asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the general desire throughout the country to secure a settlement of the scale of remuneration for medical services under the National Insurance Act, he will consider, on request being made, the appointment of a Select Committee to take evidence and report to this House as to what would be adequate remuneration for the doctors?

I am obliged to my hon. Friend for his suggestion, but I fear that it would hardly be possible for a Select Committee to complete its investigations and issue its report in time to enable me to make effective use of the report before the 15th January.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the fact that the Earlestown Industrial Co-operative Society, Limited, has guaranteed full wages to all employés during the first six weeks of sickness, and has accordingly made application to the Insurance Commissioners that they and their employés should be allowed to pay the reduced contributions provided for in such cases by the National Insurance Act; whether he is aware that the Insurance Commissioners have refused this permission in the case of certain of their employés; and whether he will issue instructions that all employés and employers who desire to avail themselves of this provision shall be allowed to do so?

The society gave notice to the Commissioners of their intention to avail themselves of the provisions of Section 47, and the notice was accepted so far as it related to employés covered by Special Orders made by the Commissioners. As regards employés not so covered, the notice was necessarily rejected, but it is open to the society, if it thinks fit, to apply to the Commissioners for a Special Order under Sub-section (7) of Section 47, applicable to all its employés.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture the amount of contributions the employés at the Royal Gardens, Kew, are paying under the Insurance Act, and the amount of benefit they are entitled to?

The permanent and pensionable employés at Kew are exempt from the provisions of the Act, and certain classes of the unestablished employés. are included under Section 47, whereby they pay reduced contributions and are entitled to sick leave with two-third's pay for a period not exceeding three months in any year. Other classes of unestablished employés come under the ordinary provisions of the Act.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will state the grounds upon which the application of Mrs. Catherine O'Neill, of Church Street, Keady, for an old age pension has been disallowed on appeal to the Local Government Board; is he aware that the application was approved by the Armagh Rural South old age pension committee, who were satisfied that the applicant had attained the required age; and if, in view of the difficulty in this case of procuring definite proof of age, the Local Government Board will reconsider the case in the light of the applicant's own declaration and the testimony of two aged men who knew her as a child?

Mrs. O'Neill's claims were disallowed by the Local Government Board for want of evidence that she had attained the statutory age. The subcommittee mentioned passed her first claim in October, 1911, but disallowed a further claim made by her in June last. The testimony of the two persons referred to was considered by the Board before giving their decision, and did not satisfy them that Mrs. O'Neill was seventy years of age. They also sent one of their inspectors to visit the woman, but his report was adverse to her claim. The Board have no power to reconsider their decision.

asked whether the Local Government Board has recently received from the rural councils of Limerick (No. 1) and Tipperary (No. 2) improvement schemes for the building of cottages under the Irish Labourers Acts; if so, will some portion of the million be given to them; and what steps have been taken to provide similar grants to Kilmallock, Croom, and Mitchelstown (No. 2) councils?

The Local Government Board have not recently received improvement schemes from the two rural district councils mentioned in the first paragraph of the question. With regard to the remainder of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given to his previous questions on the subject.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland), whether he is aware that the Board of Agriculture (England) see no reason, as far as they are concerned, why more than one cargo of cattle a week should not be brought to Drogheda; if so, whether he will give instructions accordingly; and whether he will make representations to the English Board with regard to the shipment of store cattle from Drogheda?

As regards the first part of the question, the Department are not aware of anything to prevent shipments of fat stock from Drogheda whenever there is accommodation for them at the approved foreign animals wharves in Great Britain. As a matter of fact, a shipment of fat stock took place from Drogheda on Monday, a second yesterday, and it is understood that a third is being arranged for on Saturday next. With reference to store cattle, however, owing to the very limited accommodation for such cattle at the prescribed landing place at Birkenhead and to the conditions of quarantine there, it is only possible to admit from Ireland two thousand store cattle every seventh day. Owing to the difficulty of controlling the numbers to be sent from each port so as to avoid blocking the landing place with cattle that could not be accommodated, it has been arranged that in the first instance these shipments shall take place only from five of the largest exporting ports.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) the number and estimated value of all classes of cattle, sheep, and swine, respectively, exported from Ireland in the three months July, August, and September, 1911, and in the corresponding three months of 1912, with the total cash difference between the two periods?

The particulars are as follows:—

Description of Animals.		Number.		Estimated Value,
		July, August and September.		July, August and September.
		1911.	1912.	1911.	1912.
		No.	No.	£	£
Cattle	…	140,333	71,970	2,013,765	1,122,468
Sheep	…	335,965	204,141	453,068	303,109
Swine	…	28,835	14,856	111,277	72,794
Total	…	505,133	290,967	2,578,110	1,498,371

The total estimated value of cattle, sheep, and swine exported from Ireland in the three months July, August, and September of 1911 exceeded the total estimated value for the corresponding three months of 1912 by £1,079,739.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Estates Commissioners have purchased the estate of J. S. Winter, Palmyra, near Mullagh, county Cavan; and, if so, is it their intention to divide it among the uneconomic holdings in the district?

The Estates Commissioners have had an inspection made of some 270 acres of the lands of Cornaglare or Palmyra, on the estate of the late J. S. Winter, county Cavan, and have communicated to the present owner's solicitors their preliminary estimate of the amount which they would be prepared to advance for the purchase of these lands if offered for sale as untenanted land to the Commissioners. They are at present in communication with the solicitors on the subject. If the lands are acquired by the Commissioners the wants and circumstances of the small holders in the locality will be duly considered in the allotment of the land.

asked whether the vesting orders have yet been issued on the estate of Lord Cork, at Charleville, county Cork; if not, will a special inspection be made on the townland of Ballingone, Charleville, where several tenants suffered severely owing to recent floods; and, in view of the probable recurrence of such floods, will something be done to save those tenants from being ruined and robbed, as in some cases the hay was swept away for miles by recent breaks in river banks?

