asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how soon will the regulations for the working of the National Insurance Bill be issued; will the Commissioners draw up the same; and how soon will the Bill operate?

The Commissioners cannot enter upon the task of drawing up regulations until the Bill has become law and the Commissions and Advisory Committees have been actually established. As regards the last part of the question I would refer the hon. Member to Clause 115 of the Bill.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether bursars and students in residential or day training colleges will be deemed to be employed persons for the purposes of the National Insurance Bill?

My Department is unable to give an authoritative answer to this question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the pension clerks in the county of Kilkenny have not yet received any payment for the quarter ended 30th September last; and whether he can see his way to have payments made to these officers at least within one month of the end of each quarter; or, if that be not feasible in each case, whether he will have payments made within a month of the end of each quarter to those pension clerks whose accounts have been promptly and correctly forwarded to the clerk of the pension committee?

I am informed by the Board of Customs and Excise that no account of the fees payable to clerks of pension sub-committees in county Kilkenny for the quarter ended 30th September last has yet been received by them from the clerk of the county committee. When received by the Board the account will be examined, and payment issued, as soon as practicable, but I can accept no responsibility in this or other cases for any delay which occurs in the transmission of the accounts from the clerk of the committee to the Board.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, seeing that the Customs and Excise Amalgamation Committee recommended for senior first and second class officers of Excise retrospective application of the increment in the new scale of salary to the 1st April, 1909, (par. 169), he will explain why, notwithstanding this recommendation, the Board of Customs and Excise have delayed the application of the increment to the 1st April, 1910?

The new scale of salary has been ante-dated to 1st April, 1909, in accordance with the recommendation of the Amalgamation Committee, and on that date the new scale increments begin to accrue for senior and junior officers alike. In the opinion of the Treasury the Board have fully carried out the recommendation of the Committee in the matter referred to.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why no reference is made in the General Order, dated 29th November, 1911, issued by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise in relation to the new scale of salary for the officer grade to the recommendation of the Hobhouse Committee, in paragraph 136 of their Report, of an allowance of £20 per annum to certain officers one year after reaching the maximum salary of the grade as compensation for the loss of prospects due to the amalgamation of the departments; whether he will state why no present compensation is offered to those first-class officers of Excise who, under the conditions prevailing prior to the amalgamation, would now have been eligible to sit for the examination for promotion to the grade of supervisor; whether he will also state the estimated average annual loss to such officers during the next seven years, and to what extent the claims of these officials would be met by the application in accordance with the terms of paragraph 41 of the Hobhouse Report of the service scale of salary tentatively suggested by the Board of Customs and Excise as per paragraph 92 of the Report; and whether the Treasury will consider the necessity of following out the suggestions of the Board of Customs and Excise in paragraphs 41 and 92 of the Hobhouse Report, as a means of relieving the existing situation which may otherwise continue for several years?

The allowance of £20 is one of the "special reservations" expressly mentioned in paragraph 20 of the General Order. The other points in the question, including the suggestions made by the Board of Customs and Excise, were considered by the Committee, who were cognizant of all the facts, and no object would be served by reviewing the alternatives suggested in the question.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the lands consisting of nine holdings at Culleens, county Sligo, and a certain amount of untenanted land recently purchased by the Estates Commissioners in the district, will be treated as land acquired in a congested area, so that the uneconomic holdings in the area may be enlarged by allotments out of a grazing ranch comprised in the land sold and extending to 110 acres?

No lands of Culleens in county Sligo have apparently been offered for sale to the Estates Commissioners, but lands of this name were, with others, on the estate of Colonel James Campbell, county Sligo, the subject of proceedings before them for sale direct from the owner to the tenants, who signed purchase agreements under the Irish Land Act, 1903. There is no untenanted land on this estate, and the holdings have been vested in the purchasing tenants.

asked when an inspection of the Daniel O'Connell estate at Ballinskelligs, county Kerry, will be made by the Congested Districts Board with a view to completing the purchase negotiations without delay?

The Congested Districts Board inform me that this estate is on the valuer's list for inspection, but they cannot at present state when it will be visited and valued.

asked how much money has been advanced under the Irish Land Purchase Acts in the following rural districts in county Limerick up to 1st November, 1911, account of each rural district, and money advanced under each Act to be given in separate headings: Kilmalloch, Limerick (No. 1), Croon, Mitchelstown, and Tipperary (No. 2)?

