asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Civil Service Commissioners, having regard to the recent changes in the examination subjects, could extend the list of successful candidates at the last examination for assistants of Customs and Excise to 300 or thereabouts, particularly as the changes bear hardly on Irish candidates, owing to the defective linking of primary and intermediate schools in Ireland, and the recent examination was virtually the last chance fox many of them?

The list of successful candidates for the examination in question has already been extended from 150 to 200, and there is a probability that a further supply of candidates will be wanted. The precise number has not yet been determined, but the question must necessarily be decided in the light of the requirements of the Service.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that His Majesty's Treasury, in determining appeals made under Section 120 of the Local Government Act, 1888, in respect of compensation for loss of office by local government officers, no longer allow any addition to the actual number of years served; whether, in coming to this decision, the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown was taken on the point; and, if not, whether such opinion will be taken, having regard to the proviso contained in Section 6 (2) of the Superannuation Act, 1909; and, if the Law Officers support the interpretation placed by the Treasury on the provisions of the said Act, he will make provision in one of the Treasury Bills to restore the former Treasury practice, in view of the injustice and hardship now inflicted upon local government officers in depriving them of the added years upon abolition of office under any Act incorporating Section 120 of the Local Government Act, 1888?

Under Section 120 (1) of the Local Government Act, 1888, the compensation awarded by the Treasury must not exceed what would be paid to a Civil servant in similar circumstances. It is not now the practice of the Treasury to grant any addition of years in the calculation of compensation allowances under Section 7 of the Superannuation Act, 1859, and I regret that it is not possible to follow a different course in the case of local government officers. The question is not affected by the provisions of the Superannuation Act, 1909, except as regards officers appointed after the passing of that Act. I see no necessity to consult the Law Officers on the subject.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can state the amount of spirits manufactured in England, Scotland, and Ireland, respectively, for the years ending September, 1910 and 1911, following the headings set out in Parliamentary Paper, Number 70, of Session 1910.

The total amount of spirits manufactured in England, Scotland, and Ireland for the years ended 30th day of September, 1910, and the 30th day of September, 1911, respectively, are as follows:—

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been directed to the complaints of the rank and file of the Royal Irish Constabulary that their rates of pay have become insufficient, having regard to the rapid increase in the cost of living; has he considered that the effect of the Act of 1908, though beneficial to the

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a question on this subject asked by the hon. Member for Mid-Armagh on 27th November last.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India how many duly qualified medical practitioners there are in India; how many of these are men and how many women; and how many of either sex are in the service of the Government of India?

As no system of medical registration exists in India it is impossible to give an exact answer to the first part of the question; though approximate figures could probably be obtained from non-official publications. As regards the Government Service, lengthy and somewhat complicated consultation of official lists for the various provinces, andpossibly even reference to the Government of India, would be necessary to arrive at the statistics asked for. I shall be glad to have the matter investigated for the hon. Member and to let him know the result as soon as it is obtained.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War what is the establishment of Category B, non-commissioned officers and men; the strength on 1st February, 1912; if, on mobilisation, the deficiency in numbers will be made up from the Regular Reserve; will he state the establishment of the Special Contingent on 1st February, 1912, and the strength; if, on mobilisation, the deficiency in numbers will be made up from the Regular Reserve; and if, in the estimated strength of the Regular Reserve on 1st October, 1912, will be included the number of men returning home from abroad as drafts during the trooping season of 1912 on completion of their term of colour service?

The establishment of Category B is 7448, and the present strength is 981. It is not considered expedient to publish the present arrangements made for completing the numbers on mobilisation. The Special Contingent has been merged in the Special Reserve and is now an obsolete term. As regards the last part of the question the reply is in the negative.

asked the number of subaltern officers at present serving in the Special Reserve and on the probationary list who are candidates for the Regular Army, and of the number of officers from the Officers' Training Corps who have joined the Special Reserve up to 1st February, 1912, the number at present serving, and the number who are on the supplementary list?

There are no statistics to show how many of the subalterns serving in the Special Reserve are candidates for commissions in the Regular Army, but during the last two years 217 subalterns on joining declared their intention of presenting themselves for commissions, and some have already passed into the Regular Army. Up to 1st February 241 members of Officers' Training Corps have been appointed to commissions in the Special Reserve, of whom eighty-five are on supplementary lists. There are no statistics to show how many of these are still serving.

asked the number of Mounted Infantry cobs at present at the Mounted Infantry school at Longmoor with the number of the above which would be available for service abroad on mobilisation; and the number of cobs required for the twelve companies of Mounted Infantry forming the divisional Cavalry of the Infantry divisions of the expeditionary force?

