The suggestion of the hon. Member will be laid by me before the Lord Chancellor, who presides in the Rule Committee.

asked the Attorney-General whether, having regard to the fact that the system of compulsory registration of title under the Land TransferAct, 1897, has now been tried in the county of London as an experiment for over twelve years, at an annual cost of about £50,000, and to the fact that the Land Transfer Commission reported this year that the system was imperfect, and that the effect of the system in London has been to place a purchaser there at a disadvantage as compared with a purchaser elsewhere, the Privy Council will act on the authority given them by the Act of 1897 and rescind the order applying compulsion to the county of London, thus leaving London property owners the same freedom that owners of property outside of London possess, to register or not, as they deem best in their own interests?

The Lord Chancellor would not advise the Privy Council to make such an order, nor does the Royal Commission to which the hon. Member refers recommend the making of such an Order.

asked the amount of the costs incurred by the Government and the Glamorganshire County Council in fighting the Caerphilly school case, which, after six years of litigation, was decided in favour of the trustees of the school by the judgment of Mr. Justice Swinfen Eady a fortnight ago?

The costs incurred by the Government are between £50 and £60. It is impossible to say, at present, what costs have been incurred by the Glamorganshire County Council.

asked the Attorney-General what steps he proposes to take on behalf of the depositors of the Birkbeck Bank in view of the recent decisions in the Law Courts?

I am informed by the senior Official Receiver that he and the liquidator of the Birkbeck Permanent Building Society and the Birkbeck Bank obtained a representation order under which all classes of creditors were represented by separate council and solicitors, and the arguments on behalf of each class, including the depositors, were placed before the Court. It is open to any of the parties in the representation order to appeal, but no appeal has so far been lodged, and there is every reason to believe that if the proceedings now terminate the depositors will only receive 6d. in the £1 less than they would have received had the decision been in their favour. In these circumstances, it is probable that those representing the depositors will not wish to proceed further. I do not propose to take any steps in the matter.

asked the Lord Advocate what will each education district, respectively, have to pay of the presumed cost, amounting to £93,000, of the teachers' scheme of superannuation according to the draft scheme now upon the Table of the House?

The cost of the superannuation scheme, so far as it falls upon the Education (Scotland) Fund, will not be an element in the allocation of that fund for the year ending 15th May, 1912, to which the Minute dated 1st August applies. I am not prepared to say at present what the terms of the Minute of Allocation for the succeeding year will be, or what part of the cost of superannuation will fall upon each education district in terms of a minute not yet in existence.