The statistics of the Estates Commissioners are not kept by rural districts, and consequently they are not in a position to give the information asked for by the hon. Member.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware of the estate of T. H. B. Ruttledge, Barberstown, Tuam, being offered for sale to the Congested Districts Board; whether it has been inspected; and, if not, can he state when the Board expect to be able to do so?

The estate referred to has not been offered for sale through the Congested Districts Board, but they are in correspondence with the agent regarding a sale. On receipt of the necessary maps and documents the estate will be inspected and a decision arrived at regarding purchase as soon as practicable.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that a constable from Carnaross, county Meath, inflicted with a bludgeon a wound, necessitating medical treatment, on Mrs. Cullen at Virginia Road, county Meath, while she was acting within her legal rights in driving her cattle to drink at a place where it was arranged by the representatives of the owners of the land on which the watering place was situate and the resident magistrate that she should be permitted to do so; and whether he will have an inquiry instituted?

The hon. Member is under a misapprehension. The constabulary authorities inform me that no such assault was committed.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Estates Commissioners have now received notice from all the owners acquiescing in the reinstatement of James Shiels to his farm in Knockanghy, county Cavan, and agreeing to accept the compensation offered; and will he, without further delay, have this case specially investigated and dealt with?

The terms of sale of Shiels' former holding have now been arranged with the owners, and the Estates Commissioners are taking the necessary steps to acquire the lands with the view of reinstating Shiels.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland how many evicted tenants, or representatives of evicted tenants, have been reinstated and provided with new holdings in Ulster; how many evicted tenants in Ulster who have been provisionally noted for consideration in the allotment of untenanted land remain still to be dealt with; how many inspectors have been dealing with the evicted tenants in Ulster; and will he also give the numbers of inspectors who have been employed on similar work in the other provinces?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that 640 Ulster evicted tenants or their representatives have been reinstated in their former, or provided with new holdings, and 115 applications have been provisionally noted for consideration in the allotment of untenanted land. The work in connection with the reinstatement of evicted tenants is carried out by the Commissioners' inspection staff generally, and it is not possible to segregate it as asked in the latter part of the question.

asked how many evicted tenants were recommended to the Estates Commissioners for reinstatement in farms in county Donegal during the year 1907; and how much untenanted land is at present available in county Donegal for the purpose of reinstating evicted tenants?

The Estates Commissioners' statistics are not kept in such a form as to enable them to say at this interval of time how many evicted tenants were recommended to them for reinstatement in the year 1907. The hon. Member will, however, find full particulars of the applications received up to 31st March last from persons applying for reinstatement as county Donegal evicted tenants or their representatives in Table XXXVIII. of the Appendix to the Commissioners' last Annual Report. There are at present thirteen applications for reinstatement from county Donegal evicted tenants which have been provisionally noted for consideration in the allotment of untenanted land acquired by the Commissioners. Proceedings are pending for the purchase by the Commissioners of some 650 acres of untenanted land in the same county and in its distribution, if acquired, these applications will be considered.

asked how many evicted tenants have been reinstated or provided with new holdings in the county Donegal since the year 1907?

Since 1st January, 1907, sixty-one county Donegal evicted tenants or their representatives have been reinstated in their former or provided with new holdings.

asked what estates the Congested Districts Board propose to deal with in the immediate future in county Clare; and whether it is proposed to put in force the powers of compulsion possessed by the Board?

I am communicating with the hon. Member on this subject.

asked the cause of the delay in the erection of labourers' cottages in the Cuhendall division of the Ballycastle Rural District Council?

The Ballycastle Rural District Council have made a scheme for sixty-three cottages, eleven of which are proposed to be erected in the electoral division of Cushendall. The scheme was received by the Local Government Board on the 9th September last, and will be dealt with as soon as practicable.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the preponderating majority of the magistrates of the county of Kilkenny are Tories and Unionists, although the number of inhabitants in the county of Nationalist tendencies is in a proportion of at least eighty to one of the former; and whether he will recommend the Lord Chancellor to appoint additional magistrates of the popular side and as recommended to his Lordship already by the local bodies?

