asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he can give the names, addresses, and qualifications of the members of the county Longford insurance panel, or whom the insured members may call on when they fall sick or need sickness benefit?

I am sending the hon. Member a list of the medical practitioners who have undertaken service in connection with the National Insurance Act in the county of Longford, containing the particulars for which he asks.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury the estimated amount of insurance contributions payable each year by shipowners in respect of masters, seamen, and apprentices not domiciled in the United Kingdom; and the actual amount of such contributions received by the Insurance Commissioners since the National Insurance Act came into force?

The estimated amount of contributions payable annually by shipowners in respect of masters, seamen, and apprentices not domiciled in the United Kingdom is £15,000. The amount received up to the 31st May is £5,239. There has been a substantial increase in the receipts for the last quarter, and it is anticipated that further returns will approximate the total received for the year ending the 14th July next to the amount of the estimate.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury how many stamped cards have been received by the Insurance Commissioners since the National Insurance Act came into operation in respect of seamen who have failed to join, deserted, or otherwise left their ships; how many such cards have been claimed; and what action it is proposed to take regarding the disposal of the unclaimed cards?

The number of cards forwarded to the Commission in respect of deserted foreign-going seamen is 5,300. Of these 250 have been claimed by and forwarded to societies. I am satisfied that some exceptonal measures must be taken to facilitate the claiming of these cards by the proper societies, and the Commissioners propose, as soon as the claims of all societies concerned have been received and examined, to circulate a list of deserters' cards among the societies which have mercantile marine members serving in foreign-going ships.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will grant a Return showing the number of licensed tobacco manufacturers in the United Kingdom for the years ending 31st March, 1909, 1910, 1911, and 1913?

The figures for the years ended the 31st March, 1909, 1910, and 1911, respectively, are given in my reply to a question by the hon. and gallant Member on the 6th June last. The figure for the year ended the 31st March, 1913, is 346.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) what foreign commissions have been buying horses, suitable for army purposes, in Ireland this year; and if he can say how many have been bought, and the average price paid for them?

According to the returns furnished to this Department, the number of horses exported from Ireland on behalf of foreign Governments between the 29th December last and the 24th May was 1,809, namely: to Belgium 461, the Netherlands 263, Italy 685, and Switzerland 400. It is assumed that these exports were intended for army purposes. The Department have no official knowledge of any commissions such as are referred to in the question, nor do they possess information as to the average prices paid for the animals.

asked the Chief Secretary if, when the amount of land purchase default is ascertained by the Land Commission and repayment of the default is subsequently made by the tenant, the county council affected is made aware of the name and residence of the defaulter, so that full inquiry may be made by them; if not, will he say why this is not done; and will he now direct that these names be supplied to the county councils for the information of their finance committees in future?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the question asked on this subject by the hon. Member for North Westmeath, on the 9th March, 1911. When arrears temporarily deducted from the local taxation Grants are subsequently recovered from the defaulters, the amounts are forthwith credited to the county concerned in connection with succeeding payments on account of the Grants. The question of the best way of giving more information to county councils on the subject is under consideration, but no useful purpose would be secured by furnishing the county councils with the names and addresses of temporary defaulters who may have subsequently paid.

also asked the Chief Secretary what total sum per annum for the past five years was deducted from Grants-in-Aid due to the Longford County Council in respect of losses on land purchase; whether, when defaulters paid up, the sums deducted for their default were then paid over to the county council, and, if so, by what means or under what head; and is he aware that the secretary of the county council stated at their last meeting that a sum of £8,000 was so deducted, not one penny of which was subsequently repaid?

The following table shows the amounts deducted from or added to the share of county Longford in the Estate or Death Duty and Agricultural Grants in respect of land purchase liability in each of the last five years ending 31st March:—

Year.	Deductions from the Estate or Death Duty and Agricultural Grants.			Additions to Estate or Death Duty Grant in respect of Arrears Recovered.
	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
1909	1,453	5	5	—
1910	—			508	17	7
1911	166	12	5	—
1912	—			239	2	10
1913	830	5	0	—
Total	2,450	2	10	748	0	5

Total net deductions for the five years, £1,702 2s. 5d.As I have already explained in the foregoing question, arrears of annuities which have been temporarily deducted from the local taxation Grants are, when recovered from the tenant purchasers, forthwith credited to the county in connection with succeeding payments on account of the Grants. The hon. Member will observe in the above table that in the years 1910 and 1912 the repayment of arrears previously deducted caused an addition to be made to the sums otherwise payable to the county from the Estate or Death Duty Grant. The total net amount deducted from Grants payable to the county Longford was £5,980, and not £8,000, as stated in the final paragraph of the question.

asked the Chief Secretary the total amount of capitation Grant paid in relief of county Longford rates to the upkeep of Mullingar Asylum last year; whether he is aware that, although the number of inmates in the asylum from that county entitles the county to Grants amounting to £2,200, only some £1,560 was actually paid; and will he explain by what authority the full sum was not paid?

