asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make inquiries as to whether any of the labour exchange officials in the Metropolis are leaving their duties before the close of official hours in connection with lectures on the Insurance Act, either under the auspices of the National Insurance Commissioners or of the Liberal Insurance Committee?

The Board of Trade have no knowledge of any such practice as is suggested in the question, but if the hon. and gallant Member will assist my right hon. Friend by giving him any information in his possession he will be very glad to make inquiries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if one of the conditions of the appointment of the lecturers on the National Insurance Act is that such lecturers shall, during their appointment, take no part in any political work, or become candidate for Parliament in any constituency?

I beg to refer the hon. Member to the instructions to lecturers which were reprinted in the White Paper circulated on Tuesday last, from which he will see that no lecturer, while working for any of the Commissions is allowed to take part in any public or semi-public meeting without the consent of that Commission.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Mr. George Nicholls, formerly Member of Parliament for North Northants, has been employed by the National Insurance Commissioners as an official lecturer to expound the National Insurance Act; and, if so, at what places; and on what dates has Mr. Nicholls delivered lectures in the course of such employment?

No, Sir, the gentleman named has not been employed by any of the Insurance Commissions.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, under the provisions of the National Insurance Act, the question of providing relief to sick insured persons will devolve upon the relieving officers of Ireland as well as upon the insurance officials; whether, having regard to the terms of the National Insurance Act as relate to the provision of sick benefits and to the proper supervision of cases, it will be necessary to have weekly inspection of cases; and, if so, whether, seeing that already under the Poor Laws provision is made for weekly supervision of sick cases as well as for immediate action on sudden cases which may arise, the Insurance Commissioners will appoint Poor Law officers to the positions which may arise under the local committees which will have to be appointed; and whether, having regard to the number of local officers who would be required to safeguard the working of the National Insurance Act, and the cost which such working would entail in the payment of salaries to new officers, the Insurance Commissioners will follow the precedent of the Election Order and appoint Poor Law officers as local officers under the Act for persons other than members of approved societies?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative; the rules as to sick visiting will be formed by the approved societies, or (as regards the deposit contributors) by the local insurance committees. With regard to the third and fourth part of the question, the officers of the local insurance committees will be appointed by those committees themselves, and not by the Commission.

asked the Chancellor whether he has seen a circular letter from the National Health Commission stating that certain action had been taken by them in accordance with instructions received from him; whether it is to be understood that the Commissioners are in the position of ordinary Government Departments acting under the instructions of a Minister who takes responsibility to Parliament for all their actions and decisions; and whether the Commission have therefore, before taking any important decision or action, to ascertain, and then to carry out, the views of the Chancellor of the Exchequer or the Secretary to the Treasury as the responsible Minister, and are not free to form and to act upon their own views as a Commission?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The position as regards Parliamentary responsibility for matter of administration is as stated in the latter part of the question.

asked the hon. Member for the East Dorset Division, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, what was the amount paid in purchase of the Wellington House Hotel, Buckingham Gate, as offices for the Insurance Commissioners; whether offices have been acquired for the Scotch, Welsh, and Irish Commissioners; and, if so, at what cost?

It is very undesirable at present to make any statement as to the amount of rent paid, in view of the possible necessity of acquiring premises in London for this or kindred purposes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the difference which exists in the practice of the Probate Division of the High Court in England and the same court in Ireland; whether he is aware that it is the practice in Ireland to supply persons interested with the schedule of assets and residuary accounts of deceased persons at a fixed scale, and that this practice is useful in preventing frauds; whether he is aware that in England the practice is to refuse such schedule of assets or accounts; and whether he will take steps, by legislation or otherwise, to make the procedure in both countries the same?

So far as the Department for which I am responsible is concerned there is no difference in practice. Information furnished to the Commissioners of Inland Revenue for revenue purposes is treated as confidential, and the contents of affidavits or accounts are not disclosed to third persons without the written authority of executors or other accountable persons by whom the accounts were delivered. On the general question I would refer the hon. Member to an answer given on 17th March, 1887, by the then Attorney-General.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Special Commissioners of Income Tax claim that the provisions of Section 66 of The Finance (1909–10) Act, 1910, which imposes the Super-tax, are retrospective in their operation, and that the Super-tax is chargeable upon incomes received during the year 1908–9, being the year before the Act came into force; and whether this claim has been made with his sanction?

