asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the Insurance Commissioners, whether any decision has been arrived at as a result of the conferences on the effect of the National Insurance Act on casual labour in the Port of London; and whether the Insurance Commissioners are now in a position to make arrangements in order to carry out the terms of Section 19 of the National Insurance Act, 1913?

The Commissioners are still in consultation with the various interests concerned, and it is not yet possible to say when the draft special order will be published.

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the Insurance Commissioners, if a married woman who is ordinarily and mainly dependent on her husband, but who is engaged for three months in each year to assist a near relative for which assistance she receives wages, is entitled to exemption from the payment of contributions under the National Insurance Act, 1911; and, if so, which of the printed forms issued under the said Act she should fill up and send to the Insurance Commissioners in order to obtain exemption?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The appropriate form is Form X. 1 (revised), a copy of which I am sending to the hon. Member. The applicant should fill in the application and send it to the Customs and Excise officer for the district in which she lives.

asked (1) whether the Insurance Commissioners are satisfied that, in the case of approved societies which are sections of profit-making societies, the agents are not in some instances underpaid in order that part of the money for administration may go to pay for expenses which would otherwise fall on the profit-making sections of the societies; and (2) whether he has any information as to whether a fair proportion of the money allowed for administration purposes is now devoted to payment of agents?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Salisbury on the 24th February, and to many similar answers. The Commissioners have no power to interfere in the rates of remuneration paid to agents for such work as they do under the National Insurance Acts in addition to their normal work, as this is a matter to be settled between themselves and the societies employing them.

asked whether district insurance committees have power at their own discretion to allow special nourishment to tuberculous persons discharged from sanatoria, or whether such nourishment can only be allowed when a tuberculosis officer recommends it for assisting the restoration of working capacity in other than hopeless cases?

The powers and duties of district insurance committees in connection with the administration of sanatorium benefit are determined by the scheme adopted for the area in accordance with Section 59 of the National Insurance Act, 1911, and the Regulations made there-under. Generally speaking, accessories in the form of special nourishment may be afforded to insured persons in receipt of domiciliary treatment where recommended on medical grounds. As the hon. Member is aware, however, it is the duty of the insurance committee to provide treatment and not to relieve destitution.

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the Insurance Commissioners, whether the Insurance Commissioners have considered the possibility of the formation for England and Wales of county societies of deposit contributors as is done for Scotland under Section 80 (10) of the National Insurance Act, 1911?

The provision to which my hon. Friend refers is by Statute limited in its application to Scotland.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, in respect of each county in Ireland, the net land purchase loss sustained in the last ten years by deductions, not subsequently made good, from the annual Grants for relief of local rates in respect of arrears of land purchase annuities, not including cases of arrear in which the first default occurred within the last six months?

The following table shows the net deductions from, or additions to, Grants in aid of local rates during the ten years ending 31st March, 1914, in respect of arrears of land purchase annuities under the Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act, 1891, and the Irish Land Acts, 1903 and 1909:—

Counties.	Net Deductions.			Net Additions.
	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Antrim	—			94	5	7
Armagh	2,538	13	11	—
Carlow	442	16	11	—
Cavan	2,045	6	4	—
Clare	1,407	4	11	—
Cork	6,845	6	1	—
Donegal	1,196	18	11	—
Down	925	14	3	—
Dublin	1,844	6	10	—
Fermanagh	1,577	3	11	—
Galway	3,518	15	9	—
Kerry	4,524	19	8	—
Kildare	2,905	6	4	—
Kilkenny	2,690	7	11	—
King's County	1,296	0	0	—
Leitrim	1,289	19	2	—
Limerick	4,873	3	9	—
Londonderry	794	5	3	—
Longford	1,836	4	7	—
Louth	1,319	12	4	—
Mayo	115	7	0	—
Meath	2,704	11	1	—
Monaghan	1,680	7	4	—
Queen's County	1,228	12	11	—
Roscommon	2,856	14	4	—
Sligo	1,327	17	1	—
Tipperary, N. Riding	1,503	9	10	—
Tipperary, S. Riding	3,624	13	3	—
Tyrone	1,964	8	4	—
Waterford	2,239	5	5	—
Westmeath	2,238	4	2	—
Wexford	1,564	19	11	—
Wicklow	1,741	6	9	—
Total	68,662	4	3	94	5	7

It would be quite impracticable to indicate the cases of arrear in which the first default occurred within the last six months. To do so would involve, in each case now in default, an examination of the accounts since the advance was made, which in some cases would extend back for upwards of twenty years.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Mary Dunbar, of Manorhamilton, county Leitrim, register No. 635, was denied an old age pension owing to a mistaken entry in the Census of 1851; and whether, having regard to the fact that the name entered was that of her half-sister, who was four years younger and bore the same name, the Local Government Board will reconsider her claim and grant her the pension?