The total amount payable to the County Council of Longford in the financial year 1912–13, in respect of the maintenance of lunatics in Mullingar Asylum was £2,350 6s. 4d., and of this amount only £2,109 8s. 8d. was paid. The abatement was made under the provisions of Section 58 (5) of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, the income of the local taxation account being insufficient to meet the sums payable thereout.

asked whether there are any boards of guardians in Ireland who have not complied with the Local Government Board Regulations for the payment of medical officers' substitutes during holidays; and, if there be such, whether the Chief Secretary will give a list of boards which have disregarded these Regulations?

The Local Government Board are not aware that any board of guardians refused to grant vacation to their medical officers during the past year or to provide for the remuneration of their substitutes.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland on what grounds the pension has been withdrawn from Letitia Willock, of Ballinacargy, county Cavan, No. 2,095; and he will give in detail what means she is alleged to be possessed of, and, in the case of cattle, the individual value put on each beast?

Mrs. Willock's claim for an old age pension was disallowed on the ground that the Local Government Board were not satisfied that her means did not exceed the statutory limit. Her husband has a fairly well-tilled farm of twenty-four acres, carrying ten head of cattle and a horse, in addition to pigs, goats, and fowl. The Board have no information as to the precise value of each cow or calf, but based their decision on the estimated yearly income derivable from a farm of this nature and extent carrying the stock referred to.

asked the Secretary of State for War what was the strength of the Garrison Artillery Militia in the year 1907; and what was the strength of the Special Reserve Field Artillery, which took its place, in the years 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, and 1913, respectively?

The following is a comparison of the strength of the Field and Garrison Artillery Militia and Special Reserve on the dates shown:—

—	Royal Field Artillery.		Royal Garrison Artillery.
	Officers.	N. C. O.'s and Men.	Officers.	N. C. O.'s and Men.
Militia—
1st Oct., 1907	12	165	341	11,686
Special Reserve—
1st Oct., 1908	267	8,472	29	883
1st Oct., 1909	187	7,717	37	911
1st Oct., 1910	145	6,260	47	824
1st Oct., 1911	136	5,777	58	827
1st Oct., 1912	125	5,326	59	843
1st May, 1913	143	5,329	69	905

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will give the credit balnces shown in the thirteen different balance-sheets of the Imperial Government farm at Middelburg, respectively, from 1904 onwards?

The figures are as follows:—

	£	s.	d.
Credit balance to 31st December, 1903	171	14	0
Credit balance to 31st March, 1904	642	4	7
Credit balance to 30th September, 1904	317	19	0
Credit balance to 30th September, 1905	2,565	12	4
Credit balance to 31st March, 1906	3,731	2	11
Credit balance to 31st March, 1907	4,372	11	9
Credit balance to 30th Septem- 1907	4,431	3	3
Credit balance to 31st March, 1908	4,327	7	5
Credit balance to 31st August, 1908	3,541	11	8

	£	s.	d.
Credit balance to 30th September, 1908	1,922	4	10
Credit balance to 31st December, 1908	69	7	1
Credit balance to 31st March, 1909	276	5	6
Final credit balance	244	11	8

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that Lord Kitchener has summoned the editor of the "Egyptian Mail" to appear before him because of the criticism which that paper has levelled against the methods of the Russian police over the deportation of the man Adamovitz; and if he intends taking any action in the matter?

I have not heard that Lord Kitchener has taken this action, but I will inquire.

asked the Prime Minister if it is the intention of the Government to introduce a Bill this Session for the reform of the law of divorce?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the President of the Beard of Trade whether he can state how many continuous discharge books were issued during the years 1911 and 1912, respectively, to seamen who had not previously received discharge books; and how many renewed books were issued during those years?

The following Return shows the number of continuous discharge books issued at ports in the United Kingdom during the years 1911 and 1912, distinguishing the number of renewed books from those issued without charge (first issues):—

1911.		1912.
First Issues.	Renewed Books Issued.	First Issues.	Renewed Books Issued.
35,167	4,068	37,490	4,304

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total value in the last available year of the manufactured articles imported into Germany from the United Kingdom, the United States, and France, respectively; into the United States from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, respectively; and into France from the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States, respectively?

