asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether means will be taken by regulations, or otherwise, under the National Insurance Bill to prevent liability to penalties on the part of employers and workmen pending the decision by umpire of questions which may be raised under Section 85, Sub-section (1) (b), of that Bill reasonably soon before the coming into operation of the Bill as an Act, and to ensure that moneys paid in error by employers or workmen pending the decision of such questions by umpire shall be refunded?

I have been asked by my right hon. Friend to answer this question. Regulations under Clause 85 (1) (b), covering the points mentioned by the hon. Member, will be issued as soon as possible after the passing of the Bill. The refund of contributions paid in error will be dealt with by regulations under Clause 94 (2).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, under the Insurance Bill, churchwardens will have to insure the choir, if paid and if unpaid, the organist, the sexton, and any other person employed by them?

No, Sir; such persons would ordinarily be exempted under paragraph (i.) of the second part of the First Schedule.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in filling up posts arising under the National Insurance scheme, he will use his influence with the Commissioners to secure preference for suitable persons who may lose employment by reason of the scheme, such as collectors and clerks employed by doctors in industrial areas?

I have no doubt that the Insurance Commissioners will have due regard to such considerations as that suggested by my hon. Friend, so far as they may be compatible with the primary object of securing the men best qualified for appointment, but I may add that any employment suitable for the qualifications of such persons as my hon. Friend has in mind will be a matter rather for the approved societies than for the Insurance Commissioners.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that, notwithstanding the present demand for the teaching of Irish in Irish schools, there are only seven training colleges qualifying only eighty-three students for Irish; and whether he will cause inquiry to be made as to the changes necessary in order to secure that all students shall be taught Irish in a thorough and scientific manner during the two years of their training course?

As I have already informed the hon. Member, six out of the seven training colleges made provision for the instruction of the students who elect to take up Irish as an optional subject. Two hundred and ninety-nine such students have obtained certificates in Irish during the past six years, and in addition, in the same period 447 teachers qualified for the Board's certificate in Irish at the annual examinations. During the period from 1906 to 1910 the special colleges which have been established for the teaching of Irish have returned the names of 692 teachers as having qualified at the courses held in those colleges. With regard to the second paragraph of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on 9th August last.

asked how much land outside of demesne lands has Lord Kenmare reserved from sale; whether this land is now let for grazing on the eleven months' system; and whether Lord Kenmare has been asked to sell this land to the Congested Districts Board?

This estate has not yet been reached in its order of priority to be inspected, and the Estates Commissioners are not at present in a position to give the information asked for in the question.

asked whether the lands of Fossa, Killarney, were inspected and valued by an inspector from the Estates Commissioners; whether since this valuation timber has been cut; and, if so, will this be taken into account in fixing the price?

This estate has not yet been reached in its order of priority for inspection, but possibly the lands referred to in the question may have been visited by one of the inspectors dealing with the applications received from evicted tenants. The Estates Commissioners are not in a position to reply to the inquiries made in the concluding part of the question.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that agreements to purchase their holdings were signed by the tenants on the estate of Michael Lynch, Cahercarna, Ardrahan, county Gal-way, six years ago; whether he is aware of the congested state of the holdings on this estate; and whether, in view of the fact that a number of the tenants hold in common the farm of Cahercarna, he will represent to the Estates Commissioners the necessity of dealing with this estate immediately?

Neither the Estates Commissioners nor the Congested Districts Board can identify this estate as the subject of proceedings for sale before them.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he can state the reasons upon which the Local Government Board refused an old age pension to Richard Hawe, Ballycullen, Mullinahone, county Tipperary?

In May, 1910, a claim made by Richard Hawe was disallowed by the Local Government Board on the ground that his means exceeded the statutory limit. A fresh claim has come before them on appeal and is being investigated.

asked if there is any effective audit or supervision of the accounts and vouchers of returning officers at Parliamentary elections in Ireland, will he say who exercises it; and why the returning officer at the last Parliamentary election in North Westmeath has not yet been required to produce a discharge for the money entrusted to him in connection therewith?