Mary Dunbar's claim for an old age pension was disallowed by the Local Government Board on appeal on the 13th instant on the ground that she was unable to furnish satisfactory proof of age. In the 1851 Census Returns she was shown as being three years of age, and the Board had nothing before them to prove that the entry is incorrect; nor was it stated that she had a younger sister of the same name as herself. It is not open to the Board to reconsider a decision already given.

asked the number of persons aged seventy years and upwards in Ireland who were in receipt of poor relief, indoor or outdoor respectively, in the years 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1913, including any cases of old age pensioners in receipt of medical relief?

The number of persons in Ireland aged seventy years and upwards who were in receipt of poor relief on the 1st January, 1910, was 16,629 outdoor and 8,912 indoor. On the 1st January, 1911, the numbers were 6,060 and 7,952 respectively, and on 1st January, 1912, 1,681 and 6,555 respectively. The figures for 1909 and 1913 are not available, and I have no information as to the number of old age pensioners in receipt of medical relief. In order to obtain this information it would be necessary to communicate with every union in Ireland.

asked the Chief Secretary whether there is any traffic in worn- out horses sent from Irish ports to Great Britain or the Continent; if so, from what ports these horses are shipped, their destination, and whether there is any system of inspection of these animals at the Irish ports; and will he state what is the extent of this trade?

It is gathered from reports by officers of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland in charge of ports that a traffic in worn-out horses from Ireland to the Continent, either direct or via Great Britain, does not now exist. Horses leaving Irish ports for Great Britain are looked at by inspectors on duty at the ships' sides. If they see anything in an animal's condition suggesting that it may be unfit for shipment they are instructed to call the attention of a veterinary inspector to the case. Should the latter inspector on examining the animal regard it as unfit it is his duty to serve a notice forbidding its shipment and to report the circumstances. It is only very rarely that any case arises calling for action of this kind.

asked whether a statement of complaint against certain inspectors and officials made by Mr. M'Donnell, assistant teacher in Chapelizod boys' national school, Dublin, and addressed to the Commissioners of National Education at stated meeting, has yet been considered by them at such meeting; and, if not, when it will come up for consideration?

The Commissioners of National Education inform me that the teacher referred to has written to them recently making charges against the senior and district inspectors and other members of the official staff in connection with his failure to obtain increments of good service salary. His complaints are being investigated at present, but it cannot be stated when they will be submitted to the Commissioners for consideration.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will lay upon the Table of the House General Sir Arthur Paget's reply to the letter from the Army Council dated 14th March, 1914?

The reply reads as follows:—"17th March, 1911."Sir,—1. In reply to War Office confidential letter dated 14th March. 1914, I have the honour to inform you that in accordance with the instructions contained in that letter special precautions are now being taken to ensure the safety of Government arms and stores in this Command.2. As regards the four places specially mentioned, it is pointed out that:—

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will lay upon the Table the document furnished to him by the War Office relating to the British Army and Ulster written on House of Commons notepaper?

