asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the fact that there is nothing in Section 12 of the National Insurance Act which discriminates between benefits accruing in respect of a single event and benefits accruing in respect of periods of time; and if he will state on what grounds the Insurance Commissioners advise approved societies that they must not pay to an insured person after he has left hospital sickness benefit which, under Section 12, was not paid to him during the period he was in hospital, and which has not been paid either to his dependants or to the hospital authorities?

The grounds for the advice referred to are stated in the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Salisbury on Seth June. The distinction between maternity and sickness benefits referred to in the first part of the question is a fundamental distinction in the character of the two benefits as determined by Section 8 of the Act, and, as I have stated, the Commissioners are advised that it affects the interpretation of Section 12. Societies have a wide discretion in using any sums which under Section 12 cannot be paid as sickness benefit and have not been paid to the hospital or to' dependants, for the benefit of the insured person himself.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland why the old age pension granted to Barney Herraghty, of Downings, county Donegal, by the Milford subcommittee has been disallowed by the Local Government Board?

The evidence furnished was not sufficient to establish that this claimant had attained the statutory age.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty if his attention has been called to the fact that there is a strike at the works of the Clyde Rubber Works Company, Limited, Renfrew, which is executing Admiralty orders; and if he will have inquiry made as to the conditions of labour there?

The firm holds a standing contract for india-rubber tubing, but no complaint has been made in respect of wages to me. At this moment, I understand, a dispute is in progress, and I must consider whether I can intervene without prejudice to either of the parties to the present disagreement.

asked the Secretary for War whether the Army institutes in South Africa have reserve balances of some 80,000; and, if so, from whom these profits have been made, to whom they now belong, and in whose hands they are at present?

The sum mentioned is kept as a working margin for carrying on business. The profits have been made from troops quartered in South Africa mainly during and partly since the South African war, and, therefore, belong to the Army generally. The funds are under the control of a board of directors with the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief at their head, composed of staff and other officers as representatives of the troops.

asked the Secretary for. War whether the Regulations provide that an officer serving in India who retires on retired pay for the purpose of serving in the Special Reserve. is compelled to pay the passage money of the officer who fills his vacancy, while an officer who resigns his commission altogether is not so charged; and, if so, whether an amendment to these Regulations will be considered?

The facts are as stated, the reason being that an officer who accepted the retaining fee on transfer to the Special Reserve could reasonably be expected to pay the passage money of his successor in the Regular Army. The question is receiving consideration.

asked the Home Secretary how many women are at present in prison for offences connected with the suffrage agitation, how many are being forcibly fed, how many are out of prison under the recent Act, and how many have escaped?

The number of women at present in prison for offences in connection with the suffrage agitation is ten; none of them are being forcibly fed. There are thirteen out of prison who have been released under the Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill-health) Act; nine of these have failed to return to prison at the expiration of their period of temporary discharge.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Messrs. Lever Brothers were promised a monopoly in the Gold Coast Colony before the Governor was consulted on the subject?

If the hon. Member will read the correspondence printed on pages 13 and 14 of Cd. 6561, he will see that the answer to his question is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture, in reference to the traffic in worn-out horses, whether the officers employed in making voyages with worn-out horses up to 1st October, 1910, have ceased to make such voyages; and whether the officers who now make such voyages are also in some cases the veterinary officers who examine the horses before shipment?

Except that Mr. Revill made voyages on vessels carrying horses to the Continent, both before and after the 1st October, 1910, the answer to both parts of the question is in the affirmative.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture the number of animals dealt with during the period ended 24th June by the local authorities of England, under the Tuberculosis Order, 1913, showing by whom notified, age and sex of animals, market or other valuation, total compensation paid and proportion of the same borne by the local authority, charges paid in respect of inspection, valuation and slaughter, respectively; and if these returns, in so far as they relate to the number of animals slaughtered, will in future be included in the weekly statistics published in the "London Gazette," dealing with contagious diseases?

I regret that I have not been able to obtain quite all the particulars asked for by the hon. Member. The following is a summary of the information which the local authorities have been able to supply in answer to the Board's inquiries:—Number of animals notified to local authorities in England, under the Tuberculosis Order, 1913, from the 1st May to the 24th June, 1913:—

(a) Notified by owners	1,210
(b) Notified by veterinary surgeons	349
(c) Notified from other sources	188
Total	1,747

Note.—Approximately 95 per cent. of the animals notified were females.Number of animals slaughtered by local authorities, for which compensation has been paid, or is due, 965.