I think my right hon. Friend is under a misapprehension. The Section in question provides that "for the purposes of the Super-tax the total income of any individual from all sources shall be taken to be the total income of that individual from all sources for the previous year." The basis of assessment therefore for Super-tax payable in respect of the year 1909–10 is the income received during the year 1908–09.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the answer given in the House on the 25th February, 1896, by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer to Mr. A. K. Loyd as regards the remission of Income Tax paid under Schedules A and B by farming owners and occupiers who have made no income; whether the instructions are still in force which were issued at that time by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer to the surveyors, namely, that where the claim for remission by an owner farming his own land was confined to the tax paid under Schedules A and B on the property, he would not be required to produce any accounts except the farming accounts of the land in question; whether he is aware that in some cases such instructions are not being complied with by the surveyors; and whether he will give directions that these instructions should be complied with?

Inasmuch as allowances for losses in farming must be set off primarily against income which may have been assessed to Income Tax at the earned income rate, some modification has been necessary of the practice which obtained in the year 1896, when the distinction between earned and unearned income for Income Tax purposes had not yet arisen.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state what was the average price of Consols sold to depositors by the Post Office Savings Bank in each of the years 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, to 30th June, 1911, and what was the average price paid to depositors for Consols sold on their behalf in the same period?

The average prices at which Consols have been bought and sold for depositors in the Post Office Savings Bank are as follows:—

—		Bought for depositors.			Sold for depositors.
		£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
1906	…	88	2	9	88	12	7
1907	…	84	3	8	84	7	11
1908	…	85	14	5	86	6	9
1909	…	83	12	7	84	0	5
1910	…	80	18	5	81	3	8
1911 (six months)	…	80	7	9	80	15	7

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that a society registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act, 1893, is at liberty to trade to any extent with non-members without becoming chargeable under Schedules C and D of the Income Tax Acts, provided the number of its shares is not limited by its rules or its practice; whether any action has been taken on the Report of the Departmental Committee in 1905 that it had been brought to their notice that large and varied enterprises in the way of manufacture, shipping, insurance, and banking, involving in some cases considerable and regular dealings with the outside public, were then carried on under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act, 1893, and that it might be worth consideration whether further inquiry should be made into the conditions under which the privilege of registration under that Act is conferred; whether he is aware that the volume of business conducted with the outside public by societies so registered has largely increased since 1905; and whether he is prepared to initiate further inquiry into the matter?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I would remind the hon. Member that the Committee in question reported against any alteration of the Income Tax laws in this respect. As regards the latter part of the question, no action has yet been taken on the suggestion thrown out by the Committee in the last paragraph of their Report, and I cannot at present give any undertaking on the subject.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he can say whether the Estates Commissioners have yet purchased the untenanted lands at Ballynorth, in the county of Limerick, on the property of the representatives of the late Dudley O'Grady; and, if so, can he say when steps will be taken to apportion the lands to deserving applicants?

Formal proceedings for the sale of this estate to the Estates Commissioners were instituted by the owner on the 19th instant. The estate will be dealt with in order of priority.

asked if the Estates Commissioners have made any move recently to acquire the untenanted land on the Smith estate at Ballynanty, Bruff, county Limerick; and, in view of the fact that this land has been let on the eleven months' system for the past thirty years, to the detriment of the evicted tenants, labourers, and small holders, will steps be taken to have it acquired at once, and thus prevent the unrest which prevails in the locality?

The Estates Commissioners are making inquiries as to the possibility of acquiring these lands under the voluntary provisions of the Land Purchase Acts.

asked if the estate of Lord Ashbrook, at Carrighuile, Killeely, county Limerick, which has been purchased for the past seven years, will be vested in the tenants this year; and what has been the cause of delay in having the sale wound up?

This estate is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the owner to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903. The agreements signed by the tenants for the purchase of their holdings were lodged with the Estates Commissioners in 1906, and the Commissioners anticipate that the estate will be reached in order of priority to be dealt with during the ensuing financial year.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he can state the amount of deductions made from Grants-in-Aid to the Limerick County Council under The Land Act, 1903, giving the amount deducted each year from 1903 to 1912, and the amount of deductions refunded in each of the above-mentioned years to the County Council of Limerick?

presented the following statement, showing in the case of county Limerick, for the years 1903 to 1911, the amounts drawn from and repaid to the Guarantee Fund under the Irish Land Act, 1903, as obtained from copies of certificates of the National Debt Commissioners, and the difference between such amounts. The figures for the year ending 31st March, 1912, are not yet available:—

