asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the assistant secretary to the Fisheries Department has retired on the ground of ill-health; if so, at what date; what was the length of his service; what was his salary at the date of his retirement; and what is the amount of his superannuation allowance as a cash payment and as an annual pension?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; to the second, 30th April, 1912; to the third, 19¾ years; to the fourth, £1,000 per annum; and to the fifth, that Mr. Archer was awarded a pension of £433 6s. 8d. per annum, but no cash payment.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the Irish Poor Law and district council officers come within the scope of the Insurance Act?

Persons employed by public authorities are excepted from compulsory insurance under the conditions stated in paragraph ( b ) of Part II of the First Schedule of the Act, namely, that the Insurance Commissioners certify that the terms of the employment are such as to secure provision in respect of sickness and disablement on the whole not less favourable than the corresponding benefits conferred by Part I. of this Act. Except under these conditions persons employed by local authorities are insured on the same terms and conditions as other employed persons.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that a number of friendly societies are informing their members that unless they make the particular society their approved society under the National Insurance Act they must continue to pay the contributions as heretofore and no scheme of reduced benefits and contributions will be submitted; and, having regard to the fact that such action is tantamount to compulsion and interference with the free choice of a member of any approved society, if he will state what action he proposes to take?

The Registrar of Friendly Societies is advised that he has no legal power to confirm any scheme submitted by a registered friendly society which provides that members who become insured persons and who do not take the society as their approved society must continue to pay their present contributions, and that unless a scheme has been submitted and confirmed such a society has no right to make a reduction in the contributions of members who become insured persons, whether they take the society as their approved society or not.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, under the model rules approved by the National Insurance Commission, insured persons will have to comply with the instructions of the medical attendant as a condition of receiving sickness benefit; and whether, in the event of the doctor reporting that an insured person's illness has been occasioned by the condition of his mouth and teeth, and that he requires dental treatment, any provision will be made for the insured person to have such dental treatment in the event of his being unable to afford it, and whether his sickness benefit will be stopped in consequence?

Instructions of the kind contemplated in the question would not fall within the meaning of the medical instructions which an insured person must obey as a condition of receiving his medical benefit; nor could a society insist upon an insured person providing any particular kind of treatment at his own expense as a condition of receiving benefits.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the necessary instructions to employers of labour in Scotland, as well as the general regulations which have been promised in connection with the operation of the National Insurance Act, have yet been issued; and, if not can he state when they may be expected, in view of the short time now available before the Act comes into force?

With regard to Part I. of the Act, a Memorandum explanatory of the duties of employers under the Act and the Regulations has been issued to employers in Scotland. With regard to Part II. of the Act, I am informed that explanatory leaflets were issued in May, and have been sent to all employers who seemed likely to be affected by that part of the Act. The Regulations were laid on the Table of the House on 6th May, and were issued to the public immediately after that date.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received a memorial from the British Hospitals Association asking for a remission to hospitals of the 10 per cent. Legacy Duty in respect of legacies bequeathed to them; and whether he can now grant this relief to these necessary public institutions?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I regret I do not see my way to adopt the suggestion made in the second part, which would have to extend to all charities, and could not be confined to hospitals. Such bequests are often made "free of duty," and in such cases the residuary legatee, and not the charity, would benefit by exemption.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will publish the names of the county Cavan evicted tenants who applied for reinstatement under the Evicted Tenants Act of 1907, but whom it is not now intended to reinstate or supply with new farms, or will he have the Commissioners' decision communicated direct by personal letter in the cases referred to without delay?

For reasons which I have more than once referred to in the House, the Estates Commissioners do not think that it would be desirable to publish such a list. They notify their decisions to any claimants who apply to them for such information.

asked the Chief Secretary what balance now remains at the disposal of the Estates Commissioners out of the funds placed in their hands for the purpose of aiding evicted tenants to obtain possession of or to stock their own or equivalent holdings, either by way of loan or free grant?

Pursuant to Sections 12 and 43 of the Irish Land Act of 1903, grants and advances sanctioned by the Estates Commissioners for the benefit and improvement of estates and in connection with the reinstatement of evicted tenants were provided out of the Reserve Fund up to 31st May, 1910, when the fund was exhausted, and since that date such expenditure has been defrayed out of the Parliamentary Vote for the Land Commission pursuant to Section 28 of the Act of 1909. The amount provided in the Vote for 1912–13 for these purposes is £100,000.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Congested Districts Board have yet approached Captain Bryan Cooper, Markree Castle, Callooney, county Sligo, with a view to the purchase of the unsold portion of his estate, comprising the townlands of Drumcondra, Cartronhugh, and Carrownagh, situate near Ballintogher, union of Sligo; and, if so, can he say what action, if any, is being taken in regard to the matter?