Total of valuations:—
(a) On the basis of the animals being affected	£4,815	4	6
(b) On the basis of the animals not being affected	£8,725	7	2

Note.—In several instances only one valuation has been made, usually on the basis of the animals not being affected.

asked the Prime Minister when he proposes to give time for the discussion on the Second Reading of the Hops Bill or the Hops (No. 2) Bill?

I can make no statement at present with regard to the further consideration of these Bills.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has received a copy of a resolution passed at a meeting of the Committee of the National Vaccination Officers' Association on the 18th June last, in which it is alleged that the case with regard to the loss of income sustained by vaccination officers had not been fairly dealt with; and, if so, what action, if any, he proposes to take in the matter.

I have received a copy of the resolution referred to. My right hon. Friend the President of the Local Government Board has given very careful consideration to the cases brought to his notice, and I do not think any action on my part is necessary.

asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been drawn to the decision in the case of Bebb versus the Incorporated Law Society; and whether he will grant facilities for the passage of the Legal Profession (Admission of Women) Bill?

:I have seen the reports in the Press of this case. I fear I do not see my way to give facilities from Government time for the Bill referred to in the latter part of the question.

asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the fact that Mr. Justice Boyd, at the close of the criminal business at the Assizes for county Limerick on Saturday last, stated that he considered it a farce to be trying prisoners before the Limerick county common jurors, that in his opinion the jurors in all cases before him were not willing to discharge their duties, that their verdicts were a disgrace to justice, and that in not a single case had they found a verdict in accordance with the evidence; whether this general disregard of a solemn oath to decide cases according to the evidence calls for some governmental action; and what steps he proposes to take?

I have seen a newspaper report of the learned judge's observations. The defendants in the particular case to which he referred have been remanded in custody for trial on another charge arising out of the same facts. Their case is, therefore, sub judice, and I cannot refer to it. As regards the general question, it is the duty of the Attorney-General in directing prosecutions to consider the suitability of the venue, and he informs me that in every case where the circumstances suggest the possibility of prejudice existing, either against the prisoner or the Crown, he instructs Crown Counsel to apply for a postponement with a view to change of the place of trial. He is not prepared to concur in a general condemnation of Limerick county juries.

asked the President of the Local Government Board what has been the net cost to the taxpayers of the Hollesley Bay scheme for the year 1912; how many men were at work at the colony during that year, and what was the cost per man per week; how many of these men were got fit and passed into regular employment; and what has been the total cost to the taxpayers of the scheme from its commencement up to the end of 1912 after giving credit for any produce sold?

It appears from figures furnished to me by the Central (Unemployed) Body for London that the net cost of maintenance of the Hollesley Bay Farm Colony defrayed from the Parliamentary Grant for the financial year 1912–13 was £16,864. During that year 1,403 men were employed at the colony, and the net cost of maintenance for this period would on these figures be £1 Os. 11d. per man per week. I understand that the Central Body have no trustworthy figures as to the number of these men who were got fit and passed into regular employment. The total cost of the scheme, so far as it has been borne by the Parliamentary Grant, up to the end of the last financial year, after giving credit for produce sold, was £124,343.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he has received a communication from the Cowling parish council suggesting that, in substitution for the existing custom of electing parish councillors by show of hands, he will issue regulations that will provide for nominations of candidates to be handed in to the clerk of the parish council three days prior to the parish election meeting, for the clerk to have a list of all valid nominations printed on ballot papers and to furnish a ballot paper to every eligible elector at that meeting, for time to be allowed at that meeting for withdrawals which shall be announced and struck off the list, for the chairman of the meeting to state the number of councillors that are required and may be voted for, for scrutineers to be appointed by the meeting to collect the ballot papers and to count the votes recorded thereon, and for the chairman to announce the numbers of votes cast and to declare the names of the councillors who have been duly elected; whether he proposes to adopt all or any of these suggestions in his new regulations; and whether he will issue his new regulations during the year 1913?

I do not find that I have received the communication referred to, but I shall be happy to consider the suggestions mentioned in the question. I am not as yet in a position to say when any new regulations will be issued.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he will state the average annual increase of salary received by each officer who has entered his Department by means of the first division examination since 1st January, 1903?

