asked the President of the Local Government Board if he will state the number of urban districts with a population of over 20,000, and the number of boroughs with a population of over 10,000, which will have district committees in England and Wales under the National Insurance Act?

The numbers are as follows:—

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been called to various resolutions passed by the Skreen sub-committee, at the county Sligo old age pension committee, and forwarded to the Local Government Board, calling on the Board to send an inspector to Skreen to visit and report specially on twenty applicants for pensions in this district, whose claims are well founded as to age and means, according to the decisions of the committee, but whose claims have been disallowed by the Board, on the objection of the pension officer, merely because the applicants' names are not in the Census Returns of 1841 or 1851; if he will state why the Board have not sent down an inspector; and whether, if the claims are again considered by the committee and decided upon, the Board will send an inspector to report before giving their decision?

A resolution such as that indicated in the question has been received by the Local Government Board, but they have no power to reopen consideration of cases which have already been decided by them, and they could not therefore send down an inspector to investigate the cases in question. The Board are not prepared to pledge themselves as to what action they will take on future appeals. In any case where they are of opinion that a local investigation by an inspector would elucidate doubtful points they direct an inspection. But there are many cases where the facts upon which they have to adjudicate are not in dispute, and in such cases no useful purpose would be served by sending one of their inspectors to see the claimant.

asked on what evidence the Local Government Board disallowed the claim of James M'Gloin, No. 738, in the register of the Cooloney sub-pension committee, county Sligo, to an old age pension; whether he is aware that this man's pension was granted by a unanimous vote of the committee, who are satisfied that the claimant is fully qualified as to age and means; and whether, if the Board are not satisfied as to any particular in the evidence, they will send an inspector to make inquiries?

James M'Gloin's claim for a pension was disallowed in August, 1909, on the grounds of insufficient evidence of age. His further claim is at present under consideration by the Local Government Board.

asked on what grounds the old age pension claim of Owen Deane, Clydagh, of the Ballycastle (county Mayo) pension sub-district, has been disallowed?

This claim was disallowed by the Local Government Board, on appeal, on the ground that Owen Deane's means exceeded the statutory limit.

asked the Chief Secretary why the Local Government Board have disallowed the old age pension claims of Patrick Flynn, Belderrig, and Peter Munnelly, Ballymacue, both of the Ballycastle sub-pension district, county Mayo, neither of whose ages can be traced in the parish or Census records; if disallowed on the ground of age, have the applicants been visited by the Board's inspector before the decision; if not, what is the report of the local pension officer on the question; and is he aware that, in the opinion of the oldest inhabitants of the district, both applicants have long passed their seventieth year?

The claims of Patrick Flynn and Peter Munnelly were disallowed by the Local Government Board, on appeal on the grounds that they were unable to furnish sufficient evidence of their having reached the statutory age. No inspector was sent to report on these cases, but the pension officer in his appeal stated that there was no proof of age in either case; that a record of the claimants' families had been found in the Census Return of 1841, but the claimants' names did not appear, and that their families could not be traced in the Census of 1851. Expressions of belief as to a claimant's age from old persons living in the district are not, when unsupported by other evidence, sufficient to enable the Board to determine that a claimant is over seventy years of age.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Congested Districts Board have taken any and, if so, what steps to acquire for the purposes of the Land Act of 1909 the estates of the trustees of Samuel Lewis, Mrs. Perry Knox Gore, Mrs. Sanders Knox Gore, Lord Harlech, Mr. Wade Thompson, Mr. George O'Malley Ormsby, Mr. Charles Boyd (Knockroe), and the Reverend J. Nicholson, all in the parish of Castleconner, county Sligo; and if he can state when those estates will be sold and conveyed to the tenants?

The Congested Districts Board have been in communication with the owners or agents of all the properties referred to regarding a sale, but they cannot at present say when it is likely that the estates will be sold or conveyed to the tenants.

asked what progress has been made by the Congested Districts Board towards the purchase of the Sanders Knox Gore Ballycastle (county Mayo) estate, the maps and schedules relating to which have been lodged with the Board since January, 1911; and to what cause is the delay attributable?

The necessary documents in the case of this estate have been lodged with the Congested Districts Board. There has been no aviodable delay, and the sale will be completed as soon as practicable.

asked why an arrangement entered into between the Estates Commissioners and Mr. Thomas Loftus, Ballinkellettera, Ballycastle, county Mayo, whereby Loftus was to receive £12 for the removal of debris deposited on his land and damage caused by a severe flood in 1910, has not been carried out by the Commissioners, who have only paid Loftus half the amount agreed upon; why the alternative proposal of Loftus to that made by the Commissioners for the securing of his dwelling-house from a possible recurrence of the damage has not been considered by the Commissioners; and why communications of Loftus on both subjects have not been acknowledged?

A grant of £12 was sanctioned by the Estates Commissioners to Thomas Loftus, a tenant on the Arran Estate, to assist him to repair the damage done to his land by the floods of August, 1910. As the work carried out by Loftus was not worth more than £6, that amount only was paid to him by the Commissioners. A further grant of £30 was sanctioned to Loftus to assist him in building a new dwelling-house. Loftus has apparently abandoned the idea of erecting this new dwelling-house, and his letters suggesting that this grant be utilised for other purposes connected with his land, have been referred to an inspector for report. When the Commissioners have received and considered the report of their inspector their decision will be communicated to Loftus.