asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether a deposit contributor who has received treatment in a sanatorium, and is discharged from there owing to his or her condition being unsuitable for further treatment in the sanatorium, is entitled to receive any other kind of medical relief in his or her home?

Yes, Sir. A deposit contributor discharged from a sanatorium in the circumstances mentioned would be eligible for sanatorium benefit at home, including medical treatment and the supply of medicines and other articles ancillary to such treatment. He would also draw sickness benefit from the money standing to his account.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the system of recruiting assistant clerks has failed to attract sufficient candidates on account of the low wages and poor prospects, inasmuch as it has been found necessary to engage temporary clerks through the medium of the Labour Exchanges in certain departments of the Post Office; and, if so, whether steps are being taken to make the class attractive to suitable candidates?

The answer is in the negative. Owing to the exceptionally heavy demands of the public service the number of assistant clerks required in 1912 was nearly double the number required in 1911, which was itself an increase on former years. Though the number of candidates in the last two years has also considerably increased, it was not sufficient in 1912 to meet the above exceptional demands, and recourse had therefore to be made, temporarily, to other sources. The examination for assistant clerks was in all these years a limited competition restricted to boy clerks or ex-boy clerks, and not a competition open to all comers.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that Mrs. Johanna Murphy made an application at the Aherla post office last September for an old age pension, filling up the usual form and showing her certificate of birth that she was seventy years of age on the 1st January, 1913, whether she was informed in the first week of February, 1913, by the clerk of the Bandon (No. 1) pension sub-committee that the committee did not meet until the last Monday in January, and that she was granted pension allowance from that date; will Mrs. Murphy be deprived of her pension for four weeks from 1st January owing to the failure of the committee to meet; and, if not, what steps must be taken to recover the amount properly due to her?

I am making inquiries in this matter, and will communicate with the hon. Member in due course.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Local Government Board will reconsider the claim of Pat Cunningham, Caherlistrane, county Galway, to an old age pension, seeing that his former holding was transferred by him to his son on his marriage early in 1908, and that since then he has been entirely without means of his own?

It is not open to the Local Government Board to reconsider their decision with regard to Pat Cunningham's claim for pension.

asked the Chief Secretary why Mrs. Kelly, of Killeen, Tynagh, county Galway, Portumna union, was deprived of her old age pension which she had been receiving for some months; and whether he will see that it be restored to her?

So far as the records of the Local Government Board show, this woman does not appear ever to have been in receipt of an old age pension. Claims made by her were disallowed by the Board on appeal in March, 1912, and on the 15th ultimo, respectively, on the ground that her means exceeded the statutory limit. The farm owned by her late husband, and on which she is at present maintained, comprises over thirty acres and carried thirteen head of cattle, in addition to pigs, sheep and fowl.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what is the present position with regard to the purchase by the Congested Districts Board of the Blake estate, Kilgeorin, parish of Milltown, county Galway?

The Congested Districts Board have purchased Mr. James Lynch's fee simple interest in the lands of Kilgeverin, of which Mr. Blake has a lease in perpetuity. The Board have no power to acquire the lands compulsorily from Mr. Blake, as they are held under lease.

asked on what grounds the Estates Commissioners, who bought the Dangan estate, Killererin, Galway, three years ago, sold to Mr. C. Phibbs the farm of 177 acres on the estate which he held under a lease of thirty-two years, subject to renewal every seven years, and with no right to sub-let or set in conacre, while on the same property there were seventeen tenants with an average acreage of seven.

The Estates Commissioners inform me that Charles Phibbs was tenant of the lands under a lease for thirty-five years from 1st May, 1898, and, as such, was entitled to purchase his holding under the Land Purchase Acts, and it was vested in him in accordance with the provisions of those Acts.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that, on the sale of the Purcell estate at Graigue, Shanballymore, county Cork, some years ago, the farm known as the Great House, from which a tenant named Lyons had been formerly evicted, was not then tenanted and was in the landlord's hands; whether he is aware that a man named Fiddler was returned fictitiously as being in occupation and that the estate bailiff has now become the purchasing tenant; whether the attention of the Estates Commissioners has been called to these facts; and what has become of the application for the reinstatement of Lyons?