Proceedings have been instituted by Captain Bryan Cooper for the sale of his estates in county Sligo direct to the tenants under the Irish Land" Act, 1903, and portion of the lands referred to in the question are included in the sale proceedings. When the estates are being dealt with in their proper order of priority the Estates Commissioners will consider the question of the lands not included in the sale.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that the estate of J. F. White, situated at Drumany, Dromahair, county Leitrim, has not yet been offered for sale to the tenants; and whether, having regard to the congestion prevailing on this small estate, and to the fact that the tenants have to compete in the open market with the tenants on the adjoining estates, all of which have been sold, the Congested Districts Board would intervene with a view of bringing about a sale and relieving congestion in the district?

The Congested Districts Board communicated with the owner of this estate, but he is not prepared to sell the property.

asked the Chief Secretary whether Lord Casteltown has offered any portion of the untenanted land on his property in Queen's County to the Estates Commissioners for sale and, if so, what portion; whether he is aware that there are 900 acres of untenanted land on the Castletown estates, and can he say whether the Estates Commissioners are prepared to sanction the sale of the tenanted portion of the property pending the negotiations for the sale of the untenanted land; and whether any promise was made to Lord Castletown that he would be paid for the tenanted portion of his estates within a specified time?

Lord Castletown has not offered any untenanted land on his estate in the Queen's County for sale to the Estates Commissioners. There are no negotiations pending for the sale to the Commissioners of this untenanted land which consists principally of demesne lands, bogs, woods, and plantations. The Commissioners will deal with the lands which are the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the owner to the tenants in their order of priority. The reply to the last paragraph of the question is in the negative.

asked in what position the four tenants stand on the Ferguson estate at Rashawkin, county Antrim, who omitted to sign agreements to purchase?

This estate is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the owner to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and the terms of purchase is a matter for arrangement between the parties. Unless purchase agreements are signed by the outstanding tenants and lodged with the Estates Commissioners their holdings cannot be included in the sale. The majority of the holdings on the estate for which purchase agreements were lodged have been vested in the purchasing tenants.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will state the countries of origin of the 1,504,000 gallons of wine imported into Ireland in 1910 and also the quantity from each country?

Nearly 90 per cent. of the wine imported into Ireland in 1910 came via Great Britain, and the Department have no information showing the countries this wine came from. The remainder, which was less than 11 per cent. of the total imports, came direct to Ireland from foreign countries (that is, was not transhipped in Great Britain), almost all coming from Spain, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, and France.

asked what proportion of the 34,000,000 pounds of tea imported into Ireland in 1910 came from India, Ceylon, and China, respectively?

The Department have no information which would give the proportion of tea imported into Ireland in 1910 that came from India, Ceylon, or China.

asked the numbers of female persons in Ireland who exceed the age of 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, and 31 years respectively?

Statement showing the estimated number of females living in Ireland who exceed the age of 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, and 31 years at the middle of the year 1912, based upon the age constitution of the female population in 1901:—

asked the Chief Secretary whether he has received a copy of a resolution of the Waterford County Council recording their disapproval of the recent administration of the Old Age Pensions Act, and pointing out that, in several cases in which the decisions of the sub-committees were upheld by the Local Government Board prior to the operation of the amending Act of last year, that Board, on the question being reopened by the pension officers, have decided against the pensioners, though it was admitted that no alteration had taken place in their means or circumstances; whether he is aware that the Local Government Board and the Treasury are encouraging pension officers to raise questions as to pensions which have been paid after full investigation and after appeal in a large number of cases in which no alteration of means is alleged to have occurred; and whether he will explain why an entirely new standard in the ascertainment of means has been set up under the amending Act, resulting in depriving a large number of persons of their pensions?