submitted the following:—"(With Mr. Rowland Hunt's compliments.)From the 'Globe' of 19th November, 1913.'Pledged to fight for Ulster.'Letter from Mr. Rowland Hunt, M.P.His Son and the Army.Although we are Catholics, and therefore most anxious to be friends with the Catholics of Ireland (writes Mr. Rowland Hunt in the following letter to the 'Globe'), my son will feel bound to resign his commission in the Army, and I am pledged to fight for Ulster, if the Home Rule Bill is forced through the House of Commons without an appeal to the country.Mr. Redmond (writes Mr. Rowland Hunt) tells us that the mass of English people are sold for Home Rule, and that they are not to he bullied into the betrayal of Ireland.' To pretend that Ireland may be bullied and betrayed is not only untrue but absurd, because it is perfectly well known that of late years far more has been done for the Irish than for the English people.On the other hand, it is quite obvious to ordinary people that Mr. Asquith has been bullied by Mr. Redmond into driving the Home Rule Bill through the House of Commons in order that he and the Liberals might retain their salaries and patronage for three years.As Mr. Redmond is SO certain of the support of the mass of the English people, how can he possibly object to an Election or Referendum? His assertions are palpably insincere, he is evidently afraid of putting them to the test. If the question was allowed to be put to the people of Great Britain and the verdict went, against Mr. Redmond, they would be, according to his own words, 'both fools and cowards.'To add to these insults a Nationalist paper describes the soldiers of the Yorkshire and Berkshire regiments as 'little wretches,' and compares them with the pigs of the same breeds in Tipperary. Yet these are the little wretches whom Mr. Redmond is going to compel the Prime Minister to use to make war on Ulster-to coerce and shoot down the most loyal subjects of the King.Mr. Redmond pledges for himself and his party `their fealty as a nation and their loyalty as men,' yet a few days ago we read that his friends and supporters of the Ancient Order of the Hibernian Irish-American Alliance unanimously passed a resolution at Cork 'emphatically protesting against the action of the Lord Mayor in officially toasting the English King, as by doing so he wilfully misrepresented a majority of the citizens of Cork.'British officers will certainly refuse to lead their men against the loyalists of Ulster, so that if there is any bluff it comes, not from Ulster, but from Mr. Redmond and his obedient servant, the Prime Minister of England. it is to be hoped that British officers will find means of letting Mr. Asquith know that they will resign if the Home Rule Bill is sent to the King for signature before it is submitted to the people. Every loyal Territorial officer would have no difficulties about resigning, and surely should do so, to prevent civil war in Ireland, and to prevent the King from being placed in an impossible position.Although we are Catholics, and therefore most anxious to be friends with the Catholics of Ireland, my son will feel bound to resign his commission in the Army, and I am pledged to fight for Ulster, if the Home Rule Bill is forced through the House of Commons without an appeal to the country.Mr. Churchill tells us `that large numbers of his party naturally ask nothing better than to see whether the red blood of Ulster will really flow.' I conclude that Mr. Lloyd George and his followers will stay at home in peace and comfort and foully abuse their fellow countrymen as he did during the South African War."

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the Board, under Section 1 of the Exportation of Horses Order of 1898 or any other Departmental Order, prevented the exportation abroad of any horses on the grounds of cruelty or physical incapacity during the twelve years prior to, June, 1910; and, if so, how many and from what ports?

The enforcement of the provisions of the Exportation of Horses Order of 1898 rested with the local authorities, and the Board have no record of their proceedings thereunder. A general observation over the working of the Order was kept by the Board's general inspectors, who visited the various ports from time to time and travelled across to the Continent with the animals. It is known that by their intervention and advice the shipment of unsuitable horses was frequently prevented. No record was, however, kept of these interventions.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the Admiralty has received any Reports from the Joint Naval Court held at Vila, in the New Hebrides, during December last, or from any of the officers taking part in such Court; and whether he will publish the same Reports?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on Thursday last to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War how many B.E. aeroplanes have actually been built at the Royal Aircraft Factory; how many of them have been booked as replacements of old numbers; and how many have been issued as new machines?

Sixteen, of which seven, were issued as new machines, and the rest were reconstructions of other types.

asked the Under Secretary for War whether he has forbidden for the present the use of the B.E. machines; and what machines are now being flown by the various squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps?

The use of the B.E. aeroplane was temporarily suspended, but they are now being flown. The other machines in use are Avros, Bleriots, Henri Farmans, Maurice Farmans, and R.E.'s.

asked how many officers in the military wing of the Royal Flying Corps holding the rank of flying officer have flown Service machines since the 1st January, 1914; and how many have made cross-country flights on such machines?

The answer to the two parts of the question are, respectively, fifty-one and forty-three.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, having regard to the statement that aeroplane B.E. 205 was originally a Howard Wright bi-plane, reconstructed at the Royal Aircraft Factory, he will state what portions, if any, of the original machine were contained in the new bi-plane; and, with regard to the statement that B.E. 204 was originally a Bristol bi-plane, he will state what portions, if any, of the original machine were contained in the reconstructed machine?