The Estates Commissioners received an application from Michael Lyons for reinstatement in a holding formerly occupied by him on the Purcell estate, county Cork, and, after inquiry and consideration, decided to take no action in the matter of his application. Charles O'Neill, as tenant in occupation, signed an agreement to purchase the holding from the landlord under the Land Purchase Acts, and it was vested in him by the Commissioners in October, 1911.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland when the Barry estate at Ballyadock, Mitchelstown, county Cork, was purchased; what is the reason for its not being vested in the tenants as adjoining estates purchased long after it have been; and will the landlord be paid in cash or stock, or can any hope be held out as to what date the purchase will be completed?

This estate is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the owner to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and the purchase agreements entered into between the parties were lodged in March, 1908. The estate will be dealt with in order of priority on the principal register of direct sales (all cash), but having regard to the claims of other estates, the Commissioners are not at present in a position to say when it will be reached. The other estates referred to by the hon. Member are presumably cases in which the vendors elected to take payment either partly or wholly in stock.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he has received intelligence with regard to a case of cattle driving at Ballyconoy, near Listowel, on the 6th instant; whether he is aware that thirty-six head of cattle were driven a distance of five miles, the property of Mr. Eyre Stack; whether any reason has been assigned for the outrage; and whether the police have made any arrests?

The police inform me that on the 2nd instant thirty-five head of cattle, the property of Mr. A. M. Stack, were driven off a farm at Ballyconny. The cattle were eventually recovered uninjured by the herd about five miles from the farm. The police are pursuing their inquiries, but so far no arrests have yet been made. The motive for the occurrence is a matter of opinion.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he has considered the claim which owners of stock have for public compensation for the detention of their stock at Irish ports during the past season, none of which were even suspected of being affected with disease; and whether, having regard to the fact that the consequent loss from deterioration meant ruin to some owners, and that in many cases the unnecessary detention was brought about by an arbitrary official Order from this side, he will take steps for the provision of adequate compensation?

There is no power under the Diseases of Animals Acts to entertain claims for compensation in respect of losses said to be sustained in consequence of restrictions imposed under those Acts.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he has received any complaints as to the manner in which Irish cattle detained at Birkenhead are treated, bulls, dairy cows, and all other classes of cattle being turned out and landed together on disembarkation; whether he is aware that, owing to the want of electric light, cattle disembarked after sunset are detained till next day for inspection, involving practically an additional day's detention; whether he is aware that cattle while detained under these conditions are frequently gored by one another and maimed, and sometimes killed; and, seeing that the result, instead of securing rest and refreshment for the cattle, results in cruelty to them as well as substantial depreciation in value, whether any steps are being taken to remedy this state of things?

With regard to the first, third and fourth parts of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to questions on this subject addressed to me by the hon. Member for the St. Patrick's Division of Dublin on Thursday last. With regard to the second part of the question, I have already arranged for the Board's inspectors to be provided with electric handlights, which will enable the inspection of animals to be carried on after sunset, when necessary.

further asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the inequality in the working of the twelve hours' detention regulation on cattle coining from different parts of Ireland—e.g., cattle shipped from Dublin to Holyhead, sea journey five hours, with added detention seventeen hours; cattle shipped from Dublin to Liverpool, sea journey ten hours, with added detention twenty-two hours; cattle shipped from Cork to Liverpool, sea journey twenty-two hours, with added detention thirty-four hours; cattle shipped from Dublin to Glasgow, sea journey thirteen hours, with added detention twenty-five hours; cattle shipped from Cork to Glasgow, sea journey thirty hours, with added detention forty-two hours; will he say what necessity exists for any detention in such a case as the last, seeing that the period of the sea journey is more than the combined journey and detention in the case of shipments from Dublin to Holyhead; and whether he is aware that this differentiation is against districts in Ireland in the South and West which have been entirely free from disease?