The information asked for is as follows:—

Clerk.					Average Annual Increase of Salary.
					£
1	…	…	…	…	32*
2	…	…	…	…	27†
3	…	…	…	…	16
4	…	…	…	…	16
5	…	…	…	…	17
6	…	…	…	…	23
7	…	…	…	…	20§
8	…	…	…	…	20
9	…	…	…	…	20
10	…	…	…	…	20
11	…	…	…	…	20§
12	…	…	…	…	20
13	…	…	…	…	20
14	…	…	…	…	20
15	…	…	…	…	20
16	…	…	…	…	20
17	…	…	…	…	20
* Including allowance as private secretary.
†Including allowance as assistant private secretary.
§Since transfer to Local Government. Board.

Four clerks have not served one year, and are excluded from the above figures.

also asked the President of the Local Government Board the total number of minor staff officers and second division clerks who have been on the permanent establishment of his Department at any time since 1st January, 1903; the number of such officers who have been promoted to the first division, as recruited from the first division examination; and the immediate increase or decrease of salary involved in each of such cases of promotion, together with the length of service at the time of promotion?

The number of minor staff officers and second division clerks in the service of the Local Government Board on the 1st January, 1903, was 133. The number at present is 165. The number promoted to the first division since 1st January, 1903, is four. The periods of service at the time of promotion were 18, 29, 25, and 13 years, respectively. These four officers entered the first division at the salary which they were receiving when promoted. In the case of three of them this was a salary considerably in excess of the minimum of the scale for the first division.

asked the Postmaster-General how many overseers' vacancies have occurred at branch offices in the Metropolitan districts since January, 1912; how may counter clerks and telegraphists fully qualified for branch office overseers' duties have been passed over during that period owing to their inability to pass a test on writing or clerical duties in a postmaster's office that were formerly performed by London postal service clerks; whether such clerical tests were imposed as a condition of promotion to the class of overseers prior to January, 1912; if so, since what date; and, in view of the clerical tests now being imposed before promotion, what facilities for learning the new duties it is proposed to grant the senior counter clerks and telegraphists, the majority of whom have had little or no experience of the duties in a postmaster's office?

Five vacancies for overseers have occurred at branch offices in the Metropolitan districts since January, 1912; and three counter clerks and telegraphists have been passed over since that date because they were unable to perform writing duties. One of these three was, however, subsequently promoted. A number of overseers in the Metropolitan districts have always been employed on writing duties in postmasters' offices, and some regard has throughout been paid to clerical qualifications in making promotions to that class; but greater weight has necessarily been attached to such qualifications in recent years, owing to the transfer to overseers of work appropriate to their class which was formerly done by clerks. Applications for employment on writing duties are invited from time to time, and it is open to any counter clerk and telegraphist to apply for such employment. Advantage is also taken, when convenient, of the absence on leave of overseers employed on writing duties to afford all suitable senior counter clerks and telegraphists an opportunity of becoming acquainted with such duties.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the person with whom he is now negotiating a contract for the construction of the proposed Imperial wireless chain is the saint person who was similarly engaged in negotiating a former contract?

The company with whom I have been negotiating a new contract is the same company with whom the former contract was negotiated, and the managing director, who has acted on behalf of the company, is the same person.

also asked the Postmaster-General if he will give any details showing how the increase of £39,000 in the contract of 1913 over that of 1912 for the construction of the Imperial wireless chain is made up; by what authority he has had the correctness of this increase verified; and, if the delay in carrying out this work will result in any other additional public expenditure, will he state the present estimate of the total increase resulting from the delay?

The figure given by the hon. Member is the sum which the contractors estimate represents the approximate amount of the increase in the price of the required materials between the date of the signing of the contract of July, 1912, and the present time. But this figure will not appear in any new contract. As I stated to the House on Friday last, the contractors would receive whatever is ascertained to be the actual increase in the price of materials. In default of agreement the amount would be settled by arbitration. The delay which has occurred will not involve any other additional payment to the contractors.

asked the Postmaster-General what percentage of male employés in the various ranks in the Post Office were absent from duty through illness during the year ending 31st December, 1912?

The percentages of male employés of the various ranks in the Post Office who were absent through illness on any occasions during the year ended 31st December, 1912, are shown in the following statement:—

	Per cent.
Clerical and Supervising Staff	44
Sorters, Telegraphists, and Sorting Clerks and Telegraphists	49
Postmen	46
Porters, Labourers, and other established officers	47
Boy Messengers	52
Other unestablished staff	33