asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether representations can be made to the Northamptonshire Insurance Committee to give medical benefit to Harry George Vernon, of 45, Purser Road, Northampton, who transferred to the Northamptonshire committee's area on 24th April last, and who has been seriously ill ever since, seeing for some months past the Northamptonshire committee has failed to give Mr Vernon a medical voucher?

The insured person in question is at present resident in the area of the Northampton, not of the Northamptonshire Insurance Committee. At the beginning of April he was resident at Watford, in the area of the Hertfordshire committee. He left Watford on 11th April for Leicester, but failed to give any notice of his removal. On 26th April he fell ill and came to his wife's home at Northampton, where he was treated by a doctor on the panel, although no transfer had taken place. He has now received a vouches from the Leicester committee entitling him to treatment at Northampton as a temporary resident. The delay in furnishing him with a voucher was due to his own failure to notify his transfer from Watford to Leicester, and to apply for a voucher when leaving Leicester for Northampton.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland how many transfers of sergeants and constables of the Royal Irish Constabulary, married and unmarried, have taken place from the 1st January, 1913, to the 30th June, 1913, in the West Riding of the county of Cork, at the instance of County Inspector Tweedy, the county inspector of the riding, also the number for the corresponding previous half-year, the total amount of expense incurred, and from what source does this expense come, and the reasons for such transfers, if any, in each case; and if he will direct the county inspector not to cause unnecessary expense to the public and inconvenience to the men concerned by unnecessary transfers?

The Inspector-General informs me that the number of permanent transfers of members of the force in this riding from the 1st January to 30th June last was 32, and of these seven were married. The number of transfers was also 32 for the same period of last year, of these 10 were married. These transfers were made either to fill vacancies or for the good of the service. The number of temporary transfers during the first half of this year was 69 and during the same period last year it was 33. These transfers were made for the purpose of strengthening stations awing to sickness, leave, local disturbance, and other matters. The cost of the transfers during the half-year ended 30th June last was £83 and during the same period of last year was £46. The cost of these transfers is paid out of the Constabulary Vote. The Inspector-General concurs in the action of the county inspector with regard to these transfers, all of which were necessary in the interests of the public service.

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) whether the seventy-two field batteries shown on page 14 of the Army Estimates, 1913–14, as being on the higher establishment and serving at Home are at the present moment up to the full establishment in officers, in non-commissioned officers, in men, in horses, and in guns?

I am not prepared to publish any details concerning the composition of the Expeditionary Force. I may point out that the effect of the new changes will not have come into force until after 1st August.

asked the Secretary of State for War (2) what is the establishment in officers, in noncommissioned officers, in horses, and in gins of a field battery on the higher establishment and on the manœuvre establishment, respectively?

The manœuvre establishment is based on brigades; the comparative figures are as follows:—

asked the Secretary for War whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction caused in the Royal Field Artillery by the Special Army Order of 20th June, 1913, whereby batteries of old creation are compelled to exchange num- bers, records, etc., with batteries recently created; and whether the desired reduction of fifteen batteries could be effected by reducing the batteries of most recent date instead of those which have a long record of service?

The present scheme was devised by a committee of distinguished Artillery officers. Their object was to ensure that the old distinguished numbers and records should not permanently be absorbed in the Reserve batteries, but should be held by Field Service batteries. This scheme was held to be one which fully maintained efficiency and esprit de corps and caused least dislocation in the Royal Regiment.

asked the Secretary of War the date on which the order was issued to the Royal Flying Corps for the discontinuance of the use of monoplanes?

The order was issued on 14th September of last year.

asked the Secretary for War the number and duration of flights made by members of the Royal Army Flying Corps at Farnborough in the week ending 11th June, 1913; and what was the amount of overtime, if any, worked by the mechanics of the corps and factory during the same week?

