asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the estimate of £13,131,000 for Irish expenditure for the year 1914–15 includes any and, if so, what proportion of the Grants of £1,250,000 for the United Kingdom for national health insurance, tuberculosis nursing, and pathological laboratories; and whether the same estimate also includes £172,000 or any-other and, if so, what sum in respect of Ireland's share of the new Grants to local authorities for the year 1914–151

I may perhaps take this opportunity to make a slight correction which has been found to be required in the provisional figures already given. The revised total for the estimated Irish expenditure in 1914–15 is £13,140,500, which includes the sums specified below in respect of the services mentioned:— £ Additional Local Taxation Grants (as stated in House of Commons, 212, of 1914) 172,000 National Insurance 52,000 Tuberculosis, etc. 22,500

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, in allocating an equivalent Grant to Ireland for the money granted to England under the Education Act of 1902, Mr. Wyndham stated on the 1st April, 1903, that the allocation was based on the ratio of the population of Ireland to that of England according to the last Census; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take to carry out such an allocation?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part of the question, I explained the basis adopted by the Government in calculating the share of Ireland in the proposed new Grants in my Financial Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the Grants of £1,250,000 for the year 1914–15, and of £2,000,000 for the year 1915–16, for national health insurance tuberculosis, nursing and pathological laboratories it is estimated will be attributable to Ireland?

The figures may be stated provisionally as follows:— — 1914–15. 1915–16. £ £ National Insurance 52,000 65,000 Tuberculosis, Nursing and Pathological Laboratories 22,500 67,500 74,500 132,500

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the Insurance Commissioners, what income was allowed to the Midlothian County Insurance Committee for expenses of administration during the period 15th January, 1913, to 15th January, 1914; what was the cost to the committee during the same period of printing, postage, and stationery; and what sum was paid on account of salaries of officials and rent of office and meeting rooms?

The figures for which the hon. Member asks are, approximately, £948, £430, 578, and £54, respectively.

asked the Prime Minister whether he can hold out any reasonable hope that the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service will be given effect to before the end of the present Session of Parliament?

I am not at present in a position to give an undertaking on the subject.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been called to the case of Michael Ryan, a tenant on the estate of Lord Midleton in the county of Cork, whose application to the Irish Land Commission to have a fail-rent fixed on his holding was dismissed by the Sub-Commission in November, 1912; whether he is aware that the tenant appealed, and that there was: so much delay in the hearing of the appeal that the landlord was enabled to recover possession of the holding by proceedings before the Recorder of Cork; whether he proposes to take any steps in the Land Bill now before Parliament to prevent landlords, by proceedings such as were invoked in this case, depriving tenants of the advantages and benefits of legislation passed in their interests; and what explanation have the Land Commission to offer for their delay in the case?

The tenant's application to have a fair rent fixed was dismissed by a Sub-Commission Court in November, 1912, upon the ground that the holding, which consisted of a dwelling house, forge, and plot of land in the town of Midleton, was not agricultural or pastoral. The tenant appealed, and in the month of July last the case was reheard by a Judicial Commissioner who directed inspection by an assessor in ordinary course. In the same month, the Judge of Assize affirmed on appeal a decree of ejectment previously given by the Recorder of Cork, it being thereby decided that the holding was not agricultural or pastoral within the meaning of the Land Law Acts. The decree of ejectment having been executed, the Judicial Commissioner subsequently decided that he had no jurisdiction to decide whether or not the holding was agricultural or pastoral unless the tenant should first redeem the holding. There was no avoidable delay on the part of the Land Commission in deciding the appeal having regard to the number of pending cases and to the fact that each case must take its proper turn. I would also refer the hon. Member to Section 13 of the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1881, under which ejectment proceedings can be stayed pending the fixing of a fair rent.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Commissioners of National Education, in making the appointment of headmaster to the Inchicore model schools, Dublin, will recognise the desire of the parents of children attending that school that their children should be taught Irish by appointing a man who knows Irish?

The Commissioners of National Education are not aware that the parents of the pupils of the Inchicore model school have expressed any desire for instruction in Irish, and no Irish has been taught in the school. Vacancies in model schools are announced in the public Press, and candidates are invited to send forward their applications, with a statement of their qualifications, to the Education Office. The applications are submitted at a stated meeting of the Commissioners, and the candidate considered most suitable is elected. The same course will be pursued in this case.

asked the Chief Secretary whether it is the practice of the National Commissioners of National Education in Ireland to defer promotion from a, lower to a higher grade till the 1st April, following the completion of three years' satisfactory service at the maximum salary of the lower grade; whether the effect of this practice is, in many cases, to retard promotion for a period of from one to eleven months; and whether the Commissioners propose to make any change in their method of dealing with these cases?

