asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will favourably consider the resolution passed by the Norfolk local insurance committee to the effect that the travelling expenses of its members should be paid out of moneys specially provided by Parliament?

I have nothing to add at present to the previous answers which I have given to this question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can now state approximately the numbers of separate workmen in each of the trades specified in Part II. of the National Insurance Act for whom unemployment insurance cards have already been issued; and the average amount of the payments now being made weekly by the employers and the workmen, respectively, in respect of unemployment insurance under the Act by stamps or otherwise?

I am circulating with the Votes a statement showing the numbers of unemployment books issued in each of the insured trades. The average weekly amount now being received in contributions is approximately £33,000, but it is not possible to distinguish the contributions of employers and workpeople. A certain number of employers have by mistake used health insurance stamps for the payment of unemployment insurance contributions. These will ultimately be credited to the Unemployment Fund and will increase correspondingly the actual receipts of the Fund. It is not possible at the moment to give any estimate of the extent of this error.The following is the statement referred to:—

also asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any, and, if so, what regulations have been made under Section 106 of the National Insurance Act, 1912; whether any list has been prepared of the trade unions from which it is expected that claims will be received for repayment of unemployment benefit under this Section, and, if so, whether he will name the societies and state their estimated membership; on what date should application for such repayment be made; in respect of what period should it be made out; and what is the total sum estimated to be payable under this Section during the ensuing financial year out of moneys provided by Parliament?

I am sending my hon. Friend copy of a pamphlet setting out the relevant regulations and requirements of the Board of Trade under Section 106. Copies of this pamphlet have been sent to nearly 700 associations, being all those known to the Board as making payments to their members whilst unemployed. Two hundred and twenty-five of these associations have given notice of their intention

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the additional Grant which it is proposed to make in respect of medical benefit under the National Insurance Act in Great Britain, he will consider the question of devoting a sum of money towards making good the cost of certificates for sickness and invalidity benefits in Ireland; whether he is still of the view that the extension of medical benefits to Ireland is a matter to be decided by the wishes of the Irish people themselves; and whether he has considered the suggestion of the appointment of a representative Committee to consider this latter question?

The Government are certainly still of opinion that the question of extending medical benefit to Ireland is one to be decided according to the wishes of the Irish people; and I propose at an early date to appoint a representative Committee to consider the matter. Meantime, the Government will submit proposals for the Grant of a sum of £50,000 towards expenses incurred in Ireland in connection with the National Insurance Act in consequence of the absence of medical benefit in that country, such sum to be expended in accordance with a scheme to be submitted to the Treasury by the Irish Insurance Commissioners.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the fact that insured persons may desire in an emergency to obtain at night-time the services of a medical practitioner on the panels under the National Insurance Act, he will make arrangements whereby such lists of doctors, if supplied by the insurance committees, may be inspected at police stations within the Metropolitan area?

I am glad to inform my hon. Friend that the Commissioner of Police is able to make tentative arrangements to carry out this suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, for the sake of greater precision and the information of the agricultural public, he will give instructions that the revenue derived from Land Tax shall in future be so apportioned in the Inland Revenue Returns as to show what proportions are raised from agricultural land and buildings and from other forms of property, respectively?

This could not be done without an expenditure of time and labour entirely disproportionate to the value of the information.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present amount of Income Tax derived from agricultural land and buildings and from other forms of real property, respectively; and, if this is at present impracticable owing to the form of the existing Returns, whether he will, for the sake of greater precision and public information, have the Returns for the forthcoming financial year made out in such a form as to separate such sources of revenue accordingly?