I am aware that the time occupied in the transit of animals from Ireland to Great Britain varies widely in proportion to the length of the voyage between the several ports of embarkation and landing. The Order of the Board prescribes twelve hours' detention at the landing-place in all cases, in order that the animals may be inspected, rested, fed, and watered, and I am not prepared at present to reduce the period. I may add that according to my information the twelve hours' rest is proving especially beneficial in the case of animals which have been many hours at sea.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if the Report of Admiral Sir Reginald Custance's Committee on the Osborne and Dartmouth systems of education can be laid upon the Table?

The Report will be laid shortly.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) how many armoured cruisers, protected cruisers, and unprotected cruisers it is possible for Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary to have on 1st April, 1913, 1st April, 1914, and 1st April, 1915; what are their names; (2) how many torpedo-boat destroyers it is possible for Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary to have on 1st April, 1913, 1st April, 1914, and 1st April, 1915; what are their names; and (3) how many armoured cruisers, protected cruisers, unprotected cruisers and torpedo-boat destroyers it is possible for Great Britain and Germany to have in home waters on 1st April, 1913, 1st April, 1914, and 1st April, 1915; what are their names; how many will be in full commission; and how many will be manned by nucleus crews and skeleton crews?

The Noble Lord will find much of the information he desires in the Dickinson Return, Parliamentary Paper 127 of Session 1912, and also in the current Navy List. I am not prepared at the present time to enter into the detailed and highly speculative comparisons for which the Noble Lord asks, and I do not desire to add to the very full information which is supplied in the regular course to Parliament.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the rates of pay for subalterns in the Royal Marine forces; and whether it is intended to increase the pay of those subalterns promoted from the ranks, and, if so, by what amounts?

The rates of pay of subalterns of the Royal Marine forces are:—

(1) Existing Marine Officers.
	Year of 355 days.				One day.
	£	s	d.		s.	d.
Lieutenant, R.M.A.
After three years' seniority from date of entry	135	7	1	…	7	5
Under three years' seniority from date of entry	115	11	8	…	6	4
Lieutenant, R.M.L.I.
After three years' seniority from date of entry	127	15	0	…	7	0
Under three years' seniority from date of entry	107	19	7	…	5	11
(2) Officers entered as Cadets.
Lieutenant after four years from date of receiving rate of 10s. a day	200	15	0	…	11	0
Lieutenant R.M. on completion of training in military subjects, or four or eight months later, according to whether a first, second, or third class certificate has been obtained	182	10	0	…	10	0
Sub-Lieutenant R.N. on joining R.M. for training in military subjects	136	17	6	…	7	6

(3) Officers entered direct.
	Year of 365 days.				One day.
	£	s.	d.		s.	d.
Lieutenant after four years from receiving rate of 10s. a day	200	15	0	…	11	0
Lieutenant on passing final examination in naval subjects. This rate to be granted at once to officers who obtain first class certificates in both naval and military subjects, each second class certificate to entail postponement of this rate for three months, and each third class for six months	182	10	0	…	10	0
Lieutenant on passing final examination in military subjects, or three or six months later, according to whether a first, second, or third class certificate has been obtained	136	17	6	…	7	6
Probationary Second Lieutenant after two years, subject to passing in practical naval subjects	109	10	0	…	6	0
Probationary, after completing course at Greenwich	91	5	0	…	5	0
Probationary, on entry	54	15	0	…	3	0

Subalterns promoted from the ranks will receive 10s. a day on becoming Second Lieutenants, and thereafter their pay will be at the same rates as that of officers entered direct. The question of an improved "afloat" scale for existing Marine officers is under consideration.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what were the respective establishments of all ranks authorised by Parliament for the personnel of the Navy (including the Naval Reserve and Marines) for each of the years 1900 to 1912, inclusive; and what were the amounts authorised by Parliament to be expended on such establishments in each year and the amounts actually spent?