The Commissioners of National Education inform me that teachers of national schools must, as a rule, remain three years on the maximum income of a grade before their claim for promotion to a higher grade can be considered, but their promotion does not follow as a matter of course from fulfilment of this condition; it merely renders them eligible for promotion from the ensuing 1st April should their ability and general attainments warrant it, and should other necessary conditions be complied with. The Commissioners do not consider that their procedure in this matter can be rightly described as "deferring" or "retarding" promotion.

The rule by which promotions in grade date from the 1st April is a necessary one, and applies to all teachers. The Commissioners have no present intention of altering it.

asked the Chief Secretary what is the cause of the delay in the completion of the sale of the Yielding estate at Glensharrold and Knockfinisk, county Limerick; whether he is aware that the agreements for purchase were signed in May, 1907; and can he say when the sale of the estate may be completed?

This estate is the subject of proceedings for sale by vendor direct to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and purchase agreements at prices agreed upon between the parties were lodged with the Estates Commissioners in June, 1907. The Commissioners have requested the vendor to have the turbary allotments and the means of access thereto more clearly defined on the ground. The estate is not in priority on the principal register of direct sales (all cash) for payment during the present year but it is hoped that, provided the Commissioners' requirements are complied with, the holdings will be vested in the purchasing tenants during the following year.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that, in cases where the procedure prescribed by Article 8, Clause 2, of the King's Regulations has been followed and punishment for a trifling offence has been awarded and served, the commander has refused the applicant leave to see the captain; and whether he will give such instructions as will ensure that petty officers and seamen enjoy the right of access to the captain given by the King's Regulations?

No fresh instructions are necessary, as by Article 8 of the King's Regulations provision is made for the procedure to be followed in a case where the authority to whom the appeal is made refuses to forward it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of prosecutions of firms engaged in the cotton trade in 1913 for offences under the Factory and Workshop Acts known as time cribbing in the towns of Oldham, Bolton, Rochdale, Blackburn, and Ash-ton-under-Lyne, giving the number of convictions and average penalties in each town, separately?

The figures are as follows:—

Town. Firms. Cases. Convictions. Dismissed on Payment of Costs. Penalties. Costs. Average Penalty on Conviction. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Oldham 8 201 201 — 265 0 0 77 3 6 1 6 4 Bolton 15 321 243 78 125 10 0 103 17 6 0 10 4 Rochdale — — — — — — — Blackburn 3 30 30 — 20 10 0 13 17 0 0 13 8 Ashton-under-Lyne — — — — — — —

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office why the forges in the Royal Arsenal are working short time when there is no lack of orders?

There is not sufficient work in hand for full time at all the hammers.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he is aware of the diminution of Grants that has taken place in regard to many of the smaller schools of arts and crafts; and if he will state the reason for such action?

It is impossible to give a general answer, as each school is separately assessed for Grant. Speaking generally, however, there has been a shrinkage in the volume of work since the last triennial reassessment of Grants, due partly to a diminution in the number of students and partly to a diminution in the average number of hours of work done by each. This shrinkage has been apparent in nearly all the schools of art, and, with exceptions, has not been compensated for in the cease of the smaller schools by any marked improvement in the standard of work.

asked on what principle are Grants to schools of arts and crafts allocated?

The Grants are inclusive or "block" Grants, and are assessed by the Board after consideration of the volume, character, and merit of the work done in each school, and of the efficiency with which the work is organised and coordinated with that of other schools and classes in the locality. Reassessment may take place in any year should changes in the work render it desirable, but it has been the practice during recent years to make a triennial reassessment after a

survey of the development of the work during the last triennial period.

also asked what was the amount given by way of Grant in 1909, and what is the amount now, to schools of arts and crafts paid as a block Grant, and also of any other schools of arts and crafts which may not be under the block system, for scholarships, exhibitions, and to students in those schools of arts and crafts, and for cost of art examinations, apart from the national competition, respectively?

The Grants to schools of art were as follows:— 1908–09. 1912–13. £ £ Block Grants … 57,619 … 63,975 Other Grants … 3,955 … 4,053 £61,574 £68,028

The total cost of scholarships and similar forms of aid to students, including those who proceeded from local schools of art to the Royal College of Art, was £7,553 in 1908–09 and £7,377 in 1912–13. I am unable to give the cost of the art examinations in 1909 in terms comparable with those for 1913, but the gross cost for 1910 was about £8,500, and for 1913 about £3,900.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he will state, as regards the borough of Burnley, the number of old age pensioners in the borough in the month of March in each year since the Act came into operation; the approximate annual cost of such pensions; the extra rate that would be necessary, having regard to the rateable value of the borough, if pensions were a local charge; the number of paupers over seventy years of age within the borough in each of the same years, excluding lunatics in asylums, etc., and the reduction in numbers and the reduction per cent. of such paupers as compared with the period before the Act was passed?