Table 119 of the last Report of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue gives the gross assessment on (1) agricultural land in the broad sense (including farmhouses, farm buildings, etc.), (2) houses, messuages, etc., (3) other real property, such as manors, fines, etc. The compilation of more exact Returns would involve a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour. Owing to the numerous deductions and allowances from the assessments granted by reference to the personal circumstances of the owner, the amount of tax actually paid in respect of the assessments on any particular class of real property cannot be exactly stated.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the demand note issued by the local taxation department at Taunton with regard to male servants, in which it is stated that the age of a male servant is immaterial, and that boys engaged in gardening and similar work must be paid for; and whether, in view of the consequent discouragement to the employment and training of boys in useful work caused by imposing a tax of 15s. per year, he will fix some reasonable age, such as eighteen years, at which the tax should commence to be payable?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. I would remind the hon. Member that the responsibility for the administration of the Male Servant Licence Duties in England and Wales lies solely with the county and county borough councils, and not with the Treasury. As regards the second part of the question, I am not satisfied that the duties as at present constituted have the result suggested by the hon. Member or that an alteration would have the effect which he desires. In these circumstances I cannot undertake to propose legislation on the point, which would involve a loss of revenue to the local authorities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if there are any Grants which were indicated by the Road Board before 1st April, 1912, to local authorities for work which has not yet been begun; and, if so, what is the total amount of such Grants, and what is the amount actually paid out of the Road Board Fund on these works?

In the case of 115 Grants made before the 1st April, 1912, and amounting to £47,247, no application has been made for payment of the Grant or an instalment thereof. It is possible that this may be due in some cases to the fact that the work has not been begun, but the Board have no information enabling them to distinguish such cases from those in which the work is in progress; but the authority has not found it necessary to apply for a payment on account, and from others in which the works have been carried out, but the returns of expenditure are not yet completed so as to enable the highway authority to make application for payment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state what were the taxes levied upon tea and sugar in the years 1905 and 1911; what was the amount received by the Exchequer from such taxes in each of the years mentioned; and what was the weight of imports upon which taxes were paid in the same years?

The following statement gives the information which my hon. Friend desires—

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the case of clerks to the surveyors of taxes has been shelved by the Treasury in consequence of the cost of the army of officials under the National Insurance Act; are these officials to be penalised on this account; is he aware that the Board of Inland Revenue, the inspectors, and surveyors of taxes, have all condemned the rate of pay as totally inadequate for the duties these clerks perform; and will he say if the opinion of the Board and their officers will receive consideration from the Treasury?

The answers to the first and second parts of the question are in the negative. With regard to the remaining parts, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for North Londonderry on 30th October last.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue submitted proposals for the improvement of the position of clerks to surveyors of taxes early in the year 1912, and the Treasury refused to sanction same; whether it was on this ground the chairman informed the Royal Commission it would be futile to submit his latest recommendations to the Treasury; and whether the Treasury will consider such recommendations if the chairman submits them at once for consideration?

The answers to the first and second parts of the question are in the negative. With regard to the remaining parts, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on 30th October last.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, under the proposed Tuberculosis Order of the Board, the proportion of the compensation fund to be raised by the local authorities will come out of the general County Rate or will be raised by a rate charged upon the area of the sanitary authority only?

The compensation to which the hon. Member refers will be payable under the Diseases of Animals Acts. Section 40 of the Act of 1894 provides that the expenses of a local authority under the Act shall be defrayed out of the county rate in a county, and out of the borough rate in a borough.

also asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that the slaughter under the proposed Tuberculosis Order of the Board of Agriculture of bovine animals deemed to be tuberculous will be carried out in the interests of the general public, and especially of milk consumers in the towns, and the reluctance of local authorities to put into effective operation Acts of Parliament, and administrative Orders which increase the already heavy burden of local taxation, he will authorise the payment of the whole or, failing the whole, three-quarters of the compensation moneys required for the purpose out of the Exchequer instead of imposing a moiety of such charge upon the ratepayers in the area of production?

I cannot see my way to ask Parliament to provide from the Exchequer more than the proportion of one-half already announced.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether large quantities of beet sugar are being produced at a factory in Norfolk without any Excise Duty corresponding to the Customs Duty being levied thereon; if so, what quantity of sugar has been so produced; what action the Government propose to take an the matter; and under what Act has this exemption been granted?

The manufacture of sugar from home-grown beet has been proceeding during the last two months at the sugar factory, Cantley, Norfolk. The manufacture is being conducted under official supervision, but at present no duty is chargeable on such sugar, and consequently no question of exemption arises. I cannot state the quantities of sugar that have been so produced, as it would be contrary to practice to disclose particulars of any individual trader's business. The matter will be considered in connection with the Budget for next year.

asked the Chief Secretary what steps have been taken by the Congested Districts Board to acquire the following properties situate in the Kilcummin and Lacken districts of North Mayo, namely, the May Fishery Company's, the Little estate, Kirkwood's, M'Cormick's (Foghill), Phibb's, Knox's, Mrs. Clarke's (Palmer), and Bourke's; will he say when these properties were offered to the Board; when the surveys and valuations were completed, and on what dates offers for purchase have been made by the Board to the owners; and to what cause the delay in the purchase is due?