A copy of the resolution referred to has been received. With regard to the cases mentioned in the first paragraph of the question, it may be pointed out that prior to the Act of 1911 it was not clear that pension authorities had any jurisdiction to entitle them to decide questions on means where no change had occurred in the circumstances of the pensioners since the original grant of the pension. Section 6 of the Act of 1911, which is not an amendment of the Law but a declaratory Section, makes it quite clear that questions may be raised at any time notwithstanding a decision as to the correctness of a former decision of a pension authority. Pension officers are not under my control, and I am not aware that these officers are encouraged to raise questions as to pensions which have been already investigated. No new standard in the ascertainment of means has been set up with the knowledge of the Local Government Board, but as already stated it is now competent for pension officers to raise questions respecting cases in which pensions were originally granted

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether it is proposed to fill the existing vacancy on the directing staff of the Expense Accounts Department from the writing staff?

The matter is now under consideration.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the Order in Council of the 29th February, 1908, states that 8 per cent. of the combined number of commissioned warrant officers and warrant officers shall be promoted; whether he is aware that in the majority of cases there is an excess of allowance amongst warrant officers except those who belong to the signal department, which is 1.5 short; and whether he will look into the question?

As regards the first part of the question, the position is as stated, though the Order in Council quoted contains no reference to this percentage. The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative, though for purposes of calculating the number of commissioned warrant officers in the military branch, they must all be taken together: As regards the third part of the question, I announced in the House of Commons on 18th March, that in future, warrant officers would be promoted to commission warrant rank after fifteen years' service. Promotion will therefore be by service and not in accordance with vacancies in the higher establishment.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War what number of officers and men at present serving in the Army are English, Irish, and Scottish, respectively; and what numbers there are in the Army of the Church of England, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, and other denominations?

No statistics as regards officers are available. As regards non-commissioned officers and men of the Regular Forces, the statistics for the year ending 30th September, 1911, will be found on pages 87 to 89 of the General Annual Report for 1911. No later statistics are available at the War Office.

asked the Postmaster-General whether auxiliary sorters will receive their pay during their attendance at Territorial camps?

Auxiliary sorters are not entitled to civil pay during attendance at Territorial camps. They are employed in the Post Office only for a few hours on certain evenings in the week.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the refusal of the Governor of Holloway Prison to allow Amy Collier a first-class prisoner, to receive a Veda loaf of bread, a food which she is accustomed to for her health's sake?

There is no prisoner of this name in Holloway Prison, but possibly the question refers to Constantia Louisa Collier. She is a prisoner in the second division, and is receiving the privileges of Rule 243A. The Prison Commissioners report that this prisoner has not made any application to receive Veda bread. An application from the Veda Bread Company to send her a weekly supply was declined because the prisoner was already receiving the weekly parcel of food allowed under the rule.

asked the Chief Secretary, having regard to the nature of the offences for which certain ladies are now imprisoned in Dublin, committed from no personal motive, but for a public purpose, not denied in Court, and having regard to the danger to those ladies' health of subjecting them to the treatment devised for criminals, "whether he will order the prison treatment of them to be limited to restraint as political offenders and their friends to be allowed to visit and provide for them?

The Irish Prison Rules provide that, in the case of any prisoner sentenced to imprisonment without hard labour, whose previous character is good, and who has been committed to prison for an offence not involving dishonesty,cruelty, indecency, or serious violence, such privileges may be allowed as the Lord-Lieutenant may approve, not exceeding those granted to first - class misdemeanants. Under these rules, these prisoners have been granted all the privileges of first-class misdemeanants. The magistrate who tried the case expressed the opinion that these prisoners ought to be treated as first-class misdemeanants.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fatal accidents were caused in the administrative county of London, during the five years ending 31st December last, by motor omnibuses and mechanically-propelled tramways, respectively; and how these accidents compare with the number of passengers carried and with the number of vehicles in each case?

The figures for the Metropolitan Police District are as follows:—

From figures recently published it appears that 533,000,000 passengers were carried by the London County Council tram-cars during the years 1911–1912; while the London General Omnibus Company alone carried 520,000,000 passengers. The total numbers carried by all the omnibus companies in the district are not available.

asked the President of the Board of Education if the words "a course of training," in the prefatory note to the Code for 1912, by whcih the Board state that they do not contemplate the alteration of the Code so as to disqualify for the post of head teacher any teacher who was certificated before 1st August, 1910, on the ground that such teacher had not completed satisfactorily a course of training, do not refer solely to a course of training at a training college?

The words in the prefatory note to the Code for 1912 referred to in the question, relate solely to a course of training at a training college under the Board's Regulations for the training of teachers for elementary schools.

asked the President of the Local Government Board the amount of any Grant received to date by the rate-payers of London from the Petrol Tax paid by the motor omnibus companies trading in the administrative county of London?

