asked the Postmaster-General the actual sum paid for services under the National Insurance Act for the first quarter to the postmasters at each of the following places: Irvinestown, Kesh, Belleek, county Fermanagh, and Crossmolina and Belmullet, county Mayo; will he state the number of insurance cards issued and the value of insurance cards sold at Irvinestown and Crossmolina, respectively; and, in addition to their other duties, are the postmasters at these places obliged to stamp the cards of the postmen and other employés of their respective post offices?

The payments made for cards and the other figures asked for are given below:—

Office.	Payment for Cards Issued in First Quarter.		No. of Cards Issued in First Quarter.	Value of Insurance Stamps Sold in First Quarter.
				Health.			Unemploym't
	s.	d.		£	s.	d.
Irvinestown.	1	1½	27	12	6	4½	Nil
Crossmolina.	3	1½	75	13	6	11½	Nil
Kesh,Belleek and Belmullet	1s. in each case.

The sub-postmasters are required to affix the stamps to the cards of insured persons employed at their offices, but the number of such persons does not exceed five in any of these offices. It must be clearly understood that the sums stated above are not the total remuneration payable to the sub-postmasters for the services under the National Insurance Act during the first quarter. As I informed the hon. Member on the 6th instant, it has not yet been possible to fix a rate of payment for the work of stocking and selling insurance stamps.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether workmen's halls and institutes, not run for profit and maintained by the subscriptions of working men, are liable for Income Tax; and, if so, whether he will take steps to exempt such philanthropic institutions from the payment of rates and taxes?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the second part I do not see that there is adequate ground for affording the exemption suggested.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury the amount paid in old age pensions in 1912 at the post offices of Clifden, county Galway, and Belmullet, county Mayo, respectively; and what was the remuneration of the postmasters at each of these offices for the old age pension work?

The amounts paid in old age pensions at the two offices in 1912 were £1,846 15s. at Clifden and £1,519 at Belmullet. The sub-postmaster of Belmullet was paid £11 2s. for the work of paying old age pensions in 1912, but Clifden is a salaried sub-office, where the staff is in the direct employment of the Postmaster-General, and no part of the sub-postmaster's salary is specially earmarked as payment for work and responsibility in connection with old age pensions.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Local Government Board have now before them the claims for old age pensions of Cornelius and Mary Sheehan, of Inchamore, Coolea, in the Macroom (No. 2) district; whether Cornelius Sheehan was awarded the full pension in 1909, after complete and full inquiry into his circumstances by the pension officer, who reported that he was satisfied that the means of this claimant did not exceed £21 per annum; whether there has been any change in the circumstances of the claimant, and, if not, whether any grounds exist for revising the matter; whether Mary Sheehan recently had her claim for the full pension allowed on the report of the pension officer that her means did not exceed the statutory limit; whether this same officer now reports that her means do exceed the specified limit; whether the pensions committee have unanimously granted the pensions in both cases; and will the Local Government Board, if necessary, and having regard to the contradictions of the pension officers, grant an independent inquiry and investigation into these cases?

These two cases are at present under consideration by the Local Government Board, and will not be decided until the Board have inquired fully into all the circumstances.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland on what grounds the old age pension was refused to Mary M'Carthy, of Ardagh, county Limerick, by the Local Government Board; whether he is aware that, on the 23rd November, 1862, she was married, as the certificate from the register of the parish church proves, and that her statement is that she was over twenty-one years at that time; that she is now lodging in a labourer's cottage and has no means of support; and whether, under these circumstances, he will direct that the pension officer again inquires into her case with the view of giving her the pension?

Mary M'Carthy's claim was disallowed by the Local Government Board in June last on appeal on the ground that the evidence submitted was insufficient to show that she was seventy years of age. She was married on the date mentioned in the question, but there is no corroboration of her statement as to her age at that time. Another claim made by her is now under consideration.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland), to state what is the annual expenditure on the agricultural school at Clonakilty; what is the amount of the receipts per annum; how many schools of a similar character are there in Ireland; and in what counties are they situate?