The offers of the Congested Districts Board for the purchase of the estates of the May Fishery Company, Mrs. S. Little, Colonel C. II. C. Knox, and Mrs. L. Clarke, have been accepted by the owners, but their offer for the purchase of the estate of Miss Henrietta Phibbs has not yet been accepted The Board have decided to make an offer for the purchase of the estate of W. H. M. Kirkwood, and it will be issued as soon as practicable. The estate of J. H. M. Kirkwood has been offered for sale to the Board, and a decision will be arrived at regarding purchase as soon as practicable. The necessary documents are being prepared with a view to offering the estate of Mr. S. M'Cormick for sale through the Board, and when received the estate will be inspected and a decision arrived at regarding its purchase. The agent for the estate of Mr. B. W. Bourke informed the Board some time ago that the owner was not then in a position to enter into negotiations for sale of his estate.

asked whether Mr. Patrick O'Dowd, of Fallduff Lodge, county Mayo, has yet lodged the maps and other necessary papers with the Congested Districts Board, with a view to the sale of his estate through the Board; and when the sale is likely to be completed?

The maps and some of the documents necessary for a preliminary inspection to be made of this property have been lodged with the Congested Districts Board, but some further information asked for by them is awaited, on receipt of which the estate will be inspected and a decision arrived at regarding purchase as soon as practicable. The Board cannot say when it is likely that the sale of the property will be completed.

asked what are the amounts in money and stock still unpaid to vendors of land under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and can an approximate estimate be given of when the payments to them will be complete; and what is the total of the purchase money paid and payable in respect of voluntary sales made under the Purchase of Land Act, 1909, from its coming into operation down to the last available date?

The pending sales under the Irish Land Act, 1903, in respect of which the advances have not yet been made amount to £32,000,000. Of this sum vendors have elected under the Act of 1909 to accept payment as regards £5,000,000 in half cash, half stock (2|), and as regards £850,000 in all stock (2f per cent.), and as regards the balance the vendors are awaiting payment in cash according as the estates are reached in order of priority. The Estates Commissioners anticipate that they will be able to deal with the cases at present on the half-stock half-cash register and the all stock register by the end of the coming financial year. They are not, however, in a position at present to state when the cases for payment in all cash may be disposed of as this depends not only on the character of the estates and such questions as to title and other matters that may arise, but also on the amount of cash which may be available in each year for the purposes of land purchase, and on the number of vendors of these estates who on or before the 1st April next or in the subsequent years may elect under Section 3 (2) of the Act of 1909 to accept payment either partly or wholly in stock. The total advances in respect of voluntary sales under the Act of 1909 to date amount to £2,016,844, and the purchase money of lands pending under that Act but not advanced (including lands for the purchase of which the Congested Districts Board are in negotiation) is estimated at 8½ millions.

asked the Chief Secretary whether, if he will not enable the Irish public to enjoy the benefits of an Irish Public Trustee, he will at least enable them to make use of the Public Trustee in England?

I am not sure that there is any general desire in Ireland for the extension of the jurisdiction of the English Public Trustee to that country, and at the present time I cannot undertake to introduce any Bill for the purpose.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what monetary assistance he proposes to give from the Imperial Exchequer for the promotion of sea training, as promised through Lord Devonport on his behalf at the annual conference on sea training in October last; and when such assistance may be expected?

I have agreed to increase the annual Grants up to the rate of £10 a head, beginning in 1914–15.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the motor cyclists engaged by the Automobile Association and the Motor Union on behalf of the War Department for the Army manœuvres have not yet been paid the amount agreed upon; and whether he will take steps to ensure immediate payment?

The delay is due to the effort of the Automobile Association and Motor Union to collect the claims and have them all settled together. The majority of the claims have now been settled, and it is expected that all will be settled in a few days.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the fact that Lord Haldane stated that men trained for from four to six months, as proposed by the National Service League, would not be fit to meet Regular Continental troops trained for two or three years, he could say whether the fourth battalions of the Special Reserve, trained only for three months, could be sent at once to meet Regular troops on the Continent or be able to meet them in case of invasion?

