asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Mr. H. G. Cowie and Mr. H. P. Orchard, honorary secretaries of the National Insurance Practitioners' Association, in a circular letter addressed to every member of the medical profession, dated 27th December, were authorised by him to make the promise contained in the circular that if a panel was not formed by 31st January the insurance committee, or Commissioners would be able to adopt a whole-time service, or such other arrangements as they might think fit, regardless of the practitioners of the area, and that he had promised that in such case special consideration should be given to those who have applied by 31st December; and, if so, whether he will lay upon the Table copies of what has passed between him and the authorities referred to in this paragraph?

The paragraph in the circular letter referred to appears to state the actual fact that, if panels are not formed in any areas, the panel system would be suspended, and a whole-time service or such other arrangements would be adopted as the insurance committees and the Commissioners decide. In response to questions received from the National Practitioners' Association during the holidays my right hon. Friend replied that priority of consideration would be given in the case of whole-time appointments to doctors who went on the panels, and he will lay a copy of the letter which he wrote to the association, and which has already appeared in the public Press.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state for each of the last seven completed financial years the amount of deductions made from each of the normal annual Grants to local authorities in Ireland under each head in connection with the Land Purchase Acts; the amount of deduction from the refund under Section 58 (4) of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, in respect of railway and harbour charges; from the asylum capitation Grant; from the Grant-in-Aid of medical and educational expenditure; from the Grant-in-Aid of sanitary officers' salaries; the total for each of those years; the total for the whole period which has had to be made good by increase of local rates; and the earliest ate at which those local authorities can be informed of the amount of deductions to be made from Grants to them in the current financial year?

A Return giving the information required by the hon. Member is being prepared, and, with his permission, I will publish it with the Votes in the course of a few days.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the officers and men allocated for service under the Royal Naval Airship Section are paid according to the number of ascensions made instead of by daily allowance; and, if so, what were the considerations upon which this discrimination between members of the aeroplane corps and of the airship section was based?

Both in the Military and Naval Airship Sections the officers and men are entitled to flying pay under existing rules for days of ascent only, unless they are qualified aeroplane fliers. I may add that the whole matter is at present under the consideration of the Board of Admiralty.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if ministers of the Episcopal Church in Wales will be eligible to sit in the House of Commons after the passing into law of the Established Church (Wales) Bill, and, if so, under what Clause of the Bill is the present disqualification removed?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The disqualification is removed under Clause 2 (3).

asked the Home Secretary whether the date 1662 of Section 7 of the Established Church (Wales) Bill will leave to the Church churchyards acquired and paid for by Churchmen in modern times, say within the last seventy years, or notwithstanding of the date 1662 are such churchyards by Section 8, Sub-section (b) transferred to some other authority?

All burial grounds which are the proceeds of private benefactions since 1662 will be retained by the Church under the provisions of the Bill.

asked the President of the Board of Education what portion of the expenses of the medical examination and supervision of children in elementary schools is paid by the Board, and what portion by the local authorities?

Up to the present time no portion of the expenses of the medical inspection and treatment of children in public elementary schools has been paid by the Board. Under Regulations issued in April last special Grants will be made by the Board, to the extent of the funds at their disposal, to local education authorities in aid of the cost of medical treatment and work ancillary to medical treatment. No special Grant will be paid in respect of routine medical inspection.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he intends to adopt the recommendations of the Departmental Committee on the question of playgrounds for elementary schools; and, if so, whether the cost will be borne by his Department or by the local authorities?

I am not yet in a position to make any statement with regard to the matters referred to in this question.

asked the President of the Board of Education what, if any, Grants are made by his Department for the building of training colleges for elementary school teachers?

The Grants paid in aid of the establishment of training colleges and hostels for elementary school teachers are set out in chapter XII. of the Regulations for the Training of Teachers for Elementary Schools, a copy of which I am sending the hon. Member with this answer.

asked what amount of Grants have been paid in aid of building elementary schools in England and Wales during each of the past four years?

The figures are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that to copyright music in Canada the copies supplied to the authorities there must be printed in Canada, whilst in the United States copies printed outside that country are accepted; and whether he will approach the Canadian Government with the object of inducing it to adopt the same system that prevails in the United States?

Under the Imperial Copyright Act of 1842, which is still in force in Canada, it would appear that copyright in music may be enjoyed in that country without any necessity for printing there. The requirement to which my hon. Friend refers is contained in the Canadian local legislation, and relates only to works with regard to which it is desired to take advantage of that legislation.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what quantity of rupees has gone from India to East Africa in the last four years?

The figures are not in the possession of the Colonial Office, but I will procure them from the Governor of the East Africa Protectorate.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has received any recent information from the Peruvian Government or from the British Vice-Consul at Iquitos with reference to the present position of the Peruvian Amazon Rubber Company and its officials, and, if so, whether he can give any information to the House upon this matter?

I am considering the question of publishing Mr. Mitchell's Report, but it must first be communicated to the Peruvian Government. I have learnt from His Majesty's Minister at Lima that orders have been issued for the arrest of Seors Julio Arana and Juan Vega as accessories of the crimes in the Putumayo, that Senor Arana has exercised his legal right of appeal against the order of arrest, and that the Peruvian Government, who are anxious to do what they can in the matter, are considering what is the best course they can adopt.