asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he has any information as to the number of unregistered societies and sick clubs which in addition to the registered societies, have dissolved or resolved to dissolve since the introduction and the passing of the National Insurance Act, 1911?

In the absence of a list of such societies, or of any obligation on them to give notice when they dissolve, I am unable to give the information asked for by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the statements which Mr. Byers Black, one of the official lecturers paid out of public funds, made at a lecture at the Masonic Hall, Glasgow, on 15th March, 1912, whether such lecture has the approval of the Commissioners, and is in accordance with their instructions to lecturers; and, if not, what steps they propose to take to repudiate it or make it publicly known that it has not their approval or authority?

I have seen a condensed newspaper report of a lecture by a Mr. Byers Black, ex-president of the Insurance and Actuarial Society of Glagow, and one of the Scottish official lecturers held on the date and place named. No official report is available, and I have no knowledge to what statement the hon. Member refers; but if he has any reason to believe that the "Instructions for Lecturers" are being exceeded I shall be glad to communicate any evidence he may have to the Scottish Commission.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state what will be the position of an insured person during the prescribed time within which he has the option of joining an approved society or becoming a Post Office contributor; by whom will his benefits be administered if he falls ill during such period; and from whom will he receive sick pay?

It is not the present intention of the Commission to prescribe a longer period for this purpose than the minimum waiting period for sickness benefit. The last part of the question does not therefore arise.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury when a member of an approved society attains the age of seventy, and ceases to pay contributions, will the society still be liable to make the same payments or any payments in respect of such member to the insurance committee to provide medical benefits; if not, from what source will the doctor and chemist be paid for medical benefit for such member?

The payments made by an approved society to an insurance committee for medical benefit will be made on account of all the members of a society, and not of any particular member. They will be paid out of the funds of the society as built up by the contributions made in respect of all the members and the reserves accumulated in respect of them.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland why the Irish Land Commission never communicated the decision of the Sub-Land Commission, which sat at Kanturk in February, 1906, in the case of John Barry, Meens, Newmarket, tenant, Baron Lisle, landlord, to the tenant or his solicitor, the latter having applied to the Commission in January, 1908, and received no information as to the fair rent fixed; and is he aware that the representatives of the landlord still demand the old rent, the lands having been valued by Commissioner Kelly in February, 1906?

The case of John Barry referred to was an application to fix the fair rent of a holding of which he and another person named Michael Barry were joint tenants. Both these applications were listed for hearing in February, 1906, but were adjourned to give the tenants an opportunity of getting the holdings separately valued for rating purposes so as to enable the Court to be in a position to consider the full circumstances of each case with a view to arriving at a decision thereon. As the Land Commission have not up to this date been furnished with these necessary particulars the cases have not been again referred to a Sub-Commission.

asked whether the Congested Districts Board have yet made an offer for the Bingham-Forbes estate, Doohoma, county Mayo; and, if so, with what result?

The answer is in the negative.

asked whether the Congested Districts Board have yet made an offer for the purchase of the Joynt estate, Strade, county Mayo; and, if so, with what result?

The answer is in the negative.

also asked whether the Malley Estate, Strade, county Mayo, has been offered for sale to the Congested Districts Board, or have the Board taken any steps to acquire the property?

This estate has been offered for sale to the Congested Districts Board, and a decision will be arrived at regarding purchase as soon as practicable.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Congested Districts Board have completed negotiations with the Rev. Mr. Bartley for the purchase of his congested estate at Cushlogort and Rosstuohy, Westport, county Mayo; if not, what stage the negotiations have reached; and when the Board expect to acquire the property?

The Congested Districts Board have made an offer for the purchase of the estate referred to, but are not in a position at present to make any further statement in the matter.

asked what has been the result of the negotiations between the Congested Districts Board and Sir William Whyte as to the sale of his estate in the parish of Strade, county Mayo?