If the hon. Gentleman will read the words following those of the authority which he quotes, he will find the answer to his question regarding invasion: and as regards war on the Continent, I would point out that the fourth battalions mentioned do not form part of the Expeditionary Force.

asked the Secretary of State for War why the 93,000 men posted to the Ersatz Reserve, in Germany, were excluded from his estimate of the numbers taken in that country for military training, whilst 42,000 men recruited for the Territorial Force in the United Kingdom were included; and can he say whether many of the 93,000 men posted to the Ersatz Reserve, in Germany, did or did not receive a longer period of training than our Territorials?

The men posted to the Ersatz Reserve were not included because, though they are liable for training for certain periods, at the present time they are rarely called out for such training, and for the period in question it is understood that only 2,700 were so called out. I therefore expressly stated in the answer refered to that the Ersatz Reserve was not included in the number given.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many aeroplanes have been ordered of the eighteen for which tenders had been invited on the 19th December; and why orders for further aeroplanes have been so much delayed?

Tenders have been received, the last on 1st January, and are under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that over 400 aeroplanes were bought by the French Army during the past year in addition to the 218 possessed by the French Army at the end of 1911; how many aeroplanes the Royal Flying Corps possesses belonging to the Military Wing, and how many at the Central Flying School; how many of these are actually in flying order; and how many of them are capable of exceeding a speed of sixty-five miles per hour in calm air—i.e., without the assistance of wind?

There is no information at the War Office to show the number of aeroplanes bought by the French Army during the past year. The Royal Flying Corps, Military Wing, possesses twenty-nine aeroplanes and the Central Flying School twenty-six; of these twenty-six and nineteen, respectively, are in flying order. With regard to the last part of the question I do not think it is desirable to make public the qualities in speed or otherwise of our aeroplanes for use in war.

asked the President of the Board of Education the total amount of Grants in the years ending July, 1911 and 1912, respectively, made by the Board to secondary schools; the total cost to local education authorities; and the total cost of the maintenance of such State-aided schools for the same period?

The Grants paid by the Board for Secondary Schools within the periods named were £646,760 and £656,620, respectively. Each of these sums represents Grants paid in respect of the previous school year. With reference to the second part of the question, I cannot give the figures for the periods named, but the expenditure by local education authorities, excluding loan charges and contributions by one authority to another, for the year ending the 31st March, 1911, was £1,265,941. The figures for the last year are not yet available. We have no complete returns on a uniform basis to show the expenditure incurred in the maintenance of secondary schools not maintained by the local authorities.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, having regard to Section 17, Sub-section 3 (6), of the Education Act, 1902, the Board give any, and, if so, what encouragement to the nomination of persons actively engaged in teaching as members of local education committees?

Under the Section referred to, appointments to education committees are made by the local education authorities, and so long as the requirements of the Section are carried out I do not think it would be advisable for me to make representations as to what persons should be appointed.

asked the Home Secretary for the names of the members of the various Immigration Boards?

There are fourteen Immigration Boards, each with from twelve to twenty members. I scarcely think it would be desirable to incur the expense and trouble of collecting and printing the individual names unless my hon. Friend has some strong reason for desiring these particulars.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has inquired into the case of H. Taylor, of Worcester, who has been confined to Powick Lunatic Asylum; and, if so, whether he is satisfied with the result of those inquiries?

I am satisfied from inquiries which I have made into this case through the Lunacy Commissioners that this patient was properly admitted into the asylum. The discharge of a patient is a matter entirely for the Visiting Committee of the Asylum, and I have no power to interfere with their discretion.

asked how many males and females under the age of 19 were, in the first six months of 1912, committed to prison in England and Wales in default of payment of fines; and in how many of those cases the fine was 10s. or less?

No statistics giving the details mentioned in the question are available, and they could only be obtained by the individual examination of many thousands of records at the various prisons entailing more work on the prison officials than the results to be obtained would seem to justify.

asked the Home Secretary why no criminal proceedings have been instituted against any of the persons implicated in the Report of Detective-Inspector Kane on his special business in Ireland in 1907?