The proceeds of the tax are merged with other sources of income in the Road Improvement Fund and the Grants are made from the fund, not from the produce of specific duties.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that Labour Exchange Bureaux in the suburbs of London are holding out that they do the business of registry offices for domestic servants; whether such a course has his sanction; and, if not, whether he will take steps to prevent interference by the State with a business which is being conducted by members of the ratepaying public, in many cases by women, with complete satisfaction to all concerned?

Labour Exchange managers are instructed not to deal with resident vacancies for domestic servants in private houses; and I shall be glad to inquire into any specific cases that may have come to the hon. Member's notice, in which it is alleged that this instruction has been infringed. I may add that a limited number of Juvenile Advisory Committees in the provinces have recently been permitted, under carefully defined conditions, to find places for girls below seventeen years of age desiring to go into service, but this permission does not apply to London or its suburbs.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Great Southern and Western Railway Company of Ireland has instituted a series of advances in railway fares, and that this company claims to have done so, in common with all other railway companies in the United Kingdom, to meet the increased wages which have to be paid as a result of the recent labour troubles; whether the recommendations of the Railway Commission of last autumn are applicable to the railway companies of Ireland, and have been acknowledged by them or any of them to be so applicable; whether the Great Southern and Western Railway Company have increased wages; if so, what is the total weekly amount of this increase; and how many and what classes of their employés benefit by them?

I have received representations to the effect that the Great Southern and Western Railway Company have raised the price of certain week-end tickets, and I am now in communication with the company on the subject. The Irish railway companies did not undertake to accept the recommendations of the Royal Commission of last autumn, and I have no definite information showing to what extent the Great Southern and Western Company may have incurred extra expenditure by increasing the wages of their employés.

asked the Postmaster-General whether auxiliary sorters are allowed to qualify for the established service?

I regret that I cannot regard service as auxiliary sorter 'as creating any title for admission to an established appointment.

asked the Secretary for Scotland the number of Commissioners and officials employed in connection with the Lunacy Commission, Scotland, with salaries over £600 per year; the number of weeks' holiday allowed yearly to the Commissioners; and the number of lunatics certified by the Commissioners last year?

The answer to the first part of the question is three. The Commissioners have no fixed holidays, but the time usually taken is between a month and six weeks. Lunatics are certified, not by the Commissioners, but by qualified medical practitioners The number of lunatics so certified in the year 1911 was 3,701, exclusive of children sent to imbecile institutions and the Criminal Lunatic Department.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he will state the position of the negotiations initiated by the Fishery Board for Scotland, with a view to effecting an arrangement between the Nith and Annan District Fishery Boards and the white fish fishermen as to the use and construction of paidle nets; whether these negotiations have broken down; and, if so will he state to what causes the failure of the negotiations is due?

A committee was appointed by the Fishery Board for Scotland to inquire into this subject. The proceedings were, with the assent of all parties, treated as confidential, and certain recommendations were afterwards made as to an arrangement for the fishing season of 1912 between the white fish fishermen and the Nith and Annan District Salmon Boards. The former have intimated their willingness to enter into an agreement such as the committee recommend, but up to the present time the assent of the salmon boards has not been received.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that the owners of minerals in the parish of Kirkintilloch have been exempted from assessment for the cost of the new parish church there; and whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that such exemption will have the effect of increasing the assessment on the remaining heritors and feuars to the extent of about 4d an the £; and, if so, what action he proposes to take?

As I said in reply to a question by my hon. Friend yesterday, I have no responsibility in these matters, and can only give him such information as I have received. I am informed that the reason the assessments have not been made on the owners of minerals is that those responsible for the assessments do not consider that they have legal power to make such assessments.

asked the Secretary for Scotland if he will give the total amount of expenditure made on school buildings during the last ten years in Scotland, differentiating between primary schools, secondary schools, higher grade schools, and technical colleges or other central institutions; and what amount is still owing?

The total amount of the expenditure by school boards on school buildings (including purchase of sites) during the last ten years is £4,360,367, of which about £100,000 is computed to be in respect of secondary schools. It is not possible to separate the expenditure on higher grade and primary schools, as frequently one building serves both purposes. The Department are not in a position to furnish complete figures as to the expenditure on school buildings by authorities and managers other than school boards. The total amount shown in the accounts of school boards as outstanding school building loans of whatever duration at 15th May of last year was £6,477,365. It is not possible to give separately the amount outstanding of loans contracted within the last ten years.