asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, with reference to the share of his Department in the projected active operations re Ulster, if he will state the number and names of the battleships ordered to proceed to Lamlash; the total power of their armaments; the number of torpedo craft that were ordered to cooperate with the Battle Squadron; whether any auxiliary vessels received orders to the same effect; if each unit was fully manned; what was the total number of officers and men under orders; if, in addition to its field guns, any of these vessels carried field artillery for land purposes; if so, the number and calibre of such guns; where they were embarked, and when; from what stations did the various vessels sail; when were the orders given to cancel their movements; and how were these orders given?

Such information as I have not already given to the House is to be found in the Navy List.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether His Majesty's ship "King Edward VII." sent in a demand to be supplied with four field guns and ammunition on her arrival in England; and what is the complement of ammunition for each gun; whether he will inform the House the type of ammunition demanded; and whether each of His Majesty's ships "King Edward VII." sent in similar demands?

The Vice-Admiral Commanding the Third Battle Squadron asked permission to draw four or eight field guns for the Squadron for exercising the men, but demanded no ammunition. Approval was given to embark four guns with their usual proportion of ammunition, as the latter always accompanies the guns.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that the firm of Messrs. Atkinson, builders, of Bingley, Yorks, who advertise themselves as contractors to the Admiralty, are not paying, and have not for many years paid, the district rate of wage to the joiners employed by them; whether this firm is now doing work for the Admiralty; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take to compel the firm to comply with the Fair-Wages Resolution?

The Admiralty have no knowledge of the rates of wages paid by Messrs. Atkinson, of Bingley, Yorks, to the joiners employed by them, as the firm have not executed any work for the Admiralty. In the event of their obtaining any work, the contract would contain the usual Fair-Wages Clause.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether tenders have yet been called for for the two battleships to be built by contract under the 1914–15 Estimates; and if both of these are to be of the "Royal Sovereign" class or one of this type and the other of the "Queen Elizabeth" type?

Both ships will be of the "Royal Sovereign" class, and tenders will be invited within a few days.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why one of the destroyers of the 1913–14 programme has been dropped; and what advantages the two vessels ordered in place of the three outstanding possess over the other boats of the programme?

The sum allowed by Parliament only admitted of two destroyer leaders being built in place of three ordinary destroyers. The larger vessels will carry the senior officer and staff of the flotilla; they will be fitted with improved means of communication, and will carry out the duties now performed by the flotilla cruisers of the "Scout" class, which are not of sufficient speed to operate with full efficiency with the destroyers of their flotillas.

asked the Home Secretary why the application of M. Flint, of 128, Holland Park Avenue, W., for a certificate of naturalisation has been refused?

I regret that I cannot comply with the hon. Member's suggestion. The Naturalisation Act expressly provides that the Secretary of State may withhold a certificate without giving reasons.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the case of a taxi-cab driver named G. H. Morgan, badge No. 6,049, who was committed for trial on a charge of manslaughter, found not guilty on the 15th of January last, received his licence back and returned to work the next day, and on the 12th of February received an intimation from Scotland Yard that his licence was cancelled; and whether he will make inquiries into the matter with a view to the restoration of the licence and allowing the man to follow his usual occupation?

My attention has been called to this case, and I am making inquiry.

asked the Secretary for Scotland on what date the eleven imprisoned Lewis cottars were allowed to change their convict dress for that of the dress of untried prisoners; and for how many days they wore the former dress?

These cottars have not at any time during their imprisonment worn convict dress.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that, although under the Customs Act, 1842, and the Merchandise Marks Act, 1887, it is provided that foreign-made watch cases (as gold and silver plate) shall not be imported into the United Kingdom unless properly hall-marked in conformity with the Order in Council of the 7th of May, 1907, no steps have been taken to prevent the importation of watch cases by registered letter post, with the result that such goods are sold in this country in contravention of the law as to hall-marking; is he aware that no registered letters are opened by the Post Office for Customs purposes, except contraband goods within the meaning of the Post Office Act, which does not include gold and silver articles liable to be hall-marked; and whether he will take the necessary steps, in the interests of British manufacturers and the public, to stop the importation of such articles by registered post?

I am making inquiries into the matter, and will communicate with the hon. Member in due course.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture the number of horses exported to the Continent for slaughter, and the number rejected by the inspector, in the months of January, February, and March, 1913, and the corresponding months of 1914 up to date, giving each month separately?

The Board have no means of ascertaining the number of horses exported for slaughter. The following table shows the number of horses exported with veterinary certificates under Section 1 of the Diseases of Animals Act, 1910, and the number rejected by the Board's inspectors under that Act, during each of the months mentioned in the question:—

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will, under the power which his Department possesses by Section 6 of the Regulation of Railways Act, 1873, get a decision from the Railway Commission as to the reasonableness of railway companies charging Saturday as a whole day for demurrage, although they close their station-yard gates at one o'clock?

The Section mentioned relates only to contraventions or violations of the Railway and Canal Traffic Acts. As the hon. Member was informed on the 26th March, questions relating to the reasonableness of charges for demurrage are determinable by arbitra- tion on the application of either of the parties concerned.

asked the President of the Local Government Board the number of small-pox cases and deaths in the German empire and in Prussia, respectively, during each of the years 1892 to 1912?

The number of cases of and deaths from small-pox in Germany and in Prussia, respectively, since 1891, are given in the appended table, so far as the figures have been published up to the present date. The figures as to cases and deaths are obtained from the final official reports of the countries concerned. The figures as to deaths differ slightly from those published in the English Registrar-General's annual reports, which have been derived from unrevised earlier statistics:—