This information will take a few days to prepare. When it is ready I will have a statement on the subject printed in the Votes.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can furnish a Return showing the number of seamen engaged on British foreign-going ships in the United Kingdom during the years 1911 and 1912, respectively, the number who failed to join their ships, and the number of discharge books suspended, distinguishing separately the numbers for each port?

The following Return gives the desired information:—Return showing the number of seamen engaged on British foreign-going ships in the United Kingdom, the number who failed to join their vessels, and the number of continuous discharge books suspended during the years 1911 and 1912—

—			1911.			1912.
			No. of Seamen Engaged.	No. who Failed to Join.	No. of Books Suspended.	No. of Seamen Engaged.	No. who Failed to Join.	No. of Books Suspended.
Cardiff, Barry, and Penarth			44,711	937	116	46,961	1,012	136
Glasgow	…	…	48,387	1,861	261	48,589	2,016	194
Hull	…	…	15,309	260	55	16,137	332	76
Liverpool	…	…	192,059	4,937	149	198,361	5,155	182
London	…	…	90,799	1,702	221	94,909	1,998	197
Middlesbrough	…	…	4,672	158	32	4,467	163	24
Newcastie	…	…	6,213	161	12	4,303	112	9
Newport	…	…	10,941	177	17	10,121	222	26
Shields, North	…	…	12,952	280	66	12,379	333	64
Shields, South	…	…	13,813	349	18	14,129	319	39
Southampton	…	…	48,407	699	7	53,854	1,349	12
Sunderland	…	…	4,556	131	18	4,801	157	18
All other Ports	…	…	63,674	1,612	226	61,905	1,878	201
Total	…	…	556,493	13,264	1,198	570,916	15,046	1,178

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can furnish a Return of the number of Chinamen engaged in the United Kingdom on British ships during the years 1911 and 1912, respectively, distinguishing the numbers engaged at each port?

The following Return gives the desired information:—Return showing the number of Chinese seamen engaged on British ships at ports in the United Kingdom during the years 1911 and 1912:—

	1911.	1912.
Cardiff	357	593
Barry	796	746
Penarth	137	95
Glasgow	219	177
Hull	261	325
Livepool	1,357	1,751
London—Dock Street	90	274
London—Victoria Docks	232	287
London—Poplar	808	1,028
London—Tilbury	16	74
Middlesbrough	42	83
Newcastle	15	47
Newport	183	263
Shields, North	504	597
Shields, South	99	425
Southampton	61	—
Sunderland	24	132
All other ports	165	543
Total	5,366	7219

The question is receiving careful attention.

asked the Postmaster-General at what age the employés of his Department are forced by Statute or regulation to retire; and how many servants have so retired in the last two years?

Established officers of the Post Office are required to retire on reaching the age of sixty, unless it is in the interests of the Department to retain their services, in which case their employment may be continued until they attain the age of sixty-five. In special cases, even after the age of sixty-five, officers can be retained under the authority of a Treasury Minute which must be laid on the Table of the House. The numbers of established officers who were superannuated at the age of sixty or upwards during 1910 and 1911 were 255 and 305, respectively. The figures for last year are not yet available.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been directed to the case of a sorter in the foreign section who was taken ill while on duty on the evening of 29th January last, and attended the resident medical officer for treatment which was refused on the grounds that as the officer had been slightly unwell for a clay or two preceding and the medical officer on duty was to deal with cases of sudden illness, the patient could wait until the morning; and will he define sudden illness and endeavour to secure adequate and courteous treatment for patients who pay for such in their terms of service?

I am aware of the facts of this case. The officer concerned was asked to return for further medical examination in the morning, because the medical officer wished to examine him by daylight. It was not thought advisable in the patient's interests to give him drugs, which, while temporarily relieving the pain, would mask the symptoms and so hinder accurate diagnosis; but the medical officer satisfied himself that there were no urgent symptoms requiring immediate treatment. I am of opinion that the officer concerned received suitable treatment from the resident medical officer; and the chief medical officer to the Post Office, whom I have consulted in this case, agrees with this view.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the cause of the delay in having the telephone installed at Moville; and whether he will have the matter expedited?

The telephone call office at Moville was opened for public use yesterday.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has received a copy of a resolution passed by the Association of Chambers of Commerce regretting that no steps have yet been taken by the Post Office to have the underground telegraph cable extended from Edinburgh to Dundee and Aberdeen, and urging upon His Majesty's Government the necessity of having this improvement carried out with as little delay as possible; and whether it is proposed to take any action in the matter?

I have received the representation to which the hon. Member refers and I will send him a copy of my reply.