asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what are the governing conditions affecting employers of agents who are paid by salary and commission (under the National Insurance Act) whose incomes vary under or over the income limit at various periods of the year?

There are no special conditions in this regard affecting agents paid partly by salary and party by commission. The question of whether the rate of remuneration of any person is above or below the income limit fixed by the Act is one of fact to be determined in each case of doubt by a consideration of what is being earned by that person over a sufficiently long period of time to enable a reasonable average to be taken.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will cause to be placed in the Library copies of all leaflets or other explanatory publications of the National Insurance Act issued by the Insurance Commissioners (England)?

Yes, Sir; I will take steps to see that this is done at once.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Insurance Commissioners have power to regulate the rates and conditions of sickness, disablement, and maternity benefits, determined for aliens by the society, under Section 45 (2)(iii.); and, if not, whether in the case of a county group formed under Section 39 (3) of which one of the constituting societies contains many alien members, if that society shows a deficiency upon valuation due not to maladministration but to the excessive rates of benefits paid, the insurance committee for the county shall make good three-quarters of that deficiency out of any surplus available under Section 38 (1)(a), or whether such excessive payment of benefits shall be counted as maladministration?

The rate and conditions of benefits under Section 45 (2) (iii.) are to be determined by the society; but provision for these ^benefits must be included in the rules of an approved society which admits aliens, and a model table of rates is in preparation by the Commissioners. I would refer my hon. Friend to Rule 10 (20), Eule 12 (8), and the footnote on page 25 of Model Rules (A). The rate and conditions of the benefits which a society desires to give must be incorporated in the Rules which are submitted to the Commissioners before the society is approved; and if any other table than the one prepared by the Commissioners is inserted it will be specially examined before approval is given. No deficiency should therefore arise through excessive rates of "benefits being paid.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what the Admiralty Regulations are regarding the provision of boats in the case of merchant vessels taken up as Army transports?

It has for some years been the practice of the Admiralty to insist upon boat accommodation being provided for everyone on board troop transports. No abatement is permitted in consequence of steamers being divided into efficient watertight compartments.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that in the official list of the Royal Regiment of Artillery for April, 1912, there are thirteen companies of the Royal Garrison Artillery at present without captains, or without extra lieutenants to do their work; whether he can say what the reason is for this; how long the vacancies have existed; if it is his intention to fill up these vacancies; and when they will be filled up?

There were fourteen vacancies on the 1st April, of which three have since been filled up. As regards the remaining eleven vacancies three captains are on sick leave, one is at the Staff College, Quetta, and the other seven are undergoing ordnance or general staff or advanced class courses for which officers are not allowed to be seconded; hence during these Courses vacancies must exist in companies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can see his way to accord the privileges of a political prisoner to Miss Helen M. Spanton, who, for doing damage valued at 3s. to Government property, was on the 9th March committed at Bow Street and sentenced to two months' hard labour, although this was her first offence; and whether, in view of the severity of the punishment for such an offence, he will review the sentence and see if it can be reduced?

asked the right hon. Gentleman whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Miss Helen M. Span-ton, who is at present undergoing a sentence of two months' hard labour for damaging Government property in a recent political demonstration; whether he has thought fit to accede to the request made by Mr. Arthur P. Stanton, solicitor, on her behalf that she be transferred to the first or second division, seeing that the offence of which she was convicted, however ill-advised, involved no moral turpitude, and that she be allowed to obtain certain philosophical and standard books and facilities for writing; and, if not, will he say on what ground he has refused to do so, and will he reconsider the case?

My attention has repeatedly been drawn to this case, and I can find no ground for advising any interference with the sentence. In accordance with the decision which I stated in this House a few days ago, the prisoner is now being treated under Rule 243a, and under that rule she may be allowed to receive books. I have no power to transfer her to the first or second division and no exceptional privileges (other than those granted under Eule 243a) can be allowed. I may add that the prisoner is due for discharge in a few days.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether James Shiels, evicted tenant, county Cavan, has yet been reinstated?

The Estates Commissioners are acquiring Shiel's holding under the Evicted Tenants Act, and hope to be in a position to take over the lands at an early date and reinstate him.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the taxation powers of the Irish Legislature proposed in the Government of Ireland Bill extend to the imposition of a tax on British soldiers serving in Ireland, or the general legislative powers of the same body extend to the prohibition of the quartering of British soldiers in Ireland; and, if so, will he introduce or recommend the introduction of safeguards for the protection of the British Army, and secure to ships of the Royal Navy the right of entering Irish ports whether the Irish Legislature wishes them to do so or not?

I would refer the hon. Member to Clauses 2 (3) and 4 (6) of the Bill.

asked the Postmaster-General, whether, under the Government of Ireland Bill, the proposed Irish Parliament would have power to diminish present postal, telegraphic, Or telephonic facilities or to alter the present charges for the same?

The answer is in the affirmative, the Irish Revenue bearing the cost of any reduction and receiving the proceeds of any increase.

asked the Postmaster-General, whether the proposed Irish Parliament would have power to determine or interfere with existing Post Office contracts and subsidies granted to railway and shipping companies for maintaining through mail services between Ireland and England and between Ireland and Scotland?

The contracts for the conveyance of mails between Ireland and Great Britain would be a matter for arrangement between the Imperial and the Irish Post Offices.

asked the Postmaster-General if it is intended to regard the recommendations of the Select Committee appointed to inquire into the wages and other conditions of employment of Post Office servants as the award of a fully-accredited and impartial tribunal, whose conclusions will be considered as binding, as was the case when the Hobhouse Committee was appointed, and to accept and act on the findings of the Select Committee, whatever they may be?

The Committee has been constituted with a view to securing impartiality, and while the Government must necessarily attach great weight to their conclusions, it cannot pledge itself beforehand to accept them in their entirety, and no such pledge was given in the case of the Hobhouse Committee.

asked the-Postmaster-General how many telegraph offices were guaranteed last year, and what was the total amount received on behalf of such guarantees?

On the 31st of December last there were 967 telegraph offices open under guarantee. Towards the loss incurred last year in maintaining those offices the guarantors paid £4,202, leaving £8,405 to be borne by the Exchequer.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the amount of exports for 1911, or for 1910 if 1911 not ready, of all sorts into Germany from France and England, and into France from Germany and England, and into England from France and Germany?

The following figures give the values of the imports into each of the countries named from each of the others so as to ensure as much comparability as possible in each case. Owing, however, to the fact that each country adopts somewhat different methods of recording and valuing its foreign trade, the figures are not strictly comparable as between the different importing countries:—

( a )Imports into Germany declared for consumption in 1911:

( b ) Imports into France declared for consumption in 1911:

( c ) Net imports retained in the United Kingdom in 1911: