asked the Home Secretary whether any steps have been taken to provide the Coronation medals for the provincial police forces; and whether he can state when the same may be expected to be issued to the members entitled thereto?

Yes, Sir; the Home Office is ready to distribute the medals as soon as they are received, but I am informed by the authorities at the Mint that it is not probable that the medals can be furnished before the end of this month.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the conditions of housing, sanitary arrangements, and water supply in the rural district of Dart-ford; whether he can state what steps are being taken by the local authorities to meet the case; and whether it is his intention to take any immediate action?

I am in communication with the Rural District Council in regard to some of the matters referred to in the question. As regards housing, I have asked for much more complete information than was contained in the report of the medical officer of health, and on receipt of this I will consider what action should be taken. As regards water supply, I must point out that part of the district is within the limits of supply of the Metropolitan Water Board and part within those of the Mid-Kent Water Company, and, according to my information, only a very small proportion of the houses in the district are without a piped service. I am, however, asking for further information in regard to this and other sanitary matters to which attention has been drawn.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the night mail from the Evesham district now closes at 6.45 instead of, as formerly, at 8.45; whether he is aware that this arrangement is causing inconvenience to the market-gardening industry; and if any steps are being taken to supply a remedy?

I am aware of the circumstances to which the hon. Member refers. The alteration is due to the suspension of a train over which the Post Office has no control, but which, I understand, is to be reinstated about the middle of next month. I am considering whether it is practicable meanwhile to make some temporary improvement.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the Highland Railway Company during the coal strike withdrew the train leaving Inverness for the South at 10.50 p.m. from their train service, and that this train has not yet been restored: and whether, in view of the fact that the absence of this train delays all letters for the South posted north of Inverness after 1.30 p.m. for a whole night in Inverness, and consequently creates hardship and inconvenience to business people in the North, he will make representations to ensure that this train is restored at the earliest possible moment for the dispatch of His Majesty's mails?

I am aware of the circumstances to which the hon. Member refers. The train is not under Post Office control, but I am informed that the company intend to reinstate it next month.

asked the Postmaster-General if, in view of his statement that he would be sorry if learners not qualified to do public work were put on such work and that the Department would certainly avoid it, he will inquire officially and state whether or not unqualified learners at the Central Telegraph Office are frequently employed in transcribing important public telegrams; if so, will he supply a schedule of the times unqualified learners are engaged in such work; and will he issue instructions that no unqualified learner shall be employed upon public work of this description in future?

I am informed that on occasions of emergency the work of transcribing telegrams has been entrusted to learners, but only to such as have passed the school test in this class of work. They have performed it under the immediate personal supervision of the school instructors, and it has been satisfactorily done. The work is of a rudimentary character. The arrangement is of advantage, especially to the learners themselves, and I see no reason for disturbing it. In these circumstances the labour and expense which would be involved in preparing the schedule suggested by the hon. Member would not appear to be justified.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture, with reference to the international map of the world now in course of preparation on the scale of one-millionth of nature, if he will say what portions of the world were undertaken by the various countries which participated in the plan; how many sheets have as yet been prepared and published by this country; and whether he will cause copies of some of these to be placed in the Tea Room for inspection?

Each country participating in the international scheme will make its own arrangements for the publication of maps of its territories. Two sheets have been published by this country, copies of which will be supplied to the librarians of the two Houses of Parliament. Further information on the subject is given in the annual Report of the Ordnance Survey for 1911–12, which will be published very shortly.