The gross annual expenditure on the agricultural school at Clonakilty, including the cost of agricultural experimental work carried on there, has averaged £3,786 during the past three financial years. The average annual receipts during the same period amounted to £2,365, leaving a net average annual expenditure of £1,421. The only other agricultural school conducted on the same lines as the Clonakilty institution is that situated at Ballyhaise, county Cavan.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, seeing that many teachers in Ireland of large families and limited incomes were penalised much by the operation of the maternity rule while in operation, and seeing that this rule, owing to its harshness, had to be withdrawn, he will consider the advisability of refunding to those teachers who suffered under it the amounts they were compelled to pay?

As I have already stated, the Irish Government are in communication with the Treasury on the subject.

asked why the Estates Commissioners have refused to reinstate William Lewis upon the farm of about seventeen acres from which he was evicted on the Bagenal estate, county Carlow, or to give a holding in lieu of it?

The Estates Commissioners received an application from William Lewis for reinstatement in a plot of four acres on the Bagenal estate, county Carlow, formerly occupied by his mother, and now in the occupation of other tenants, and, after inquiry and consideration, decided not to take any action in the matter.

asked the Chief Secretary of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the resolution of the Boyle (No. 1) District Council, calling attention to the dangerous flooding of the Boyle River during the winter months, the flooding having become specially noticeable since the large drainage operations were carried out by the Congested Districts Board on the Dillon and De Freyne estates, bordering on Lough Gara, stating that previous to these operations the water at the outlet of Lough Gara into Boyle River would not rise for a couple of days, that now they rise in a few hours and come down with a rush, covering the lands of adjoining farmers and interrupting several public roads, and stating that the public road at the rear of Main Street is entirely cut off by the floods, the road at Drum is seriously flooded, and hundreds of acres of lands at Lough Key and Tawnyaskin and neighbouring townlands are injuriously affected, and calling upon the Congested Districts Board to take steps immediately to have this grievance remedied and to send down a competent engineer to inspect and report on the matters complained of; and will he say what action it is proposed to take in the matter?

My attention has been called to the resolution of the Boyle -District Council. The Congested Districts Board have satisfied themselves upon competent engineering advice that the drainage operations carried out by them are not the cause of the flooding referred to.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether a number of torpedo boats belonging to the torpedo-boat flotilla at Gibraltar are very old and worn out; if so, whether he will state the number of years these boats have been launched; and when the Admiralty propose to station an efficient torpedo-boat flotilla at Gibraltar?

The torpedo-boat flotilla at Gibraltar is composed of one 130-ft. boat, launched twenty-three years ago, and ten 140-ft. boats, launched from seventeen to nineteen years ago. These vessels are still capable of efficient service for the purpose for which they are required.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Thomas Marius, aged twenty, who was sentenced by Mr. Denman, at Marlborough Street Police Court, to three months' hard labour and deportation at the end of the three months for living on the improper earnings of a woman; and, if not, whether he will make some inquiry into the case in view of the small amount of evidence which is stated to have been brought forward?

I have consulted the magistrate and had before me the notes of the evidence given in the case. The evidence appears to me to afford ample justification for the conviction and recommendation of expulsion. I may observe that the prisoner, who, I am informed, was defended by counsel on the instructions of a solicitor, did not appeal against the conviction.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet come to a decision upon the recommendations of the Departmental Committee on the Constitution of the Isle of Man; and, if so, whether he will state what his decision is?

I had hoped that a decision would be reached before the close of 1912, but this was not found possible, and the important recommendations of the Committee are still under the consideration both of my Department and the Treasury.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if the profit on the coinage of silver at the Indian mints is reckoned at the time the coins are struck or at the time they pass into circulation?

The profit is reckoned at the time when the coins are struck, subject to any small adjustments that may be necessary when the mint accounts for the year are made up.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is 'aware that many persons (husbands of families) migrated to Australia last year on the understanding that they would be able to nominate their wives and children for sums of £6 and £3 (for children under twelve years of age), respectively; that these rates are now advanced to £8 and £4, respectively, causing a certain amount of distress both to the emigrants themselves and to their families at the prospect of longer separation than would have been the case had the old rates been adhered to; whether he will see that the Emigrants' Information Office is kept more up to date with information so that difficulties of this kind may be avoided; and will he represent to the Australian States the advisability of maintaining these passage rates at a fixed figure for, at any rate, the space of one year?