The two aeroplanes mentioned retained, as originally reconstructed, nothing of importance except the engines.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, in testing the new R.E. machines, the elevator flaps of several bent while being flown, in other cases the rudders bent while the machines were being flown, and in one case it broke off owing to a gust of wind hitting it while it was standing on the ground?

The answer is in the negative.

asked whether the alleged reconstruction of old aeroplanes in the Royal Aircraft Factory is in fact a fiction to disguise the actual building of new machines at the factory which are merely substituted for the numbers of the old, smashed, or discarded machines?

Seriously damaged aeroplanes are, under present practice, struck off charge and replaced by new ones with new numbers. Formerly it was customary to class as reconstruction the practical rebuilding of an aeroplane, if the original engine remained available.

asked the Under-Secretary for War why in the Gazette of 24th March Colonel H. B. Williams, D.S.O., general staff officer, second grade, Headquarters Irish Command, was temporarily appointed general staff officer, first grade?

A request for this appointment was made by the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Ireland, and the appointment was made on the recommendation of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether, as 48 hours weekly is the working time in all War Office Departments, he will arrange for those men who are, by the nature of their employment, compelled to work longer to be paid overtime?

The fact that certain classes, owing to the nature of their employment, work longer than forty-eight hours is taken into account in fixing their wages If special payment were made for overtime the normal wage would be correspondingly reduced.

also asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he has yet decided that the stoppage of 2s. weekly for the use of tools charged against the wheelwrights in the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, is unjust, and that they will in future be paid the full rate, without this unfair reduction of wages for tools which never become the property of the men?

It is the custom of this trade for men to provide their own tools. Those employed in the Army Ordnance Department at Woolwich have tools provided for them by the public, and are thus relieved of expense. The reduction of wages on this account is not 2s., but 6d. per week, and is not unfair to the men.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India (1) when the sum of £1,000,000 was provided for unforeseen expenditure in connection with the new capital at Delhi; was it included in the original estimate of £4,000,000; (2) whether the revised estimate of expenditure in connection with the new capital at Delhi includes the proposed railway terminus and all costs involved in the transfer of the capital, whether incurred at Delhi or elsewhere; is it now anticipated that the ultimate total cost will not be materially more than 50 per cent. in excess of the original estimate, or what is the estimated excess; and (3) how much has already been expended in respect of the revised estimate of £5,113,000 expenditure, reported by the Viceroy as having been approved by the Government of India in respect of the new capital at Delhi and of the additional sum of £1,000,000 for unforeseen expenditure?

I propose to reply to this and the two following questions together. The £4,000,000 originally mentioned was expressly stated to be based on scanty data, and was little more than a rough and general forecast of what the works likely to be required for the new capital might cost in the aggregate. In my reply to the hon. Member for Brentford on the 25th March, I stated that the estimates as now approved by the Government of India amount to £5,113,000, with an additional £1,000,000 held in reserve for unforseen expenditure. These amounts are exclusive of the cost of moving and enlarging the cantonment and of improving the present railway arrangements. As regards the latter no decision has yet been come to. Expenditure else-where than at Delhi is not included in the figures. Of the estimated expenditure of £5,113,000, £407,000 had been spent on and before 31st January last.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what projects there are before the Government of India in regard to industrial, railway, water, dock, or afforestation matters; and how many of these are unable to be proceeded with for lack of funds?

It is impossible to give a categorical answer to the question as put, as I am not aware that a list of the kind is kept by the Government of India, and many projects of the class mentioned are within the province of local bodies or private enterprise rather than of the Government of India. If the hon. Member will state his question in a rather more precise form I shall be glad to answer it as far as possible.

asked the Under-Secretary why the Central Association of Accountants, which has a considerable number of members practising in India, is not included among those institutions and associations of accountants of which the members will, without further examination or inquiry, be held to be qualified as auditors for banks and public companies in India; and whether he is aware that some of the societies selected by the Governor-General have no members practising in India?