Year ended 31st March.		Amount drawn from Guarantee Fund.			Amount repaid to Guarantee Fund.			Difference between the sums in columns 3 and 2.
(1)		(2)			(3)			(4)
		£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
1903	…	—			—			—
1904	…	—			—			—
1905	…	96	6	7	—			96	6	7
1906	…	1,111	18	8	613	2	8	*498	16	0
1907	…	4,627	15	11	1,038	4	8	*3,589	11	3
1908	…	3,141	14	0	3,128	2	8	13	11	4
1909	…	5,620	6	2	3,404	3	11	2,216	2	3
1910	…	5,771	9	8	5,098	0	11	673	8	9
1911	…	7,361	4	5	6,541	1	10	820	2	7
NOTE.—The sums in column 4 were deducted from the share of the county in the Estate or Death Duty Grant.
* These sums were deducted in year, 1907.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he can state the amount deducted from Grants-in-Aid to the Kerry County Council for each year 1904 to 1912, giving in each year the heading under which the deduction is made, as also the amount deducted; whether he can give for a similar period the amount refunded to the Kerry Council, giving also the heading under which refund is made as well as the amount of refund; and whether he can now state the net amount of money due to the Kerry County Council, and when will it be refunded?

The following statement shows the amounts deducted from and repaid to the Guarantee Fund under the Irish Land Acts, 1903 and 1909, in respect of the Grants-in-Aid to county Kerry:—

Year ended 31st January.	For Arrears of Annuities.		For Deficiency of Income.		Total.
	Drawn.	Repaid.	Drawn.	Repaid	Drawn.	Repaid.
	£	£	£	£	£	£
1904	—	—	—	—	—	—
1905	8	—	—	—	8	—
1906	395	232	29	29	424	261
1907	211	252	632	—	843	252
1908	839	341	169	305	1,008	646
1909	2,589	1,407	911	—	3,500	1,407
1910	4,175	3,440	561	516	4,736	3,956
1911	7,517	6,055	120	—	7,637	6,055
1912	8,666	8,105	15	84	8,681	8,189
	24,400	19,832	2,437	934	26,837	20,766
Outstanding	£4,568		£1,503		£6,071

The arrears outstanding will be recovered in the current year, but other arrears will have to be drawn from the Guarantee Fund as explained in answer to the hon. Member for Cork City on 28th March last.About 60 per cent. of the deficiency of income will be repaid as the annuities determine.

asked if a portion of the million granted for the purpose of carrying on the Labourers' Acts will be given for the building of cottages under schemes already formulated in Kilmallock, Tipperary (No. 2), Limerick (No. 1), Croom, and Mitchelstown; and, if so, how soon may such contributions be given?

No portion of the additional million provided by the Act of 1911 is earmarked for any particular rural district. The hon. Member has already been informed that the requirements of the several districts in the matter of house

asked in how many cases within the last three years managers of national schools have submitted programmes for the approval of the Board of National Education, according to Rule 119 (d), page 35; in how many cases has the Board approved such programmes, without alteration and with alteration; and in how many cases has the Board refused approval of programmes submitted according to the rule referred to?

The Commissioners of National Education inform me that this information is not available, and could not be procured without an expenditure of time and labour out of all proportion to its public utility.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether the lymph used in cases of vaccination in Ireland is taken from calves which have not been slaughtered, while in England the same Board insists upon lymph being taken from calves which are afterwards slaughtered and a post mortem made with a view to seeing whether such calf or calves are affected with tuberculosis or otherwise?

The Local Government Board in Ireland on the recommendation of their bacteriologist have sanctioned the adoption of a system under which all calves used for lymph production at the National Vaccine Institute, Dublin, shall be subjected to the tuberculin test instead of being slaughtered as formerly, and a post mortem examination held. It is considered that the new system would be less costly and more efficient and that the tubercular foci that might escape detection at autopsy would be at once revealed on application of the tuberculin test. The Board have arranged that the bacteriologist shall personally supervise the processes and methods of tuberculin testing and see that they are carefully carried out in the case of every calf the lymph of which is to be used for vaccination purposes. The facts as regards England are correctly stated.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether pilotage licences are still granted to foreign shipmasters; and, if so, whether, in view of the danger of allowing a knowledge of our territorial waters to be acquired by foreigners who may be in the pay of their own Governments, steps will be taken to cancel such licences as exist and to withhold new ones except to British subjects?