The particulars asked for are as follows: Numbers autho- rised for the personnel of the Navy (including the Naval Reserves and Marines) with the estimated and actual expenditure in respect of these numbers in each of the years 1900–1 to 1912–13:—

Year.		Numbers authorised.	Estimated expenditure.	Actual expenditure.
			£	£
1900–01	…	148,680	5,988,890	5,919,119
1901–02	…	154,575	6,258,334	6,258,297
1902–03	…	160,780	6,467,703	6,558,471
1903–04	…	167,950	6,855,712	6,890,809
1904–05	…	185,705	7,367,895	7,438,358
1905–06	…	182,705	7,344,253	7,473,159
1906–07	…	181,150	7,497,292	7,671,552
1907–08	…	180,836	7,542,728	7,632,121
1908–09	…	177,834	7,745,888	7,772,615
1909–10	…	178,159	7,849,878	7,858,036
1910–11	…	181,115	7,979,515	7,957,743
1911–12	…	183,894	8,118,127	8,092,570
1912–13	…	189,361	8,345,110	8,345,110
				(estimate).

The Reserves include the Royal Naval Reserve, the Royal Fleet Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.In addition to the above, expenditure was incurred to a small extent annually in connection with the Reserve of retired officers and the Auxiliary Royal Naval Sick Berth Reserve, for which Reserves there are no definite establishments of numbers.

asked the Secretary of State for War in what manner, and how often, the secretaries of county associations check the registers of the National Reserve in order to ascertain the number of officers and men on their lists who have become from various causes no longer available for duty on mobilisation, and to ascertain that the same names do not appear on several registers?

Under paragraph 20 of the Regulations recently issued it is provided that the officer carrying out the registration shall ascertain from the National Reservist that he is not already registered elsewhere. Further, the secretary will furnish an annual certificate of the numbers registered in the different classes.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether county associations will be held responsible for the accuracy of the registers of the National Reserve in their respective counties; and whether the figure of 190,000 given by the Government as the strength of the National Reserve on 10th February is based on the information supplied by the registers of the county associations?

The reply to both questions is in the affirmative.

asked the Secretary of State for War how the registration of National Reservists is conducted in Ireland?

The question of the appropriate machinery for the registration of National Reservists in Ireland is still under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of paragraph 5 of the National Reserve Regulations issued with the Special Army Order dated 7th March, 1913, stating that officers of the General Reserve of Officers, Territorial Force Reserve, and Army pensioners are permitted to join on the understanding that the registration of their names in the National Reserve in no way interferes with their existing liability for military service, he will give the number of officers of the General Reserve of Officers and Territorial Force Reserve and the number of Army pensioners who are at present serving in the National Reserve; and if such officers and Territorial Force Reserve and Army pensioners have been excluded in the total strength of the National Reserve?

In reply to the first part of the question, no statistics are available at the War Office. In reply to the second part of the question, the numbers have hitherto presumably been included in the total strength.

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) in view of his statement on 15th January, 1913, that the situation of the National Reservists will be the same as it would be in regard to the Reservists of the Territorial Force or other Reservists, and that the clothing will be in charge of the county associations, and the arms, of course, will be maintained as in the case of the Army Reservists and others, whether, if the clothing will be in charge of county associations and the arms kept at the regimental depôts, it is the intention, in the case of the Territorial units, to use the clothing and arms not now required, owing to the deficiency of 50,000 men in the Territorial Army, for National Reservists who join the Territorial Force, and, if there are any stores of arms and clothing surplus to the full establishment of each Territorial unit, from what stores will the National Reservists who join the Regular Army be equipped; whether there are stores of arms and clothing surplus to the requirements of the Regular Reserve; whether the clothing issued to National Reservists will be new or part-worn clothing; (2) whether the fact that National Reservists can be equipped for service with the Territorial Army is due to the fact that there is a deficiency of upwards of 50,000 men in that force; whether the fact that National Reservists can be equipped for the Regular Reserve is due to the diminution of the Regular Reserve from 139,000 to 106,000 by October, 1913; and (3) whether, if the Territorial Force were up to its full establishment and the Regular Reserve were not about to diminish by upwards of 35,000 men, there would be clothing and equipment available for the National Reserve?