The number of cobs at present at Longmoor is 884, and of these 796 are available for service abroad on mobilisation. The number of cobs required for the twelve companies of Mounted Infantry concerned is 2,004.

asked what is the present establishment and strength of the Territorial Cavalry, Artillery, Infantry, and Departmental Corps?

asked what is the present establishment and strength of the Territorial Cavalry, Artillery, and Infantry?

supplied the following particulars, showing the strength of the Territorial Force on 1st February, 1912:—

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War what percentage of the Territorial Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery, respectively, attended camp for the minimum period of one week, how many for the full fortnight, and how many did not attend at all?

asked what percentage of the Territorial Infantry attended camp in 1911 for the minimum training of one week, how many for the full fortnight, and how many failed to attend camp at all?

supplied the following table, showing the percentage of Territorial Cavalry, Artillery, and Infantry, who attended camp in 1911:—

asked the number of Regular Army Reservists, exclusive of the Royal Army Medical Corps Regular Reservists, required to complete the establishment of the Royal Army Medical Corps on mobilisation; and the number of Regular Army Reservists who have agreed to serve?

As regards the first part of the question, it is not considered expedient to publish present mobilisation arrangements. As regards the second part of the question, 1,650 Artillery and Infantry Reservists have been transferred to the Royal Army Medical Corps Reserve, and are now serving.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can give any information concerning the expedition that has been recently sent from the Soudan against the Beir Arabs; of what force such expedition is composed; whether he can state the names of the British officers engaged; whether

In consequence of the continual raids perpetrated by the Beirs on the Dinkas, a company of the 14th Soudanese under Captain Tunnard, Oxfordand Bucks Light Infantry, was dispatched from Mongalla to Pingko last autumn. It was also decided to send a patrol during the winter to keep the Beir tribe in order. I have not heard of any casualties.

asked the Postmaster-General, whether he will state the estimated cost to the Post Office on account of services performed for the Inland Revenue Department in each year since 1905–6; and what proportion of this estimated cost has been incurred in connection with the new Land Value Duties?

The figures asked for are as under:—

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he has taken any steps to induce the Whiston Rural District Council to proceed swiftly with the drainage operations at Clock Face, Lancashire; and, if so, what is the date which has been specified in the contract for the completion of the work in question?

I am informed that the works were started on the 8th ultimo, and are proceeding vigorously. Under the terms of the contract they are to be completed within six calendar months from the 8th ultimo.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the regulations of the International Council for the Fishery and Hydrographical Investigation of the North and neighbouring seas provide for a meeting of the Council at least once every twelve months; whether no such meeting has been held since July, 1910; whether considerable dissatisfaction is felt by the foreign representatives on the Council at the neglect of the President of the Council to call a meeting; whether the failure to call such a meeting can be excused on the ground that the regulations provide that in cases of emergency resolutions of the Council can be passed by correspondence; whether he will inquire into the reasons for the delay which has occurred; and whether he is prepared to issue instructions to the President of the International Council (who is an official of the Board) for the calling of a meeting at an early date; what is the reason for the delay in the publication of the annual report of proceedings under Acts relating to sea fisheries for the year 1910, and when the publication of this report may be expected; what is the reason for the continued delay in the negotiations which are taking place between the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Development Commissioners with respect to Grants-in-Aid of fishery development; and whether he will cause the whole of the correspondence which has passed between the Board and the Commissioners to be printed and laid before Parliament at an early date?

The Regulations of the Council do not require that a meeting shall be held once every twelve months. Meetings are called by the International Bureau, and not by the President, and it was with the unanimous consent of the Council that the date of the next meeting as postponed. A final revise of the Report under the Sea Fisheries Acts for the year 1910 is now with the printers, and I hope it will be issued very shortly. The Board are still in communication with the Commissioners with a view to the adoption of a comprehensive scheme of fishery development, and in the meantime an interim grant of £5,960 has been sanctioned by the Treasury for work to be done during the ensuing financial year. A copy of the correspondence will be laid before Parliament so soon as the negotiations on the subject are concluded.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will consider the inclusion of the local doctor in any new scheme he may formulate for facilitating the use of telephones for farmers in rural districts?

As I stated in my reply of 25th May last to the hon. Member for Andover, it is not proposed to exclude doctors or other classes of residents in rural districts at considerable distances from telephone exchanges from the use of the cheap telephone party lines when the facilities which can be given by means of such lines are sufficient for their purposes.