This estate is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the owner to the tenants, but is not in priority for payment during the present year, and the holdings have not, therefore, yet been vested in the purchasing tenants. When the estate is reached in its turn the matters referred to will be considered by the Estates Commissioners.

asked whether any steps have been taken by the Estates Commissioners to make good the damage done by the breaking of the river banks on the estate of Sir Charles Barrington, at Murroe, county Limerick; and, in view of the damage caused and the losses sustained by the tenants on the property and in order to prevent a recurrence of the same thing, will the estimate of the engineer, Mr. Joseph O'Malley, B.A.B.E., Limerick, who was brought on the place, be adopted or, if not, will some independent engineer from the staff of the Commissioners come and see what course is best to be pursued?

This estate is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the landlord to the tenants. The inspector who visited the property arranged as to the steps to be taken to repair the banks of the river on the estate, and the tenants and vendor's representative agreed to carry them out. The Estates Commissioners are in communication with the vendor as to the provision of a sum of money for the future upkeep of the embankments.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the Arbroath lifeboat was recently called out on a report that a ship flying the flag of distress had been seen near Ethie Haven, and that the supposed wreck, when approached after considerable difficulty, was found to be a drifting Navy target; and whether, seeing that, apart from the trouble and expense to the Lifeboat Institution, such a drifting object is a source of danger to fishing and other craft, and in view of the fact that other instances of this inconvenience have been experienced, he could direct greater precautions to be taken?

I understand that the Arbroath lifeboat was called out on some such report, and that the supposed wreck was found to be a mark-buoy belonging to one of His Majesty's ships surveying in the locality, which had apparently drifted in the recent heavy weather. This buoy would consist of two casks and a pole with a calico flag. The attention of the commanding officer of the surveying vessel will be called to the occurrence, but it does not appear that any precautions were neglected, or that the mistake as to the nature of the drifting object is likely to be repeated.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that, in connection with a contract at Ballykinlan Camp, Downpatrick, painting work is being executed by labourers; and whether he will inquire into the matter and ensure strict compliance with the Fair-Wage Clause?

Inquiry will be made into the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the Royal aircraft factory which has hitherto existed for experimental purposes is to be utilised for the manufacture of aeroplanes on a large scale; and, if so, what are the reasons for such change of policy?

No, Sir. There is no such intention.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he can state how many aeroplanes are now on order from the War Office, and of the number how many have been ordered from English firms?

Twenty-nine aeroplanes are due from British firms. Six aeroplanes have been ordered from abroad through a British firm who will in future manufacture in this country, and one is due directly from abroad.

asked for information regarding the situation in Tibet.

(on behalf of the India Office); The hostilities at Lhasa were brought to an end in the middle of August last, when an agreement was concluded between the Tibetan authorities and the Chinese garrison in the presence of the Nepalese representative. The Secretary of State has not yet seen an authenticated version of the text of this agreement, but it is understood that its main provisions were as follows:—(1) All arms and ammunition belonging to the Chinese to be restored at Lhasa under the charge of representatives of both parties and of the Nepalese; (2) within fifteen days of the fulfilment of the above condition all Chinese officers and soldiers to return to China viâ India, food and transport being provided by the Tibetans to the India frontier; in accordance with these conditions, the bulk of the Chinese troops, after giving up their arms at Lhasa, proceeded in several parties to the Chumbi Valley. Some delay took place at this point, but I am informed that they will have crossed the frontier into India by the 11th instant. Colonel Willoughby, late Military attaché at Peking, is supervising, on behalf of the Government of India, the arrangements for the repatriation of the Chinese soldiers. The ex-Amban Lien Yu is believed to have left for the frontier with the troops; but the Chinese general. Tung Tung-ling, is stated to have remained at Lhasa in contravention of the agreement. As a consequence, further fighting is reported to have broken out between the Tibetans and the Chinese remnant. There are said to be some 400 local-born Chinese at Lhasa. The number of Tibetan troops at the capital is estimated at 5,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the terms arranged with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Company, Limited, for the issue of the proposed China loans and the proportions reserved, respectively, for Germany and Great Britain?

I am not aware of any terms having been arranged for the issue of loans made by the six-Power group to the Chinese Government. Such an arrangement would in present circumstances seem premature With regard to the second part of the question, it has been agreed that each of the six groups shall be entitled to an equal share in any loan which may be negotiated.

asked the Prime-Minister whether his attention has been drawn to the reports of the deaths of four infants within a week in a babies' home in Tooting, where none of the nurses in attendance were qualified; and what steps, if any, he is prepared to take to ensure that protection to the sick which in many other countries is provided by the State registration of trained nurses?

The Prime Minister has asked me to answer this question. My attention has been called to the reports, and I have been in communication with the London County Council with regard to the case. The home was a créche, not an institution for sick children, and the persons described as "nurses" were not sick nurses, but the ordinary attendants on the children. The case is a serious one, but I do not think it has any direct bearing on the question of the State registration of nurses.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the two applications from the Devon and Cornwall Sea Fisheries Committees for Grants in connection with the provision of auxiliary motor power for fishing boats have been as yet transmitted to the Development Commissioners?

The answer is in the affirmative. The applications in question were received by the Board on the 2nd and 6th of July last, and referred by them to the Development Commissioners on the 16th of August. Communications are passing between the two Departments with regard to the matter, but no definite decision has yet been arrived at.