County associations will hold in store sufficient clothing and equipment for the full establishment of the units in their administration, and the National Reservists who fill up vacancies in the Territorial Force will be supplied on mobilisation from this stock; arms will similarly be supplied from ordnance store. As regards the men in Class I, there are ample stocks in ordnance store for such National Reservists as are required on mobilisation. As regards the second question I would point out in the figure 139,000 Section D is included and that in the figure 106,000 Section D (which now amounts to about 31,000) was excluded; it is obvious therefore that there will be no such large reduction as the hon. Gentleman suggests.

asked the Secretary of State for War (1), whether he will give the number of officers and men under forty-two years of age who have joined Class 1 of the National Reserve; (2), whether he will give the number of officers, warrant officers, and serjeants under the age of fifty-three, and the number of rank and file under fifty years of age, who have joined Class 2 of the National Reserve; (3), whether he will give the number who have registered their names in Class 3 of the National Reserve; (4), whether he will give the number of men under forty-two years of age in Class 1, and the number under fifty years of age in Class 2 at present serving in the National Reserve who have previously served in the Regular Army, Militia, Special Reserve, Volunteers, Yeomanry, Territorial Force, Reserve of Regular Army (Sections B and D), Royal Navy, Marines, Royal Irish Constabulary, or are in possession of a war medal, respectively, and whether he will give the same information in respect of Class 3; (5), whether he will give the number of men who have been struck off the register of the Veteran and National Reserves since their formation on 21st May, 1910, and on the 5th August, 1911, respectively, for any of the following causes: found after enrolment to be ineligible, found to belong to the Army Reserve or Special Reserve, misconduct, physical unfitness, death, resignation, emigration, or any other causes; (6), whether he will give the number of officers who have ceased to be available for duty on mobilisation with the National Reserve since its formation in August, 1911; (7), if he will give the number of National Reservists who have consented to serve with the Territorial Army combatant branches on mobilisation?

As regards these questions no statistics are yet available at the War Office. The regulations for carrying out the new scheme were only published on the 7th instant and therefore until they are more generally known no statistics of any real value will be available.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether officers, non-commissioned officers, and men in Classes 1 and 2 are under honourable obligation to serve on mobilisation, whereas officers and men in Class 3 have registered their names on the express understanding that they undertake no obligation on mobilisation of any sort or kind?

The reply is in the affirmative.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Privy Council are likely to arrive at a decision in regard to the validity or otherwise of the election of Mr. G. P. Crill as a jurat of the Royal Court of Jersey; and, if not, whether he can expedite the matter so as to avoid the inconvenience of the vacancy remaining unfilled for a long period?

Tuesday, 22nd April, has been appointed in order to give Mr. Crill the desired opportunity to appear by counsel before the Committee for the Affairs of Jersey and Guernsey. There is no reason to think any acute inconvenience arises from the vacancy not having yet been filled.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Charles Brown, a youth of seventeen, who was sentenced on 6th March at the Central Criminal Court to twenty months' imprisonment with hard labour for robbery with violence; and, if the case is suitable for a Borstal institution, whether he will direct the prisoner to be transferred?

This lad was not considered suitable for a Borstal institution, but under his sentence of imprisonment he is being given modified Borstal treatment in prison.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is intended that at the International Eucharisic (Roman Catholic) Congress in Malta, which is to take place from 24th to 27th April, a British guard, naval or military, should line the route in honour of the same; is he aware that, as part of the proceedings, a grand procession is arranged for Sunday evening, 27th April, at which the Host may be carried; and, if so, will British soldiers or sailors be called upon or expected to salute it?