This matter is at present under the consideration of the Congested Districts Board.

asked whether the proposal of Mrs. Owens and Mrs. Brown to sell their estate near Ballyglass, county Mayo, to the Congested Districts Board includes the Kilgrena and all other grass lands on the estate; and when, approximately, the Board expect to be able to complete the purchase?

The estate referred to has been offered for purchase to the Congested Districts Board. An offer will be made without avoidable delay.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he can state the grounds upon which the Estates Commissioners have decided to take no action in reference to the application of Daniel Ryan for reinstatement in a holding, from which he was evicted, on the Erasmus Smith's estate, at Drombane, Thurles; and whether the Estates Commissioners will provide a holding for him elsewhere?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that Ryan's former holding is in the occupation of another tenant, and the Commissioners are not prepared to take any action in the matter, nor do they intend to provide him with another holding in addition to his present one.

asked the number of applications received by the Estates Commissioners from evicted tenants in the county of Tipperary for reinstatement, the number reinstated, and the number for whom holdings have been provided elsewhere, the number of claims which have been refused, and the number remaining to be dealt with?

The Estates Commissioners have received 854 applications from persons seeking reinstatement as evicted tenants or representatives of evicted tenants in county Tipperary, and in 537 cases, after inquiry, the Commissioners have decided to take no action. One hundred and thirty-nine have been reinstated in their former holdings, or provided with new holdings, and fifteen have been noted for consideration in the distribution of untenanted land, as acquired. The remaining cases were not received within the period limited by the Evicted Tenants Act, and have not been considered.

asked the rate of pay per annum in the years 1885 and 1912 respectively of a constable, sergeant, head constable, and of a first, second, and third class district inspector and county inspector where each was and is of the standing of three years' service in the Royal Irish Constabulary?

The following are the rates of pay after three years' service of the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1885 and 1912:—

asked the Chief Secretary whether the county inspector held an inquiry into charges and countercharges made by the district inspector, Royal Irish Constabulary, and the sergeant and constables in Newcastle West, county Limerick, against each other; if so, will he say what was the nature of those charges; whether any private individuals were involved in them; will the report of the county inspector be made public; and why it was that a public inquiry was not held?

The county inspector of Limerick held a disciplinary inquiry into the matter in question, but has not yet completed his investigation. His report will necessarily be treated as confidential, but the inspector-general's decision will be communicated to all concerned. No private individuals are concerned in the charges.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he has received a Resolution from the council of the Irish

I have received the resolution referred to, and I would suggestthat the association, if they have not already done so, should also send copies of the resolution to the Departments concerned, who will, no doubt, give it every consideration.

asked on what date the Lord Chancellor of Ireland communicated to Mr. James M'Court, of Dundalk, the fact that he had removed his name from the Commission of the Peace for the borough of Dundalk?

Dundalk is not a borough having a separate Commission of the Peace. Mr. M'Court was chairman of the Urban District Council of Dundalk, and in virtue of that office became under the Local Government Act a magistrate for the urban district during his tenure of the office of chairman. On being reported for corrupt practices by the election judges he thereupon became disqualified from holding the office of chairman of the urban council with the attendant position of magistrate.

asked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been called to the cases of Michael O'Connell and his wife, Mary O'Connell, of Newpark, in Kilkenny rural district and Parliamentary borough, the former being a native of county Gahvay, and the latter of county Monaghan; whether he is aware that Michael O'Connell, having spent some twenty years in all, in three or four different periods, in the United States, and having on one occasion gone through some formalities which, as far as he recollects, involved his admission as citizen there, is now held ineligible for an old age pension as an alien, though qualified by residence under The Old Age Pensions Act, 1911, and that his wife is held to be also an alien by the fact of being married to him; whether he is aware that Michael O'Connell alleges that his status as an American citizen has been forfeited by him by more than five years' absence from the United States; whether any means of testing this will be availed of, there being no such means at claimant's disposal; whether he is aware that in other cases this technical alienage of British subjects who for all practical purposes have resumed their British citizenship causes individual hardship under the Old Age Pensions Act; and whether he will endeavour to obviate such hardship in the case of native-born subjects who have spent the greater part of their working years in the United Kingdom and have substantially resumed their British citizenship, either by instructions to pension officers to construe nationality in a substantial and not a purely technical sense in such cases or by issuing renaturalisation papers at fees within such persons' power to pay, with retrospective operation?

