asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can advise the National Insurance Commissioners to reconsider an increase in the two-unit scale per each £1 worth of insurance stamps sold which is allowed to Post Office officials, in view of the fact that an eight-unit scale per each £1 worth of postage stamps sold is allowed, and in view of the complexity of the insurance stamp transactions and the consequent risk of losses which has to be borne by sub-postmasters?

The remuneration of Post Office servants for the sale of insurance stamps is not fixed by the National Insurance Commissioners, and my hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. The hon. Member evidently refers to sub-postmasters, and I can only refer him to the answers given to questions on the same subject on the 10th instant and previous dates. It is estimated that the sale of £1 worth of postage stamps involves on the average about seventeen times as many separate transactions as the sale of £1 worth of insurance stamps.

asked the hon. Member for St. George' s-in-the-East, as representing the Insurance Comsioners, whether he will cause inquiry to be made into the case of James Brett, 7, Essex Street, Colchester, who fell sick on 23rd February, and, having lost his medical benefit card, applied on 24th February to the National Insurance Commissioners for a new one, and as yet has had no reply, seeing that in the meantime he can get no sick pay from his society, the National Deposit Friendly Society; and whether another card may be supplied to him at once?

No such application can be traced, but the person presumably referred to (who is not a member of the society in question) has now been given an opportunity of obtaining a fresh medical card. He has not, however, been debarred meanwhile from obtaining medical attendance or the medical certificates necessary for the purpose of claiming sickness benefit.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury how many hospitals, or other institutions intended for the care of the sick, have been commandeered for the purpose of tuberculosis patients under the National Insurance Act; and what arrangements have been made for the housing elsewhere of the patients for whose benefit those institutions were intended at the time when they were so taken?

My hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. The use of the term "commandeered" is not understood. So far as England is concerned, the Local Government Board have approved of voluntary arrangements for the use of vacant infectious diseases hospitals in thirty-one instances, and of spare accommodation at such hospitals in fifty-nine cases, for the treatment of tuberculous patients, on condition that such patients are removed? in the event of the accommodation being required for cases of other infectious diseases.

asked the Chief Secretary what sums have been returned annually to the Treasury by the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland during the financial years 1900 to 1913, giving for each year the heads of the Vote under which this money was returned as not required?

I would refer the hon. Member to the Appropriation Accounts, Civil Services and Revenue Departments, presented annually to Parliament, which contain full information as to the amounts of the unexpended balance of the Vote for Public Education, Ireland, and the various sub-heads of the Vote under which the expenditure was less than the amount voted by Parliament.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of vessels of each class, and their tonnage, in commission on the 1st April in each of the last five years?

I must refer my hon. Friend to the information given in the published Navy Lists.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will show in tabular form the expenditure on fuel, on sea stores and on repairs, separately, in each of the five years commencing 1st April, 1909?

I must refer my hon. Friend to the information given in the published estimates of these years.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will issue a statement, in similar form to that in the Appendix to the Navy Estimates of 1904–5, showing the aggregate cost of completed war vessels of all kinds of value for war purposes at the 31st March, 1914, and together with an estimate of the annual expenditure which would be sufficient to replace those which fall out by age in every year, on the basis of a life for battleships and large cruisers of twenty-two years from date of completion, small cruisers fifteen years, and torpedo vessels and gunboats twelve years?

Sir, I regret I cannot undertake such an inquiry, which would throw an extremely heavy burden upon the Admiralty staff.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what was the tonnage of the armoured ships in the British Mediterranean Fleet in March, 1904; what is the corresponding tonnage at present; and what is the total tonnage of the armoured ships completed for the Italian and Austrian navies since the date named?

The information asked for is as follows: Tonnage of armoured ships in British Mediterranean Fleet in March, 1904, 200,900; at the present time, 108,500. Total tonnage of armoured ships completed since March, 1904 for Italy, 143,571; for Austria-Hungary, 129,350.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, prior to the issue of Southern Command Order, dated 16th April, 1913, generals and other officers commanding stations in the Southern Command were authorised by Southern Command Order No. 1445, dated 24th December, 1908, to grant permission to non-commissioned officers below the rank of colour sergeant, and men of good character, to dress in plain clothes when on pass to their stations; whether, as a result, such non-commissioned officers and men were able to get, and frequently did get, such permission prior to the issue of the Order dated 16th April, 1913; whether this authority was withdrawn by paragraph C of Southern Command Order No. 404, 16th April, 1913; whether, as a result, it has become practically impossible-for non-commissioned officers below the rank of colour sergeant, and men of good character, to obtain permission to dress in plain clothes when on pass at their stations; and whether paragraph C of Southern Command Order No. 404 has ever been cancelled?

The effect and result of the Southern Command Order of 24th December, 1908, were as stated in the question. The Order of 16th April, 1913, called attention to the existing rules which required that the wearing of plain clothes on pass at the soldier's station must have-the approval of the officer commanding troops and the concurrence of the general officer commanding. Paragraph C of Southern Command Order, dated 16th April, 1913, has not been cancelled.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps His Majesty's Government propose to take to secure the representation of the natives of Rhodesia and their rights to the land, in the event of the Rhodesian land question of ownership of Rhodesian land being brought before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council?

I do not think that there is any need for special representation of the natives, but I am considering the steps to be taken for safeguarding the interests of the Crown and of the natives in the discussion of the land question in Southern Rhodesia before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

asked the President of the Local Government Board the number and sex-distribution of able-bodied paupers in England and Wales on the 31st December, 1911, 1912 and 1913; and if he can give the number of those under sixteen and over sixty-five?

The classification into "able-bodied" and "not able-bodied," as regards persons receiving outdoor relief, was discontinued in the year 1912, and I have no information for any year as to the number of the persons classed as "able-bodied" who were over sixty-five years of age. No children under sixteen years of age have been classified as "able-bodied" persons. Such figures as I am able to give in answer to the hon. Member's question are appended:—

asked the President of the Local Government Board in how many instances in the last three years have local authorities taken power through Clauses in local Acts to compensate persons for giving up their employment at the request of the medical officer of health in order to avoid the risk of spreading infection?

Twelve local authorities have in the last three years obtained power by local Act to compensate persons for giving up their employment at the request of the council or of the medical officer of health, for the purpose of preventing the spread of infectious disease. In addition, seven local authorities have obtained power by local Act during the same period to compensate dairymen who cease to supply milk, and two to compensate common lodging-house keepers for the closing of their lodging-house, under similar circumstances.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether, in view of the definition of the word "parent" in the Vaccination Act, 1867, and the Interpretation Act, 1889 (52 and 53 Vic., c. 63, s. 1), he will instruct vaccination officers to accept certificates when the declarations have been made by mothers?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which was given by my predecessor in answer to a similar question on 15th September, 1909. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of that question and reply.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in placing orders for submarine telephone cables, he will take into consideration the advantages of durability of puddled iron sheathing known as ball-furnaced as compared with basic steel sheathing; and, in the event of puddled ball-furnaced iron being decided upon, if he will place the order with English makers in order that full facilities of inspection may be available?

The greater durability for cable armouring of iron as compared with steel, under certain conditions, is recognised, and ball-furnaced puddled iron is usually specified; but I am unable to promise that any cable manufacturer with whom an order for submarine cable is placed shall be required to obtain this, class of iron from any particular source, seeing that such a requirement would unduly restrict the sources of supply, which, in this country are very limited. Moreover, most of the long cables made to Post Office specification are paid for as to one-half of their cost by foreign administrations; and in these circumstances it would be clearly inexpedient to make the stipulation suggested.