I have no information regarding the first and second part of the question. As regards the last part of the question, the answer is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, under a system of indentured immigration, the inadequate number of women is frequently the cause of crimes of violence due to marital jealousy; whether he is aware that four men were recently sentenced to death for murder in Fiji under circumstances attributable to this cause; and whether the death sentence was carried out in these cases or was commuted?

My attention has been drawn to the fact that crimes of violence have unfortunately occurred among the Indian population in Fiji owing to causes of the nature suggested by my hon. Friend, and I am in correspondence with the Governor on the subject. As regards the recent murder cases referred to, I am informed by the Governor that the men will be executed, as he sees no grounds for commuting the sentence.

also asked the Secretary for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that in the year 1911 the number of executions following death sentences amounted in Cyprus to one in every 45,000 of the population, in Trinidad to one in 36,000, and in Fiji to one in 23,000; and whether he will cause inquiry to be made into the circumstances which have led to so frequent an infliction of the death penalty in these places?

The answer is in the affirmative. In regard to Fiji I have already addressed the Governor on the subject of the frequency of death sentences. The high percentage in Cyprus for 1911 is well in excess of the average, and it must be obvious to the hon. Member that in dealing with a small population a difference of one in the number of executions will seriously alter the percentage. The figures for Trinidad for 1912 show an improvement, as they are approximately one in 47,000. No special inquiry appears to be called for.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the National Council of Agriculture for Wales constituted last year has met at all since the inaugural meeting; if not, when he proposes to convene it; what business it will then be empowered to deal with, and what financial resources he expects to be able to place at the disposal of Welsh agriculture during the coming financial year; and whether the sub-committees of the said Welsh National Council of Agriculture associated with Bangor and Aberystwyth Colleges, and the counties respectively affiliated thereto, have yet met?

The Council of Agriculture for Wales has not met since the inaugural meeting in November last. It is contemplated that the Council will meet twice a year, and the next meeting will be in May, when it is hoped that the various committees of the Council will be able to submit proposals dealing with agricultural education and the improvement of live stock in Wales. With regard to finance, Wales will get her full share of the available Grants, subject, of course, to compliance with the conditions laid down by the Development Commissioners, but it is impossible to name the total amount at present.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he has the power to impose any limit to the slaughter of calves for veal, in order to mitigate the shortage of cattle in the United Kingdom?

The answer is in the negative. Perhaps I may add that an article fully reviewing this subject was published in the Board's journal for November last, a copy of which I am sending to the hon. Member.

asked what is the total acreage of land acquired for small holdings and the total number of applicants provided with small holdings under the Small Holdings Act for each of the years 1908 to 1912?

The particulars asked for are as follows:—

Year.	Number of acres acquired or agreed to be acquired.	Applicants provided with Small Holdings.
1908	21,653	504
1909 and 1910*	79,255	—
1909	—	2,321
1910	—	2,517
1911	35,615	2,387
1912	30,540	2,463
* NOTE.—Owing to a change in the form of return required by the Board in the year 1910, the number of acres acquired or agreed to be acquired in the years 1909 and 1910 separately cannot be precisely ascertained.

also asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether frequent complaints have been made as to the condition of the floor of the lairages for cattle at Kirklands, Glasgow, which is as smooth as glass, with the result that the cattle detained there have no foothold and frequently fall and injure themselves; and whether any steps are being taken to remedy this grievance?

My attention was recently called to complaints about the slippery condition of the lairage floors at Merklands Wharf. I immediately made inquiries and found that the complaints, though much exaggerated, were to some extent justified, but I am informed that arrangements have been made by the local authority to roughen the concrete so as to provide the animals with a better foothold.

asked the President of the Local Government Board, with regard to the Skipton Parliamentary Division, whether the local authority have fulfilled the duty imposed upon them by the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, and have made an inspection of the dwelling-houses in every urban and rural district since 1st July 1910; whether he will give the records where it has been ascertained that any dwelling-house is in a state so dangerous or injurious to health as to be unfit for human habitation; that the floor of any room habitually used as a sleeping place is more than three feet below the surface of the adjoining street; and of any Order that has been made since 1st July, 1910, to prohibit the use of a dwelling-house; whether, under the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, he has received any complaint from the county council or from any parish council, or parish meeting, or from any four inhabitant householders, that the local authority have failed hitherto to exercise their powers to enforce the execution of the Housing Acts; and whether he will give particulars of the representations, complaints, and information forwarded by the clerks of the rural district councils since 1st July, 1910, under the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, to the medical officer of health?