The law gives complete discretion in the matter to the Government of India. They are undertsood to exercise it on expert advice, and on the principle of admitting those associations only that satisfy them that the conditions of membership guarantee the possession by every member of full qualifications for auditing the accounts of public companies. On the second question I have no information.

asked the Postmaster-General whether Miss N. Griffiths, who entered the Hanley post office on 17th June, 1912, as a girl probationer, has been retained on half-time duties as a telephonist since September, 1912, at the rate of 5s. per week; whether the usual rate for such employment is 7s. per week; whether probationers, in the regulations respecting their employment, are promised that their services will be retained if they satisfy the Civil Service Commissioners as to their character and physical and educational fitness for the situation; and whether, in view of the long period of half-time duty, he will order that she be placed on the list for full-time duty, and the current rate of pay be given to her pending such adjustment?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to a question on the same subject asked by the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent on the 30th March.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state when the extension of the telephone to Carrickmacross, which is so long promised, was commenced, and when the exchange will be open for the transaction of business?

Instructions were issued on the 3rd February for the work to be put in hand. It will probably be some time before it can be completed, but I am having inquiry made on the point.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether it is proposed to publish as heretofore a volume of Census statistics for each county; and, if so, when the issue of this series will commence?

A series of volumes of Census statistics for counties is now in course of preparation; some of the smaller counties will be grouped with adjoining counties. It is feared that the publication of this series cannot commence before July.

Administrative Counties (with Associated County Boroughs).				Population.		Actual Increase.	Proportional Increase per cent.
				1901.	1911.
Middlesex	…	…	…	792,476	1,126,465	333,989	42.1
Monmouthshire	…	…	…	298,076	395,719	97,643	328
Glamorganshire	…	…	…	859,931	1,120,910	260,979	30.3
Surrey	…	…	…	653,661	815,578	191,917	294
Essex	…	…	…	1,083,998	1,350,881	266,83	24.6
Hertfordshire	…	…	…	258,423	311,284	52,861	205
In fourteen counties the actual increase was greater, but the proportional increase was less than in Hertfordshire. These counties were:—
Hampshire (including Isle of Wight)			…	799,582	950,579	150,997	189
Nottinghamshire	…	…	…	514,459	604,098	89,639	17.4
Worcestershire	…	…	…	452,759	526,087	73,328	16.2
Northumberland	…	…	…	603,119	69,893	93,774	155
Durham	…	…	…	1,187,474	1,369,860	182,386	15.4
Cheshire	…	…	…	835,941	954,779	118,838	14.2
Derbyshire	…	…	…	599.694	683,423	83,729	14.0
Lincolnshire (Parts of Holland, Kesteven and Lindsey)				500.022	563,90	63 938	12.8
Warwickshire	…	…	…	940.879	1,040,409	99,530	10.6
Yorkshire, West Riding	…	…	…	2,761,321	3,045,377	284,656	10.3
Sussex (East and West)	…	…	…	602.255	63,378	61,123	101
Staffordshire	…	…	…	1,236,919	1,348,259	111,340	9.0
Lancashire	…	…	…	4,378,293	4,767,832	389,539	8.9
Kent	…	…	…	961,139	1,045,591	84,452	8.8

The counties in which the population decreased were:—
Administrative Counties (with Associated County Boroughs).					Population.		Actual Decrease.	Proportional Decrease per cent.
					1901.	1911.
London	…	…	…	…	4,536,267	4,521,685	14,582	0.3
Cumberland	…	…	…	…	266,933	265,746	1,187	0.4
Carnarvonshire	…	…	…	…	125,649	125,043	606	0.5
Westmorland	…	…	…	…	64,409	63,575	834	1.3
Cardiganshire	…	…	…	…	61,078	59.879	1,199	2.0
Radnorshire	…	…	…	…	23,281	22,590	691	3.0
Montgomeryshire	…	…	…	…	54,901	53,146	1,755	3.2
Merionethshire	…	…	…	…	48,852	45,565	3,287	6.7

asked the President of the Local Government Board in which of the counties of England and Wales the greatest increase in population took place between 1901 and 1911; what was the proportion of such increase; in what counties the greatest decrease took place; and what was the proportion of such decrease?

The greatest proportional increase of population between 1901 and 1911 was in the administrative county of Middlesex, and the greatest proportional decrease in the administrative county of Merioneth. In six counties the proportional increase exceeded 20 per cent., as follows:—