asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he has considered the suggestion of the Hearts of Oak Benefit Society that the insurance books should be issued in such form that the name and address of the member appears on the outside in such a place as to permit window envelopes to be used; and whether he has consulted the Postmaster-General on the matter?

These suggestions are now under consideration by the Commissioners in consultation with the Postmaster-General.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has considered the suggestion of the Hearts of Oak Benefit Society for window envelopes to be used for the transmission of unfolded insurance cards through the post; and whether he will sanction the proposal?

The objections to "window" envelopes, namely, envelopes having an opening in the front covered with so-called "transparent" paper for the address to show through, are so considerable that I cannot acquiesce in their use for the transmission of insurance cards; but I am in communication with the National Health Insurance Joint Committee with a view to ascertaining whether the cards can be issued in such a form as to render them suitable for transmission enclosed in "cut out" envelopes having an opening not covered with transparent paper.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he has considered the suggestion of the Hearts of Oak Benefit Society that the, allowance for management for the Army and Navy be increased to not less than 1s.per member per annum; and, if so, whether he is able to state the decision of the Commissioners en the point?

I have received a suggestion from the society referred to, but sufficient experience is not yet available to show whether the amount which may, under the present Regulations, be carried to the administrative account of societies is likely to prove insufficient to meet their expenses of management.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, if he will give the total number of unemployment books issued under Part II. of the National Insurance Act up to the 30th January, 1913, under the following heads: building, works of construction, shipbuilding, engineering and ironfounding, construction of vehicles, saw milling, and other industries; and the total number of claims to unemployment benefit made?

submitted the following statement showing the number of Unemployment Books issued to work-people in each of the Insured Trades up to and including 28th June, 1913:—

Building	859,649
Works of Construction	186,049
Shipbuilding	273,278
Engineering and Ironfounding	862,672
Construction of Vehicles	214,718
Sawmilling	19,080
Other Industries	86,046
Total	2,501,492

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he would consider the advisability of making regulations for the purposes of the National Insurance Act that medical certificates of incapacity be given by the doctors on the first day of incapacity, and should not be ante-dated?

A model form of initial medical certificate will shortly be issued by the Commissioners, who realise the importance of so drafting it that the society will know whether the doctor has examined the patient on the date from which he certifies him to be incapable of work.

asked the Postmaster-General why, in view of the terms of the Order in Council of 19th August, 1871, which cancelled the provision in the previous Order of 4th June, 1870, that a Civil Service candidate after, no less than before, the issue of a certificate of qualification by the Civil Service Commissioners should hold his office at the pleasure of the chief of his department, Mr. H. W. Cardew, who was permanently employed in the Post Office in accordance with the Order, was discharged on the 16th of last month?

Mr. Cardew was retired on pension because he was unable to perform efficiently the duties of his office. I am not aware of any obligation on the head of a department to retain indefinitely the services of an officer once appointed, however inefficient he may subsequently become.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether Mr. H. W. Cardew, of the General Post Office, who is being compulsorily retired from the service under Section 2 of the Superannuation Act, 1887, addressed, in March last, a memorial to the Lords of the Treasury, praying their lordships not to assent to his premature retirement, at least without the compensation terms provided by Section 7 of the Superannuation Act, 1859; whether Mr. Cardew pointed out that, at the passing of the Act of 1887, the Government gave a pledge to the Civil Service that existing rights should be respected, and, in earnest of this, inserted Section 10, providing that nothing in the Act should be used to the detriment of any officer then in th6 service, and the second part of Section 2, providing that the Treasury shall consider any representation which a Civil servant dealt with under that Section may make; whether the Lords of the Treasury did, in fact, consider Mr. Cardew's representations, and, if so, in what manner; and will he explain why they have declined to interfere with his discharge and awarded him a pension of only the amount allowed under Section 2 of the Act of 1887, in view of the provisions of the Act and the Government undertaking?

As I informed the hon. Member on the 9th ultimo, the right of the head of a department to remove an officer which was in existence prior to 1887 is not affected by the provisions of Section 2 of the Superannauation Act, 1887, which merely confers upon the Treasury the power to grant a pension to a Civil servant who has been removed. Mr. Cardew's representation under Sub-section (2) of the Section has been duly considered by the Board of Treasury which has awarded to him the maximum amount permissible under the Section. The Treasury has no power to interfere with his discharge or to make any further award to him.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland the number of evicted tenants, or representatives of evicted tenants, who have been reinstated or provided with new holdings in 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, and 1912, respectively?

The number of evicted tenants reinstated in their former holdings or provided with new holdings in each of the five years ending 31st December, 1912, is as follows:600, 543, 241, 274, and 187.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Congested Districts Board has made an offer for the Knox Minor estate, Caranusla, Milltown, county Galway, to the Land Judge's Court; and, if so, why the offer has been refused; and what steps it is proposed to take to have the matter settled

The Congested Districts Board made an offer for the purchase of this estate which was refused by the Land Judge on the grounds that it was insufficient. The question as to what further steps should be taken in the matter has not been considered by the Board.

asked what steps the Congested Districts Board are taking to acquire the John Blake estate, Kilgevrin, Milltown, county Galway?

The Congested Districts Board issued an offer for the purchase of this estate which has not yet been accepted.

asked whether the Congested Districts Board has taken any steps for the purchase of the O'Rorke estate, Clonberne, county Galway, in Chancery for over thirty years; and, if not, whether the Board will proceed to do so?

The Congested Districts Board are at present in negotiation for the purchase of the estate referred to.

asked if the Congested Districts Board has yet made an offer for the purchase of the estate of Edward H. Burne, county Galway, representative of John Byrne, offered to the Board in May, 1912, and inspected in February last; and, if not, what is the cause of the delay?