The Lord Chancellor informs me that he has no knowledge of the political views of the county Kilkenny magistrates, nor as to the relative numerical strength of political parties in that county. Any names which have been submitted for appointment to the Commission of the Peace for county of Kilkenny will be duly considered by the Lord Chancellor.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether it is contemplated to remove about sixty soldiers and ex-soldiers employed in the Army Pay and Record Offices at Hounslow Barracks to Guildford; whether these are mostly married men who reside in private houses; whether a similar number of soldiers were removed a few years ago only to be returned in six months' time; and, if so, what is the reason for the present move?

There is no intention of removing these soldiers and ex-soldiers from Hounslow to Guildford.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is proposed to introduce another County Court Bill at an early date giving county court judges the right of a pension after twenty years' service, as well as the right to have a deputy paid by the Treasury in case of the judge's illness?

I have consulted my right hon. Friend the Attorney-General and I am informed by him that the answer is in the affirmative.

asked the Postmaster-General whether a petition was received by the secretary, General Post Office, Dublin, from the residents of Dungloe, county Donegal, in September, 1910, headed by the signatures of the parish priest and the business men of the town, requesting that the mails should be permanently conveyed by the Burtonport mail train to Dungloe Road Station, three miles distant, instead of as at present by the Glenties train to Fintown Station, twelve miles distant over a hilly road; whether he is aware that the mail car from Dungloe to Fintown has been unable on several occasions to complete its journey owing to floods, etc., thus causing inconvenience by the delay; whether he is aware that Burtonport, which was formerly served from Strabane, viâ Tintown, has now two outgoing and two incoming mails each day, giving from twelve to twenty hours' quicker service in home correspondence, and up to forty-eight hours' quicker service in cross-channel correspondence than Dungloe obtains; and whether, with a view to a more economical and satisfactory service, he will have Dungloe connected in the same way as Burtonport, thus securing the same postal facilities?

The petition was duly received. It was found, however, that the change asked for would have resulted in an inferior service at a large increase of expense, and this was explained to the petitioners by the postmaster of Letterkenny. I will have further inquiry made into the possibility effecting any improvement in the Dungloe services and communicate the result to the hon. Member.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has decided to recommend the necessary alterations to the post office at Southall on lines which have been already approved; and, if so, when the works are likely to be started?

I am sorry that I am not yet in a position to formulate a definite scheme for the improvement of the post office accommodation at Southall, and the date of beginning building operations cannot therefore be stated at present; but a decision will be arrived at as speedily as possible.

asked the Postmaster-General what will be the rate per word under the new arrangement for non-urgent cables to Australia; and what amount of delay in delivery a cable described as non-urgent involves?

The rate for non-urgent plain language telegrams to Australia to be introduced on and from the 1st January next, will be 1s. 6d. a word. These telegrams will be accepted on condition that they may, if necessary, be delayed for twenty-four hours.

asked the Lord Advocate whether his attention has been drawn to a recent legal decision interpreting the cost of lodging pupils in outlying districts, under Section 3 (3) of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1908, as lodging only, apart from the cost of maintenance and attendance, which is to rest on the parent; whether this is in consonance with the views of the educational authorities; and, if not, whether it is the intention of the Secretary for Scotland to introduce amending or explanatory legislation?

My attention has been drawn to the decision in question, which is in accordance with the view taken by the Scotch Education Department as to the meaning of the Section.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to cases of the so-called Isle of Wight bee disease in the Keswick and Cockermouth districts; whether he is aware that such cases are traceable to swarms brought from the South of England, where the disease prevails; and whether he proposes to take any, and what, steps to prevent the spreading of the disease?

The Board have no information as to the presence of the disease in the locality named, but they have reason to believe that the disease exists a little to the south of it. There is evidence to show that the outbreaks which have occurred in the north are probably attributable to the importation of diseased or infected bees. The Board have no powers at present for dealing with bee diseases; but, as I informed the House on November 22nd, I am considering what steps it may be desirable or possible to take for the purpose, and I propose during the recess to communicate with the leading authorities on the subject.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the Tintinhull district of Somersetshire; what steps have been taken to stamp it out; and whether he can say what are the total numbers of cases of foot-and-mouth disease which have occurred in England and Wales and in Scotland, separately and respectively, during the

With regard to the first and second parts of the question I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on my behalf on Friday last by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary of the Local Government Board. The following statement contains the information asked for in the third part of the question:—