The reports of the medical officers of health for the districts in the Parliamentary Division of Skipton show that substantial progress has been made with the inspection of dwelling-houses under the Housing, Town-Planning, etc., Act, 1909, in some of the districts, and some progress in all. I may say generally that I am not in a position to reply definitely to several of the inquiries in my hon. Friend's question, but, looking to the information before me, I think there will probably be some advantage in having an inspection by one of my inspectors, and I propose to take that course.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if any indication can be given as to when the case of the Crown's claim to the foreshore rights at Sea View, Isle of Wight, will be determined; whether he is aware that during all these proceedings, and since an individual assumed proprietary rights to the foreshore in question, working people in the district have been prevented from following their legitimate occupations; and whether anything can be done to expedite the matter?

I regret that I am unable to give any definite indication at present when the Crown's claim to the foreshore rights at Sea View will be determined. The defendants are under terms to answer some further interrogatories by the beginning of April and, subject to the consideration of the sufficiency of the replies, and without committing myself to an exact date, I hope that during the month of May the Board will be in a position to set down the action for trial. I shall be glad if my hon. Friend will let me have particulars of any interference with the occupations of the working people referred to in the question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, as regards the wheat supply of the United Kingdom during the year 1912, what were the amounts, in quarters of 480 pounds and percentages, which were home-grown, which came from other parts of the British Empire, and which came from foreign countries, respectively?

The estimated total quantity of wheat and wheat flour (in grain equivalent) available for consumption in the United Kingdom in 1912 was 35,900,000 quarters of 480 lbs. Complete details are not vet available, but this amount was made up approximately as follows:—

—	Estimated Quantity available for Consumption.	Proportion of Total Supply.
	Quarters (of 480 lbs.)	Per cent.
Home-grown	7,200,000	20.1
Colonial-grown	15,200,000	42.3
Foreign-grown	13,500,000	37.6
Total	35,900,000	100.0

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can furnish any statistics showing the importation into England of opium and its derivatives; and how much is used for medicinal, and how much for other, purposes?

The total quantity of opium imported into the United Kingdom in 1912 was 555,631 pounds; the re-exports of opium in the same year were 163,455 pounds, making a net import of 392,176 pounds. There were also exported 36,332 pounds of opium dried and powdered in the United Kingdom. Thus, on balance, the imports of opium retained in the United Kingdom amounted to about 356,000 pounds. During the five years 1908–1912 the imports retained have averaged about 272,000 pounds annually. I understand that this opium is used principally in the preparation of morphia and morphia salts, but there are no statistics available with regard to the total manufacture of these latter. The total exports of morphia and morphia salts of United Kingdom manufacture, however, reached 276,572 ounces in 1912, and these exports must, therefore, have required for their manufacture a considerable proportion of the net imports of opium. As regards the imports of opium derivatives, the only statistics available are those relative to morphia and morphia salts, of which 21,539 ounces were imported, and 1,663 ounces re-exported in 1912, leaving a net importation, on balance, of 19,876 ounces. I have no information as to how much of the preparations and derivatives of opium retained for use in the United Kingdom are used medicinally, and how much for other purposes.

asked the Postmaster-General if, in those offices at which both telephone and telegraph facilities exist and the former are available on Sundays and the latter are not, instructions may be given for telegrams of an urgent nature to be telephoned to the nearest office for transmission?

Such facilities already exist for telephone subscribers and I am arranging them for the general public wherever there is some one in attendance to accept payment for the telegram.