This question should be addressed to the Chief Secretary for Ireland.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has considered the references in the last issued Report of the Chief Inspector of Factories to the danger and frequent accidents to boys in iron foundries carrying molten metal; and whether he will make a special Order under the Factory Acts to regulate this labour and diminish the numerous accidents at present occurring?

The whole question of accidents in foundries, including the point referred to by my hon. Friend, is now being considered at conferences between the Department and the representatives of the employers and workmen. Until the conferences are completed, I cannot say what action may require to be taken by the Department.

asked the Secretary for the Colonies whether he can state the terms upon which the action brought by Messrs. Aird and Son, Limited, against the Tanjong Pagar Dock Company has been settled?

The action has been settled on the terms that the Board pay to Messrs. Aird and Company the sum of £325,000 in full settlement of all claims. All plant, material and buildings connected with the work become the property of the Board and all outstanding certificates for work done by Messrs. Aird and Company are cancelled; each party to bear its own costs in the actions.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India (1) if the Report of the Government of India and the Government of Burma upon the case of Mr. Channing Arnold, imprisoned by order of a Burmese Court, has been received; if so, what action, if any, His Majesty's Govenment propose to take in the matter; and (2) whether he is aware that Mr. Hamlyn, Mr. Channing Arnold's counsel, has now arrived in London from Burma and is awaiting instructions from his London solicitors, with a view to asking for special leave to appeal to the Privy Council against the decision of the Burmese Court committing Mr. Arnold to prison; and whether, pending the raising of a sufficient fund among Mr. Arnold's friends in India to enable him to prosecute his appeal, steps will be taken to obtain his release on bail?

The Secretary of State has received a telegraphic report, and is aware that Mr. Arnold's counsel has arrived in London. But he does not know whether an application to the Privy Council will be made or not, and until this is settled he must defer any action.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that in a Report recently issued by the Department on isolation hospitals, by Dr. H. Franklin Parsons, the doctor states that there is no near prospect that local authorities will find it unnecessary to be provided with hospital accommodation for the isolation of infectious diseases other than small-pox, though the scale on which such accommodation may be needed will vary in different districts; whether he agrees with the view therein expressed; and, if so, why he considers there is a near prospect of further hospital accommodation for the isolation of small-pox being unnecessary?

The paragraph in Dr. Parsons' Report to which reference is made is one dealing with the case of hospitals for diseases other than small-pox. The following paragraph deals with the question of small-pox hospitals, and there is no suggestion in it that small-pox hospitals are as yet unnecessary.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the average price of wheat in Germany for each of the years 1006 to 1911 as compared with the average import price in the United Kingdom and the price of British Wheat in the United Kingdom for the same years; and what was the wheat duty in force in Germany in the same years?

The information asked for is given in the following table:—

asked the Postmaster-General in what way the case of the late J. R. J. Smith, postal employé, who was lost in the "Titanic" disaster, differs from that of private employés, and if in their case compensation has been paid under the Workmen's Compensation Act; and whether the Post Office intend to deal as generously with the dependents of men who lose their lives whilst in their service as do private employers?

I am advised that the late Mr. Smith did not come within the limited class of persons to whom the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1906, applies in the case of accidents happening outside the United Kingdom. I am not aware whether any payments have been made by private employers in similar circumstances.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that, under the National Telephone Company, fitters, if away in the country and unable to get home for dinner, were allowed 1s. extra allowance, and also 6d. extra as an allowance for tea if away in the country after six o'clock in the evening, and that, now that the Government have taken over the telephones, neither of these allowances are made; and whether he could see his way to give the same allowances as under the National Telephone Company?

Under a recent decision these officers will receive subsistence allowance at the rates recommended for the maintenance staff by the Select Committee of 1906–7, which, while differing in several respects from those paid by the National Telephone Company, are on the whole as advantageous to the staff.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been directed to the speech of Lord Lucas, in which he asserted that an enormous number of diseased animals was exported in July from Ireland to England; whether several sporadic outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease occurred in England before it appeared in Ireland; whether the greater number of English outbreaks had any connection with live stock imports from Ireland; whether the alleged later cases were found to be non-infectious stomatitis, or dirty tongue, or actinomycosis; and whether any recent case of any disease has been discovered in imported Irish live stock?