This case does not appear to have come before the Local Government Board, and they have therefore no power to take any action in the matter.

asked the grounds upon which William Corbett, Knockahornaduff, Drombane, Thurles, has been refused an old age pension by the Local Government Board; and whether he produced a certificate which showed his younger brother John Corbett was over seventy-three years?

This case does not appear to have come before the Local Government Board, and the required information cannot therefore be given.

asked the reasons the Local Government Board refused an old age pension to Mrs. John Carroll, Bishops-wood, Dundrum; whether herself and her husband reside on a farm of three acres; and whether Mrs. Carroll produced a baptismal certificate that she was over seventy years?

Mrs. Carroll's claim was disallowed by the Local Government Board on the ground that her means exceeded the statutory limit. In addition to having a well-stocked holding of five acres, her husband earns about £45 a year working on the county roads. The question of her age did not arise.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the fact that, notwithstanding the certificate prefixed to all official Army Lists to the effect that under the provisions of the Army Act of 1881, Section 163 (d), these lists are evidence of the status and rank of the officers mentioned in them, yet under the heading "Lieutenant-Colonels, with the honorary rank of Major-General," a large number of officers who, while on the Active List, had been for longer or shorter periods colonels in the Army, are shown as if they had never held higher rank than that of lieutenant-colonel in the Army while on the Active List; and whether he will see to it that these officers will in future be shown in the Army List as having held the rank of colonel?

Retired pay officers are shown in the quarterly Army List in lists according to the highest substantive rank they held on retirement, and when they hold brevet or honorary rank superior to their substantive rank the highest brevet or honorary rank is shown against their names. The Army List, however, does not purport to show the history of the retired officers included, but only facts relevant to retirement. The officers in question, therefore, have their highest honorary rank, that of major-general, shown after their names.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will state the professional or other peculiar qualifications of each of the thirty-seven junior examiners appointed to the Board during the last five years?

It is not possible within the limits of an answer to a question to state the various qualifications of thirty-seven examiners. I shall, however, be glad to place before the Royal Commission, appointed recently to inquire into the conditions of appointment and promotion in the Civil Service, all the facts in my possession in reference to these thirty-seven examiners and all other officials in my Department.

asked the President of the Board of Education, with reference to the recent appointment of the chief inspector of public elementary schools to the post of accountant-general to the Board, if he will state in what respects the duties of the accountant-general and those of the chief inspector of elementary schools are similar; whether it may be understood that the qualifications necessary for the proper discharge of the duties of chief inspector of public elementary schools are such as are also necessary for the efficient performance of the functions of accountant-general to the Board; and, if so, why in the past it has not been the practice to appoint as accountant-general persons who have had experience as chief inspector of public elementary schools?

The duties of the two posts are quite distinct, although experience in the one may be of value in the other. The answer to the second question is in the negative, and therefore the third does not arise. May I add that I have no doubt that in the past as at present officers were selected for these posts in view of their fitness to hold them, and in order that the best distribution of the staff available for the whole work of the office might be secured.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if, in view of the fact that the imports of gold into India were respectively, in 1910 and 1911, £17,911,000 and £17,724,000, for imports and exports on private account only, he will state whether there have been any further shipments of gold on Government account during these two years?

With the exception of a shipment from India of £2,000 in 1910 there were no shipments of gold to or from India on Government account in 1910 or in 1911.

(Dulwich) asked the Prime Minister whether any proposals which may be made in regard to establishing statutory minima for wages in the coal trade will be so framed as to allow for contingencies in the event of resulting higher prices of coal similarly affecting the products of other industries?