The Congested Districts Board have not yet made an offer for the purchase of this estate, but they hope to consider the question of doing so at their meeting in August. The inspection of the estate by the Board's officers was completed in April. There has been no avoidable delay in dealing with the matter.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the medical referee appointed by the County Court judge in the cases of R. Box and H. Hawkins, recently employed at Portsmouth Dockyard, and who are claiming compensation for accidents, has reported upon them; and, if so, whether he will state the nature of the report?

I understand that the two men referred to were formerly employed by the War Department. I suggest, therefore, that my hon. Friend should address his question to the Secretary of State for War.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, seeing that, under Volunteer Regulations, the period of active service in South Africa was allowed to count double towards qualification for the Volunteer Service Medal and decoration, a similar concession may be allowed under the Territorial Force Regulations?

A period of active service did not count double towards the qualification for the Volunteer decoration nor for the Long Service Medal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of juvenile adults imprisoned in default of paying fines in each of the three Metropolitan prisons, namely, Wandsworth, Pentonville, and Wormwood Scrubs, respectively, during the twelve months ending 31st December, 1912?

The number of male persons between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one received in the London prisons in 1912 for terms of imprisonment of one month or under in default of payment of fines is as follows:—

Pentonville Prison	536
Wandsworth Prison	229
Wormwood Scrubs Prison	88
	853

The figures were recently obtained by a special investigation made in the course of the preparation of the proposed Administration of Justice Bill. It would not be possible, without a fresh inquiry involving much labour, to ascertain how many were committed in default of payment of fines for terms of over one month, but the number is very small.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if, despite the fact that the council obtained powers by Section 52 of the London County Council (Tramways and Improvements) Act, 1909, to remove obstructions on its tramways caused by vehicles breaking down or by loads falling from a vehicle, the council is prevented by the police from taking action under this Section with the expedition which is necessary to make the powers of any value; if his attention has been called to a case of this kind which arose at George Lane, Lewisham, on 20th June, 1913, when, owing to a collision between a motor omnibus and a motor van, the tramway service on one of the tramway tracks was delayed for 2 hours 10 minutes owing to the sub-divisional police inspector refusing to allow the vehicles to be removed until a public carriage office official had arrived on the scene; whether, as this case is typical of many other similar cases which have arisen from time to time, he will state what practical advantage is obtained by this procedure; and whether, in view of the inconvenience which arises to the public by the action of the police in such matters, he will look into the whole question and consider whether the present practice can be altered so as to place the council in a position in which it can, in the public interest, effectively exercise the powers which have been conferred by Parliament?

The Section quoted by the hon. Member confers power to remove obstructions from tramways subject to the reasonable requirements of the police. In the event of a serious accident occurring, it is in the interests, both of public safety and of justice, that an independent and responsible authority should forthwith make an examination in situ to ascertain, if possible, the cause of the accident. The cases in which such an examination is necessary are not of frequent occurrence, and every effort is made by the police to reduce inconvenience to a minimum. I am informed that the arrangements made in the case referred to were such as to obviate real inconvenience to the tramway service, and no complaints were made to the police. As long as this duty is exercised by the police, every possible consideration will be given to the needs of the tramway services.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been called to the fact that the pay of the engrossing staff in the deeds office of the Register House, Edinburgh, has not been altered for the last fifty years; that there is no allowance for sickness; that engrossing clerks require to take three weeks' holiday every year over and above the statutory holidays, for which they receive no remuneration; that the hours of work have been reduced by two hours daily without any corresponding increase of pay; and that there is a substantial surplus on the working expenses of the office.; and whether, in view of these facts and also in view of the much-increased cost of living, he can hold out any hope of an increase in remuneration for such clerks?

The engrossing clerks in the deeds office are pieceworkers and are necessarily subject to the conditions implied in that form of employment, some of which are specified by my hon. Friend. I am not aware of any dissatisfaction in the office with the existing rates of remuneration, and in the circumstances I am unable to give any assurance of the nature suggested in the question. I am informed that appointments as engrossers are much sought after.

asked the Secretary for Scotland when he proposes to make the additions to the staff of the Board of Agriculture; and how the appointments will be filled up?

The additional appointments will be made as soon as practicable, and in the ordinary way.

asked the Secretary for Scotland if he can state the number of inhabitants in the county of Inverness according to the 1911 Census, giving the numbers in the urban and rural districts separately; and if he can give the same information with regard to the counties of Sutherland, Argyle, Ross and Cromarty, Caithness, Orkney, and Shetland?

The question cannot be answered precisely, because "urban districts" and "rural districts" are not statutory terms in Scotland. Tables showing the Burghal and Extra-Burghal populations in the counties named with various other particulars will be given in tables in Volume II. of the Census Report, which it is hoped will be published before the end of the month.

asked the Secretary for Scotland where the 150 holdings created by the Board of Agriculture are situated and the extent of such holdings?

The holdings are situated in the counties of Argyll, Ayr, Caithness, Dumfries, Kirkcudbright, Lanark, Orkney, Peebles, Roxburgh, Selkirk, and Sutherland. They vary in size from about five to about 120 acres, and some have common pasture in addition to their individual holding.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) whether, if the fact is established that the Goldschmidt system, while possessing many practical advantages over other systems, is also more economical for long distance work, he will consider the advisability of asking the company owning the system to tender for the contract for the Imperial wireless chain; and (2) whether, in view of the fact that the success now announced of the Goldschmidt system in establishing wireless communication across the Atlantic was anticipated by the expert Advisory Committee in paragraph 20 of their Report, he will take an early opportunity of inquiring of this Committee their opinion of this latest development and its possible effect upon wireless telegraphy generally?

I have no official information as to the results of the experiments made within the last few days with the Goldschmidt system, but I am making immediate inquiries.