Under the Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers) Act, 1875, Section 4, a Parliamentary candidate is entitled to apply to the Court for a taxation of the accounts of the returning officer, and such Court has full jurisdiction to tax the accounts. If the returning officer at the last Parliamentary election in North Westmeath has not made any return or a return not satisfactory to the hon. Member, the Act of Parliament referred to furnishes him with an adequate remedy.

asked whether trustees have been appointed by the tenants on the O'Donoghue estate, Head-ford, to deal with turbary rights, and have these trustees been sanctioned by the Estates Commissioners; and whether on the Kenmare estate the Estates Commissioners have insisted on appointing the trustees themselves?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that the purchase agreements in the O'Donoghue estate, which is being sold direct by the owner to the tenants, provide that the turbary is to be vested in certain trustees named in the agreement. In the case of the Kenmare estate it was provided in the purchase agreements that the management and the disposal of the turbary were to be vested in trustees to be selected by the tenants or the Commissioners and the Commissioners appointed trustees for the management of the turbary pending the completion of the sale.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any steps have been taken to carry out the improvement which it is understood was contemplated by his predecessor in the emoluments of the assistant district commissioners in the East Africa Protectorate; and, if so, what is their nature?

Detailed proposals on this subject are under consideration at the present time.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will state what previous experience of aviation and of aeroplane construction any of the officers of the Army Aircraft Factory have had prior to their appointment; and whether such factory has ever turned out an aeroplane equal in effectiveness to those turned out by private constructors in this country?

The staff of the factory have been selected on account of their training in the branches which they have to supervise. The factory is at present only making an aeroplane for experimental purposes in connection with the advisory committee on aeronautics. It has repaired and reconstructed damaged aeroplanes.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been drawn to the danger to health which is caused to the inhabitants of Postwick, near Norwich, by the deposit by the corporation of Norwich of both sewage and dry refuse; and whether the Department can do anything to improve this state of affairs?

I have given close attention to this matter, and have twice directed a visit by an inspector of the Board to inquire into it. The corporation are now taking steps to remove any cause of nuisance from their sewage farm, and they have improved the conditions under which the refuse is deposited.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is yet in a position to make his pronouncement on the Report of Dr. Hamell; and, if so, whether electrical bleaching of flour or chemical improvers, or both, will be allowed?

The matter is still under consideration.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the Government will continue to pay local rates on the National Telephone Company's undertaking after the transfer of the same to the Post Office, or alternatively, to pay an equivalent contribution in lieu thereof, based upon the annual valuation as appearing in the valuation list?

The Government have considered the matter; and, as I have already stated in reply to earlier questions, they are prepared to make some contribution in lieu of rates on the buildings and plant to be acquired, but the precise basis of the contribution has not yet been settled. Some delay has occurred owing to the necessity of awaiting certain return of assessments which the National Telephone Company is furnishing.

asked the Postmaster-General when it is intended to extend the telephone trunk which at present terminates at Monaghan; whether the guarantee required by the Post Office has been given by the inhabitants of Clones for the establishment of an exchange; when it is proposed to establish this exchange; and will he further state on what date the Treasury sanction was applied for, and whether it has as yet been granted or refused?

I regret that I am not at present able to extend the trunk telephone system beyond Monaghan. A deed of guarantee has been signed by residents of Clones in respect of an extension of the trunk line from Monaghan to Clones., and the proposal is under the consideration of the Treasury. I am taking steps to obtain an early decision.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is prepared to support the application made on the 26th of January, 1911, of the North-Eastern Sea Fisheries

I cannot usefully add anything to the answer I gave yesterday on the same subject to the Noble Lord the Member for the Thirsk Division of Yorkshire.

asked the President of the Board of the Board of Trade if he can state the total production of beet sugar and cane sugar respectively, and the total production of both beet and cane sugar for the last twenty years; and the average price of 88 per cent. beet sugar f.o.b. Hamburg for the last twenty years?

The following statement shows the total world's production of beet sugar and (so far as it can be given) of cane sugar in each of the years 1891 to 1911, and the average of the market quotations of 88 per cent. beet sugar f.o.b. Hamburg in each year:—