It is not considered advisable to make public the particulars of the work carried out by the Royal Flying Corps beyond what has been already published in the Press. With regard to the last part of the question, I shall be glad to investigate any case of the kind referred to which the hon. Gentleman may bring to my attention.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that inconvenience is being caused through the delay in issuing the Report of the Committee which is considering the question of loans to fishermen; will he say on whom the blame for the delay primarily rests, and will he in future see that no one is appointed to sit on Departmental Committees who is incapable of carrying through the work in a reasonable time; whether any of the members of this Committee are in receipt of any salary or moneys from a public source, and, if so, whether time can be given for a discussion on their salaries, in view of the amount of time taken in dealing with the work entrusted to them; will he state when this Committee held their first meeting, how long is it since they completed taking evidence, and on what date they held their last meeting; and will he take steps to see that they shall now hold meetings from day to day until the Report is issued?

The first meeting of the Committee was held on the 16th of January, 1912, the last meeting on the 17th May, 1913. The last witness was heard in May, 1913. I fully appreciate that it is desirable that the Committee should report at an early date, and I am informed that they have arranged to meet to-day for a final consideration of the Report, the bulk of which is already in print. In view of the extent and importance of the subjects remitted for inquiry, I cannot assent to the suggestion that blame for delay is attributable to any member of the Committee, whether in receipt of official salary for other duties or not, nor can I agree that any special allowance of time for discussion of the matter is required.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether the bylaws of Crieff were passed mainly in terms of the Burgh Police Act, 1911; whether when submitted to the sheriff substitute it was recommended to exclude bonâ fide temperance hotels, but such exemption was refused by the Secretary for Scotland; whether, in consequence, certain temperance hotel proprietors were recommended by the town council to register as keepers of places of public refreshment and have now been prosecuted for contravention of the Act; whether the intention of the Secretary for Scotland is to prevent the travelling public on Sunday visiting temperance hotels and to force them to patronise liquor bars; whether he will so amend the by-laws as to make it possible for temperance hotels to provide meals on Sunday; and whether, if they cease to register, they will be subject to prosecution?

The by-laws referred to by the Noble Lord were framed under Section 82 of the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act, 1903, as amended by the Burgh Police (Scotland) Amendment Act, 1911. I have no information as to what took place prior to confirmation by the sheriff substitute. As sent to the Scottish officer for confirmation the by-laws provided inter alia for registered places for public refreshment being closed all day on Sundays and during the hours other than between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. on other days, subject to a proviso to the effect that nothing in the by-laws should be construed to interfere with the conducting of business, as use is, in temperance hotels for the hours from 7 a.m. to 12 midnight each lawful day, nor to interfere with the conduct, as use is, of such hotels on Sunday for the accommodation of guests residing therein. As it does not appear to be competent to discriminate in such by-laws between different classes of traders, the town council were informed that the proviso in question was incompetent so far as it was not superfluous, having regard to Subsection (7) of Section 1 of the Act of 1911, which safeguards the sale or supply of refreshments in any premises, including temperance hotels, to persons residing or lodging therein. In reply, the town council stated that they approved of the deletion of the proviso and the by-laws were duly confirmed. I have no particulars as to the subsequent action of the burgh authorities. I would point out to the Noble Lord that the proviso which I have quoted- did not purport to affect in any way the use of temperance hotels on Sundays by travelers, but only by resident guests, whose interests are fully protected by the Statute itself. An amending by-law such as he suggests could only be made on the initiative of the town council, and would only be competent if it applied equally to all registered places for public refreshment. The answer to the last part of the question is that if any places for public refreshment carry on business at times which entail registration they will be liable to prosecution if they fail to register.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what were the aggregate sales of council drafts for the financial years 1894 to 1897, inclusive; and the average sterling rate realised for the drafts each year, respectively?

supplied the following particulars:—Amount of sales (in rupees)—Year 1893–4, 15,79,14,032; 1894–5, 31,15,70,798; 1895–6, 30,83,04,373; 1896–7, 25,94,08,788; 1897–8, 14,72,07,928.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give a statement of the financial position of the Gweedore Quarry Company and the Beleek Felspar Mining Company; can he say what price Lawrence Wilfred Carder, an undischarged bankrupt, got from the Gweedore Quarry Company for the Beleek Felspar Mining Company; when was the latter company registered and in whose name; and what was the capital of it?