It is the case that in consequence of increases in the charges made by the shipping companies as from the 1st January some of the Australian States have found it necessary to increase the rates for nominated passages as indicated in the hon. Member's question. No question arises in this connection as to the information supplied by the Emigrants' Information Office not being up to date. The information regarding these rates contained in the Emigrants' Information Office Quarterly Circular of the 1st of January, 1913, is correct. In the circumstances, the matter does not appear to call for a representation in the sense suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he can give the figures showing the number of ordinary indoor and outdoor paupers in London for the years 1900, 1901, 1911, and 1912, respectively; will he also give the percentage of the growth of population in London from 1900–12; and can he offer any explanation how it is that, in spite of the public moneys expended on emigration, old age pensions, feeding of school children, distress committees, and Labour Exchanges since 1900, the volume and cost of London pauperism has so largely increased?

The figures asked for are given in the table below, together with corresponding figures for the years 1905 and 1906. During the intercensual period 1901–1911 the population of London fell by 0.3 per cent. The population in the middle of the year 1912 is estimated to be slightly greater than that in the middle of 1900. None of the additional forms of assistance referred to by the hon. Member were in operation before the end of the year 1905, and there has actually been a reduction since then in both the volume and the cost of London pauperism:—

Date.		Indoor Paupers (excluding Insane and Casuals).	Outdoor Paupers (excluding Insane and Casuals).
1st January, 1900	…	62,314	40,244
1st January, 1901	…	60,711	39,831
1st January, 1905	…	69,808	52,683
1st January, 1906	…	71,780	50,773
1st January, 1911	…	73,088	41,461
1st January, 1912	…	70,870	33,930

asked the President of the Board of Trade what were the values of the exports of manufactured goods in the year 1912 to Germany, France, Russia, Belgium, United States, Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, and the Indian Empire, and the populations of the same?

Information with regard to the value of the exports of manufactures to individual countries is not yet available. It will be published in the ordinary course in Volume II. of the Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom for 1912.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the fact that samples sent by parcels post from Japan to this country can be, and are, sent viâ the Siberian Railway, while samples sent by parcels post from this country to Japan cannot travel by that route, but have to be sent round by the ocean route; what are the average times of transit between London and Yokohama viâ the Siberian Railway and viâ the ocean route, respectively; what is the difference of time between them; whether representations have been made to him that this discrimination as to route operates to the disadvantage of British trade; and whether he will take steps to secure that samples sent by parcels post from this country to Japan may be sent viâ the Siberian Railway in the same way and under the same conditions as samples sent by parcels post from Japan to this country?

The hon. Member appears to be under a misapprehension, as samples sent by parcels post have for several years been forwarded to Japan from this country by the Siberian route. The time of transit is about twenty-five days—approximately the same as by the route of Vancouver, but the service viâ Vancouver is less frequent.

asked the Postmaster-General, if engineers in the electric lighting department are paid overtime rates in accordance with the conditions accepted and generally observed by the employers and employed; and if they are paid for Sundays and Christmas Day in accordance with such conditions, namely, are thus paid one and a-quarter time for the first two hours, one and a-half for time after that excepting the days mentioned, and that for those are they paid at the rate of double time?

The hon. Member presumably refers to the minor grades of the electric light staff, i.e.,shift officers, circuitmen, enginemen, etc. Such men receive overtime pay at rate and a quarter on week days, and rate and a half for duty in excess of the scheduled attendance on Sundays. Scheduled duty on Sunday is not specially remunerated, as the Post Office scale of pay covers 50½ hours' scheduled attendance on any six days out of the seven. A few men in London, originally employed under factory conditions, retain the privilege of payment for overtime at rate and a quarter for the first two hours, and then at rate and a half, with double rate for duty in excess of the scheduled attendance on Sundays. Extra duty performed on Christmas Day is paid for at Sunday extra duty rates.

asked the President, of the Board of Agriculture whether his Department have abandoned every effort or hope of recovering for the public the village play-green and chalk-pit recently enclosed at Redenham, near Andover; or whether his Department propose to hold a public inquiry into the subject with a view of restoring the rights of the villagers?

