asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can state, after excluding royalties, rents, and wayleaves paid to landlords, and profits arising from steel, iron, foundries, brick, and by-product works carried on by colliery companies, but including royalties, etc., owned by coal-mining concerns, the profits arising from collieries treated for Income Tax purposes as subsidiary businesses; Schedule A, assessments on coalmining concerns; Schedule B, assessments on coal-mining concerns; Schedule E, assessments on coal-mining concerns, so far as such represent profits and not directors' fees, etc.; and income received by coal-mining concerns on which tax had already been paid at the source?

I cannot, I regret, furnish the information which would appear to be now required by the hon. Member without knowledge of the figures which I stated in my answer to his questons on the 14th instant were not available.

(Dulwich) asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, whether the building and equipment of any ships now in hand will be retarded and, if so, to what extent, as the result of the coal strike?

The effect of the coal strike will unquestionably be to retard the progress of work. It is not possible at the present time to form any estimate of the extent.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if his attention has been directed to proposals for the utilisation of tides; and if, in view of the recent coal troubles and the importance of developing other sources of power, he will make inquiry as to the possibility of working the tidal strength of the Pentland Firth for purposes of defence and supplying the Admiralty with electrical power?

I am aware that proposals have been made, but I am advised that in the present state of the problem no practical purpose would be served by the inquiry suggested by my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the action of the police in requiring the proprietors of small newsagents' shops in East London to attend at Stratford police station on a Saturday in connection with the prosecution of the printer and publisher of the "Syndicalist" newspaper; and whether he is able to take any steps to obviate such a disturbance of tradesmen and the infliction of loss through their compulsory absence from business?

I am informed that the proprietor of one newsagent's shop, at the instance of the Director of Public Prosecutions, attended on subpoena at Stratford Petty Sessional Court upon the 16th instant. He received his travelling expenses and an allowance to compensate him for his loss of time. He made no complaint, and I cannot think that there was any hardship involved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that the Corporation of the City of London proposes to add the duties of inspection of shops, as provided in the Shops Act, 1911, to the duties of an official who is already overworked; and whether this method of administering this Act has received his sanction?

My approval is not required for the arrangements made by local authorities in regard to the inspection of shops in pursuance of Section 7 of the Act of last Session; but I have made inquiry, and am informed that the question of the arrangements to be made for the City is still under consideration by a committee of the Corporation, and has not yet come before the Corporation.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether complaints have been received by the Fisheries Board from small-boat fishermen on the Donegal coast regarding damage to their industry through the operations of steam drifters; and whether any action has been taken in the matter?

Representations have been made to the Department that steam drifters were fishing in Ballyness Bay, where local boats also fish. The Department are of opinion that sufficient reason does not at present exist for placing restrictions, beyond those now in operation, on the herring-fishing industry on the Donegal coast. The local people were so informed.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he can state the number of police cases in Blantyre, Holy-town, and Bellshill for the three weeks-ending 18th March this year, with the number for the corresponding period in 1911?

The figures are as follows:—

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that the Cambuslang School Board, at a special meeting on the 20th inst., refused to apply the powers vested in boards under Clauses 3 and 6 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1908, by which they are empowered to-provide accommodation, apparatus, equipment, and service for the preparation and supply of meals to school children, and to supply meals out of the school fund to children who are unable by lack of food' to take full advantage of the education provided; and whether, as there are numbers of such children in Cambuslang and other districts whose condition at present is that contemplated by the Act in the Clauses aforesaid, he will remind school boards that it is obligatory upon them to see that the needs of the children are provided for, irrespective of the causes which have led to their being in that condition, or of any action the board may deem it necessary to take subsequently to-recover the cost from the parent or guardian?

As regards the first part of the question, I have as yet no information as to the special meeting of the Cambuslang School Board on the 20th instant to which the hon. Member refers, but I am making inquiry. As regards the second part of the question, I have no reason to believe that the Scottish School Boards require to be reminded of of the provisions of the Sections referred to by the hon. Member.

asked the Postmaster-General, adverting to the fact that one, two, and three pound packets of butter sent by parcels post have to pay postage at the rates appropriate to two, three, and four pound parcels, respectively, by reason of the contents and wrapper, together weighing slightly more than the even pound, whether, in the interests of agriculture, he will, issue regulations enabling such packets of butter to be carried at the parcels post rate appropriate to the contents weight (disregarding the wrapper weight) on the postmaster at the office of despatch being satisfied that the sole contents thereof is butter of weight not exceeding that on which postage is tendered as above suggested?

I have recently considered the possibility of revising the Inland Parcel Post rates at the lower stages of the scale so as to allow a suitable margin for packing without extra charge, but I regret that I cannot see my way to take any steps in that direction. It would not be practicable to restrict any concession of this kind to one special commodity, as the hon. Member appears to suggest.