In accordance with the provision of Section 73 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906, pilotage certificates are now granted only to British subjects, but it is provided by the Act that this limitation shall not affect the renewal of a certificate granted before the 1st June, 1906, to a master or mate who is not a British subject. The Board of Trade have no power to act in the way suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to the successful experiments now being conducted on the South Coast of France with hydro-aeroplanes; whether he is aware that the ex- periments have established the fact that these machines can rise from and alight upon the sea; and whether any representative of the British Navy has been present at the experiments?

The Admiralty are aware that experiments with hydro-aeroplanes are being carried out by private individuals in the South of France, and also that this type of machine is capable of rising from and alighting on water under favourable conditions. There is no official representative of the British Navy present at these experiments.

asked whether the British Navy owns any hydro-aeroplanes; and, if so, how many?

One hydro-aeroplane is now under construction at Eastchurch, and two others are on order. Experiments with machines of this type are being continued at Sheerness, Lake Windermere, and Barrow, and the results so far attained have been promising.

asked whether the attention of the Government has been directed to proposals for the acquisition of the fields of steam coal in Wales without loss to the nation, and for the working of them as a national service; and whether the Government will consider these proposals for gaining exclusive possession of this smokeless coal and ensuring a continuous supply for the purposes of the Royal Navy?

I have nothing to add to the reply given by the Prime Minister on Friday last on the subject of the acquisition of the coalfields by the State.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he can state when it is intended to give effect to the suggestion contained in the Report of the Advisory Committee, that 25s. 6d. is the average wage paid in the district for work similar to that performed by the men employed in the Deptford Victualling Yard?

The minimum for the unskilled labourers at Deptford has recently been raised from 23s. to 24s. a week. This, together with the privileges enjoyed by Admiralty employés, is con- sidered as giving effect to the suggestion of the Committee so far as this class of labour is concerned. I am considering whether in the cases of labourers engaged upon more responsible work any further revision may be necessary.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the Government have recently chartered five steamers to carry coal to Malta, and what were the rates charged; and how such rates compare with the ordinary rates, and who was the owner of the vessels?

The five most recent engagements for coal for Malta reported are as follows:—

Name of Vessel.	Name of Owners.	Rate of Freight per ton.
		s.	d.
"Nunima"	Trechmann S.S. Co.	7	9
"Gisella Groedel"	Groedel Bros. S.S. Co., Ltd.	7	9
"Boynton"	W. and E. C. Lamplough.	7	9
"Sea Belle"	Leach and Co., Ltd.	8	9
"Pelica"	Ogmore S.S. (1899) Co., Ltd.	9	3

The mercantile rates at the time these vessels were chartered varied between 9s. And 11s. It should be noted, however, in any comparison of the average rate paid by the Admiralty with mercantile rates that the Admiralty provides the inboard labour for discharging, whereas in mercantile charters this falls as a charge on the ship-owner. There are also minor differences in respect of commission.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether carpenter ratings—i.e., carpenter's crew and leading carpenters—have been refused advancement to shipwrights; and, if so, whether the order is likely to be cancelled?

Advancement of leading carpenter's crew to shipwright is not automatic, but depends on vacancies. As there had been no vacancies for some time a number of advancements were specially authorised by the Admiralty last August in order to relieve the block in promotion. Up to the present date twenty-four such advancements have been made.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if the petitions of the carpenter warrant officers of the Devonport Dockyard and district, for an increase of pay, has been considered by the Admiralty; and if their appeal is to be granted?

The question of the pay of carpenters of the Navy is under consideration.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any report has been received as to damage to the fishing fleet in the Firth of Forth by His Majesty's ships; and whether compensation will be paid?

I can only refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on Monday to the hon. Member for St. Andrews.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, now that the pattern of Service dress jacket for officers is under consideration, he will at the same time consider the advisability of making the jackets for the men longer and looser than they now are, and more similar in shape to those of the officers?

As I have already explained to the hon. and gallant Member on a previous occasion, no necessity for making the jackets of the men longer or looser has come to notice. This is purely a matter of fitting, and the regulations on this point provide for a loose, serviceable fitting. There is, therefore, no intention of referring this matter to the Committee now considering the dress of officers for their consideration.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, in the event of a miners' strike in South Wales, he will, before sanctioning the sending of troops into the Aberdare or Merthyr valleys, ascertain whether the inspector of police in the former and the chief constable in the latter place is of opinion that soldiers are needed for the preservation of order or the protection of property?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the question he addressed to the Home Secretary to-day.