The Board have inquired into the circumstances of the case to which the hon. Member refers, but no evidence has been found which would justify them in taking any action with regard to it.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture what is the number of small holders on each of the following farms purchased by the Wiltshire County Council: Mount Sorrel farm, Broad Chalke; Littlecott glebe, Enfold; Avon farm, Foxham; Foxham (late Cowley); Froxfield; Keevil (late Hunt); Keevil (Manor); Tanner's Lane farm, Madding-ton;; Dynham Lane farm, North Bradley; I Little Common farm, North Bradley; Barley Hill farm, Poulshot; Trowbridge; Grove farm, Startley; Wanborough (Hinton); Box; Forest farm, Melksham; Barrow End farm, Lyneham; Chelworth (Cricklade); Aldbourne (Westfield); and Manor farm, Pitton and Farley?

presented the following Return:—

Number of Farm.		Name of Farm, Parish, etc.	Number of Small Holders.
1	…	Mount Sorrel Farm, Broad Chalke	5
2	…	Littlecott Glebe, Enford	6
3	…	Avon Farm, Foxham	7
4	…	Foxham (late Cowley)	2
5	…	Froxfield	2
6	…	Keevil (late Hunt)	2
7	…	Keevil (Manor)	1
8	…	Tanner's Lane Farm, Maddington	13
9	…	Dynham Lane Farm, North Bradley	1
10	…	Little Common Farm, North Bradley	4
11	…	Barley Hill Farm, Poulshot	1
12	…	Trowbridge	1
13	…	Grove Farm, Startley	4
14	…	Wanborough (Hinton)	3
15	…	Box	1
16	…	Forest Farm, Melksham	4
17	…	Barrow End Farm, Lyneham	4
18	…	Chelworth (Cricklade)	1
19	…	Aldbourne (Westfield)	4
20	…	Manor Farm (Pitton and Farley)	6

asked the President of the Board of Trade the weight of fish delivered in Grimsby and Aberdeen, respectively, during the years 1911 and 1912?

presented the following figures showing the quantity of wet fish and shell fish returned as having been landed at Grimsby by British fishing vessels in 1911 and 1912:—

	Wet Fish.	Shell Fish.
		Crabs.	Lobsters.	Oysters.	Other Shell Fish.
	Cwts.	No.	No.	No.	Cwts.
1911	3,802,583	380,480	246	164,060	2,252
1912	3,514,789	435,030	166	210,626	5,353

NOTE.—The figures for 1912 are subject to revision.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture the number of visits to foreign ports paid during the year 1912 by the inspector specially appointed for the purpose of supervising the decrepit horse traffic, and the number of visits paid during the same period by other inspectors of the Board, stating in each case the rank of such inspectors?

During the year 1912 Mr. Revill, the veterinary inspector on the establishment of the Board, who was specially appointed to supervise the export of horses, made four voyages to the Continent, two other established inspectors each made one voyage, and one non-established local veterinary inspector of the Board made three voyages. I may add that, owing to the epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease, all the veterinary officers of the Board were working under great pressure during the latter half of the year, and for this reason the number of voyages of the kind to which my hon. Friend refers was less than it would otherwise have been.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he has had any further reports of disease being found on cattle, sheep, or pigs imported into this country from Ireland; and, if so, what are they, and the number of cases?

Stomatitis was found last week on a farm in Kirkcudbrightshire among cattle which had been landed at Birkenhead from Ireland. No other cases of disease of any kind have been found among Irish animals landed in Great Britain since the 4th December, when the hon. Member last asked a question on this subject.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has received a communication from the Northwich Union asking him to pass the Mental Deficiency Bill into law without delay; and, if so, what action he proposes to take in the matter?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on December 2nd last to the hon. Member for the Exchange Division of Liverpool.