In settling the amount of the minimum rates of wages under the Bill the Joint District Boards would no doubt take into consideration all relevant circumstances.

(Dulwich) asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the present dependence of the country upon coal as fuel for naval, industrial, and other purposes, he will institute an immediate inquiry into the whole question of fuel supplies, with special reference to the possibilities of oil as a substitute therefor?

I hardly think that such an inquiry could be usefully undertaken in the present circumstances, and I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Home Secretary on 22nd February last in reply to the hon. Member for North Islington.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the decision of the Board of Agriculture to leave local authorities a free hand in regard to charging the tenants of land under the Small Holdings Act with the cost of a sinking fund, he is prepared to give to district councils the same discretion in regard to housing?

The Housing Acts contain no provision analogous to Section 25 (3) of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1908. Consequently the question does not arise.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he will support an inquiry into the question whether a Grant from the Treasury is essential to the working of the Housing Act on account of the inability of local authorities to let cottages at a rental sufficient to cover the sinking fund required?

The inquiry which is being conducted by the Departmental Committee of Local Taxation may be expected to extend to the question whether there should be any grant from the Exchequer to local authorities for public health services, including amongst those services action under the Housing of the Working Classes Acts.

asked the Postmaster-General what has been the total number of words sent over the Pacific cable during the months of January and February of this year, since the reduced deferred rates have been in operation 1

I am informed that the total number of words sent over the Pacific cable system (exclusive of inter-Colonial traffic between Australia, New Zealand, and the Fijis) amounted to about 208,000 words in January, 1912, and about 211,000 in February, 1912. These totals were made up as follows:—

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the damage which is being done in parts of Berkshire by the Isle of Wight bee disease; and whether he can state whether the Board propose, by legislation or otherwise, to take any steps to deal with this disease?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I hope shortly to introduce a Bill dealing with this and other bee diseases.

asked the Secretary for Scotland, what was the excess of births over deaths in Scotland during the year 1911; and what was the excess of emigration from over immigration to Scottish ports during that year?

During the year 1911 there were registered in Scotland 121,811 births and 71,726 deaths; the excess of births over deaths was thus 50,085. The following table shows the number of passengers between Scottish ports and places out of Europe during the year 1911, distinguishing the number stated to be of Scottish nationality:—

asked the Secretary for Scotland how many persons of Scottish nationality have emigrated from the United Kingdom during the year 1911?

The number of passengers stated to be of Scottish nationality who left ports in the United Kingdom for places out of Europe, and the number of such passengers who arrived in the United Kingdom from places out of Europe, during the year 191], was as follows:—

asked the Attorney-General whether his attention has been called to the remarks of Mr. Justice Darling in the Court of Criminal Appeal in the case of Rex v. Ancaster to the effect that it was earnestly to be desired that the legislature would be able to pass a short Act of Parliament which would clear up the doubts caused by the different language used in a great many Statutes as to the disability of wives to give evidence against their husbands in criminal cases; and whether His Majesty's Government will introduce such legislation?

My attention has been directed to the remarks of the learned judge in Rex v. Ancaster, and the desirability of introducing the suggested legislation is now under consideration.

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether the expense of maintaining the new London Museum is to be defrayed by a Vote of the House?

No expense for the maintenance of the London Museum will fall upon the Votes of the House, except in so far as it is found necessary to employ extra warders. The collection has been privately made and paid for, and is only temporarily housed in Kensington Palace by permission of the King for the enjoyment of the public.

asked in whom the management and control of the museum is to be vested?

The management and control is vested in three trustees, namely, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Esher, and the First Commissioner for the time being.

asked whether the Museum is to be open for inspection on Friday by invitation; and, if so, whether Members of this House will be invited to be present?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I have given to the hon. Member for North Somerset.

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, if the inquiries into the alleged inadequacy of pay of the men employed in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, are now complete; and whether an answer can now be given to the men's petition for an increase of pay?

The inquiries, which have been somewhat extended owing to the variety of grades concerned, will, it is hoped, be completed very shortly.