I am in communication with my Noble Friend with regard to the speech to which the hon. Member refers, but from a condensed report of the speech which I have seen I have no doubt that his reference was to last June, not July, when over 60,000 animals, which had been in contact with Irish cattle affected with foot-and-mouth disease in Stanley Market, Liverpool, were dispersed throughout this country. One outbreak occurred in England last year prior to the discovery of foot-and-mouth disease in Ireland, and out of a total of eighty-three outbreaks forty-two were traced to animals brought from Ireland, and thirteen other outbreaks were attributed to the spread of infection from centres of disease caused by the introduction of those animals. No cases diagnosed as foot-and-mouth disease by the Board's veterinary officers have been found to be any of the diseases named in the fourth part of the question, but recently some animals showing symptoms which gave rise to suspicion have on investigation been found to be affected with those diseases. Stomatitis and sheep-scab have recently been found among live stock imported from Ireland.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the fact that owing to the new regulations to be issued by his Department regulating the movements of Irish cattle and sheep in this country these animals cannot be shown for sale at any market in Great Britain until a period of twenty-one days' supervision shall have intervened, he will recommend the reconsideration of this Order and allow animals showing a clean bill of health to be marketed immediately after the quarantine period of twelve hours at the port of debarkation has expired?

As I explained in answer to questions on this subject on Tuesday last, the requirement of twenty-one days' suppervision is only a temporary precaution, which I hope will soon be unnecessary.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture when he proposes to relax the restrictions on the importation of Irish hay and straw into England and Wales; and whether he will cause inquiry to be made as to the fact that no case of foot-and-mouth disease occurred in county Longford, so as to allow the hay export trade to be immediately resumed from that district?

Perhaps the hon.' Member will be good enough to repeat his question next Thursday, when, as I informed other hon. Members who addressed questions to me on this subject last week, I hope to be in a position to announce when a relaxation of the present restrictions upon the importation of Irish hay and straw into Great Britain can take effect.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the fact that the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Ireland has been traced to the use of foreign hay and straw which came into the country as packing material, and in order to protect the country against the enormous loss which an outbreak of this disease entails, he will take steps to appoint a Departmental Committee to inquire as to whether, or how far, wood-wool as a packing material could be successfully used as a substitute for hay and straw, and so eliminate the danger of disease coming into our herds in future?

I am aware that one outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Ireland at The Curragh has been attributed to the cause to which the hon. Member refers. The Departmental Committee which reported last year, having considered the question very carefully, expressed the unanimous opinion that, in view of the general discolation of trade which would be involved, it was impracticable to prohibit the use of foreign hay and straw for packing merchandise consigned to this country, and I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by the appointment of another committee to consider the question.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture how many sheep are annually exported from Ireland, and how many lambs; and if his statement that the period of quarantine will be serviceable to stock for the purpose of feeding and watering applies to sheep and lambs?

The answer to the latter part of the question is in the affirmative. The number of sheep and lambs imported into Great Britain from Ireland in each year from 1908 to 1912 inclusive was as follows:—

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) the number of cattle, sheep, and pigs exported from the ports of Cork, Waterford, Limerick, and Dublin, respectively, during the past twelve months?

The numbers are:—

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that a gentleman, by name Mr. J. D. Scott, has lately been appointed as inspector at the Scotch Board of Agriculture; whether his age fifty-five, if so whether this is fifteen beyond the xtreme age limit such instment; and Whether he will be ntitled to a pension at the age of sixty?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Mr. Scott is fifty-six. There is no limit of age such as the hon. Member refers to, and in making the first appointments it has been necessary to make some appointments of men of experience older than may subsequently be necessary. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as-representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he has yet been able to consult the Treasury and the Commissioners of Woods as to reprinting the correspondence which was laid before Parliament in 1883 relating to the reserved areas in Regent's Park, and adding to it any recent correspondence with the Office of Works on the subject of these reserved areas, and giving the term of any leases which have been renewed or granted affecting those reserved areas?

The correspondence in the Office of Works is being-collected, and as soon as this has been completely done, the Office of Woods and the Treasury will be consulted at once as to the publication.