The following statement contains such particulars as are available as regards the points mentioned by my hon. Friend. Number of old age pensioners in the county borough of Burnley on the last Friday of March in the several years under-mentioned:— Year. 1911 … … … … 1,247 1912 … … … … 1,286 1913 … … … … 1,292 1914 … … … … 1,326 The estimated cost of the pensions for the year 1912–13 was £16,083, equivalent to the produce of a rate of 8.91d. in the £ on the assessable value of the borough. The numbers of paupers over seventy years of age (excluding lunatics in asylums, etc.) in the county borough on the under-mentioned dates were:— 31st March, 1906 418 1st January, 1911 … … 242 1st January, 1912 … … 91 1st January, 1913 … … 97 1st January, 1914 … … 103 The above figures show a reduction of 315 in the number between March, 1906, and January, 1914, being a reduction of 75 per cent.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he can see his way to granting an extension of the time allowed for the repayment of loans taken up by local authorities to meet the cost of making and paving private streets from seven years to a more extended period?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on Monday last to the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydvil on this subject.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can give in detail the estimated cost of establishing and maintaining a call-office at Swannington, showing the cost of establishing the call-box separately from the cost of maintenance, and showing how the cost of maintenance is arrived at?

The capital cost of providing a call office at Swannington is £79 (£55 for the line and £24 for the cabinet and apparatus). The cost of maintaining the call office will be as follows:— Per annum. £ s. d. Maintenance and renewal of line 5 5 6 Maintenance and renewal of cabinet and apparatus 4 5 0 Interest 2 15 4 Attendance and head quarters expenses, etc. 2 16 0 £15 1 10 The maintenance charges are based on the average cost of maintenance per mile of line, per telephone, etc., and the renewal charges are based on a sinking fund calculation. The cost of a telephone cabinet was not included when the expenses were quoted at £13 as it was thought that it would be possible to dispense with a cabinet. It is now found that a cabinet will be necessary, and this will cause an excess on the original estimate, but as the offer of an extension under a guarantee of £13 has been accepted, the guarantee will not be increased.

asked the Postmaster-General why those efficient engineers of long service who were alleged to be inefficient at the time of the engineering revision of 1911, who are now admitted to be qualified for, and are actually carrying out, the duties of assistant engineers, are denied the title and scales of pay proper to that class?

The men rejected in 1911 were not considered to be as well qualified as those selected for inclusion in the new class of assistant engineers. There are no vacancies at present, but the claims of those who are now regarded as qualified are being considered as suitable vacancies arise. There has been some unavoidable overlapping of duties as between the old class of second-class engineers and the new class of assistant? engineers, but the circumstances are not such as to justify promotion in advance of vacancies.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the total value of the production of iron and steel goods in the United Kingdom, United States, and Germany in 1893 and 1913?

The particulars asked for by the hon. Member are not available. Information as to the quantities of pig iron and of steel produced in the leading countries of the world in each year from 1892 to 1912 may be found in the Return entitled "Iron and Steel, 1912" (House of Commons, 284, of 1914).

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture, as Commissioner of Woods, whether it has now been decided to throw St. John's Lodge and grounds into the public portion of Regent's Park; and whether the negotiations for the renewal of the lease of St. Katharine's Lodge and grounds have been definitely stopped?

The future disposition of St. John's Lodge is still under con- sideration, and there are no negotiations in hand at the present time respecting St. Katharine's Lodge.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture, as Commissioner of Woods, whether he is aware that the Office of Works in 1888 urged that it would be of the greatest advantage to throw open to the public the Toxophilite Society's ground in Regent's Park, and that they stated in 1897 that the rent of £200 paid by the society was a most inadequate compensation for the disadvantages of the present arrangement; will he say whether the three roods which it is proposed to throw open will form an addition which the Office of Works said in 1888 would be an actual disadvantage, since it would necessitate a new fence along ah awkward boundary; and, if so, whether he will take steps to throw the whole of the premises occupied by this society into the public portion of the park?

I am aware of the view expressed by the Office of Works in 1888 and 1897, but as it will be seen by reference to the correspondence in the Blue Book (Cd. 6842, 1913) those views were not adopted. The land now to be added to the park includes not only the addition to which my right hon. Friend refers, but other land as well. It is not proposed to add revenue producing property to the park, unless compensation is made for the revenue that would he thereby lost.