I have no means of ascertaining the financial position of either of the companies named in the question. The Gweedore Quarry Company, Limited, is a private company, and is under no obligation to file a statement in the form of a balance sheet, and the Beleek Felspar Mining Company is not registered under the Companies Acts. The price payable by the Gweedore Quarry Company, Limited, for the business carried on by Carder, under the name of the Beleek Felspar Mining Company was, according to an agreement of the 17th December, 1912, on the file of the former company, 2,495 fully-paid shares of £1 each in that company.

asked the. President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that Lawrence Wilfred Carder, an undischarged bankrupt and late managing director of the Irish Industrial Mineral Company, now in liquidation, registered on 16th December, 1912, by means of money supplied by Messrs. Livesey, of Liverpool, a company called the Gweedore (County Donegal) Quarry Company, and that he appointed the Messrs. Livesey as directors with himself as managing director for life; whether the Messrs. Livesey, finding that the capital was vanishing, repeatedly asked Carder to produce a statement of accounts and to hold a directors' meeting, but could not get him to do either; whether, as a result., they instituted an action in the High Court before Mr. Justice Warrington on 5th and 6th June, and that Carder was ordered to refund, or to give substantial guarantee to refund, within fourteen days to the Messrs. Livesey the money advanced by them for the registration of the Gweedore Quarry Company; whether he is aware that the guarantee given by Carder was the Liverpool branch of the Manchester, Liverpool, and District Bank; can he state the security given by Carder to this bank; and whether he disclosed to the bank the fact that he was an undischarged bankrupt?

I would refer the hon. Member to my answer of the 16th June on this subject, which gives all the information at the disposal of the Board of Trade on the matters dealt with in the question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether Lawrence Wilfred Carder, an undischarged bankrupt and late managing.director of the Irish Industrial Mineral Company, now in liquidation, recently registered any new company for the purpose of working the several leases owned by that company, and, if so, what is the name of the company and the capital of it; whether he is aware that Carder gave to a firm of Dublin solicitors who are acting for some of the landlords a statement as to the capital of this new company in order to induce them to release their leases to him; whether he has given, as directors of this new company, the names of Mr. Francis Hyndman, F.C.S., barrister, and Mr. Ryder Weller, Bank of Athlone, London; whether Carder informed these gentlemen that he is an undischarged bankrupt; and can he give the address of the Bank of Athlone, London?

The Board of Trade have no knowledge of the matters referred to in the hon. Member's question, and unless he can furnish me with the name of the company to which he refers, I regret that. I am unable to furnish him with the information. I have no information as to the address of the Bank of Athlone.

asked the Attorney-General whether his attention has been called to the fact that Lawrence Wilfred Carder, an undischarged bankrupt, late managing director of the Irish Industrial Mineral Company, now in liquidation, got an option under the name of the Gweedore Quarry Company to purchase from the receiver the whole assets of the Irish Industrial Mineral Company for the sum of £5,500; whether he is aware that Carder pledged this option with the Liverpool branch of the Manchester and Liverpool District Bank for the purpose of raising the £5,500; whether Carder had obtained the consent of the landlords of the several properties belonging to the Irish Industrial Mineral Company to the transfer of their leases to him; and, if not, what steps does he propose to take to compel Carder to act within the law?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. I have no knowledge of the matters referred to by the hon. Member, and I am, therefore, unable to furnish the information asked for.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that postmen at Folkestone and postmen at Sandgate are paid different wages; and if he will raise the wages of postmen in Sandgate to the Folkestone standard in view of the similarity of the cost of living and of house rent in both these adjoining towns?

The classification of the offices referred to was fixed in 1908 as part of a general revision on lines laid down by a Select Committee of this House. As the hon. Member is no doubt aware, the whole question of the wages of postmen is now under the consideration of another Select Committee, and pending the issue of their Report I cannot consider any alteration. I may add that under the recommendation of the former Select Committee the scales of pay of postmen were not fixed merely on a cost of living basis, but also with relation to the volume of work.