asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the fact that the Scottish High Court has decided that in Scotland an employer is not compelled to stamp insurance cards unless they are presented to him by his employés; and whether this also applies to England, Wales, and Ireland; and, if not, what steps he proposes to take to give English, Welsh, and Irish employers and working people the same liberty as these same classes enjoy in Scotland?

The hon. Member appears to have misapprehended the effect of the judgment in the Scottish Court, which merely dealt with the evidence necessary to secure a conviction under the National Insurance Act, and has no such effect as that suggested. The latter part of the question therefore does not arise.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Congested Districts Board have acquired possession of the farm at Ashgrove, Kenmare, county Kerry, in respect of which an application for reinstatement has been made by Jeremiah O'Reardon, whose father, Jeremiah O'Reardon, was evicted from the farm; whether the Congested Districts Board have taken O'Reardon's claim into consideration; and, if not, whether he will request them to do so?

The Congested Districts Board are unable to identify the lands of Ashgrove referred to. The Estates Commissioners inform me that Reardon's ap- plication for reinstatement was not received within the period mentioned in the Evicted Tenants Act, and does not, therefore, come within the provisions of that Act. The Congested Districts Board have directed their inspector to report on the matter.

asked the Chief Secretary if the Congested Districts Board have prepared their scheme for effecting improvements on the estate of Colonel C. H. Knox, at Glenhest, county Mayo, and when operations are likely to begin; what area of land has been, or is to be, apportioned with the lodge at Grouse Hill to Colonel Knox; and is it intended to migrate any of the tenants of uneconomic holdings?

A detailed scheme for the rearrangement of the estate is at present in course of preparation for submission to the Congested Districts Board at their next meeting. Pending a settlement of this scheme, the further information asked for in the question cannot at present be given.

asked the Chief Secretary if the maps and other dicuments of the estate owned by Captain E. W. Thompson, parish of Kilgarvin, county Mayo, have been lodged with the Congested Districts Board with a view to sale; and, if so, on what date?

The maps and documents necessary for a preliminary inspection of this estate were lodged with the Congested Districts Board on the 1st November, 1912. The property has been valued, and the Board have decided to make an offer for purchase when some pending legal proceedings between the landlord and one of the tenants have been settled.

asked the Chief Secretary if the maps and other necessary documents relating to the Carter estate, barony of Erris, county Mayo, have been lodged with the Congested Districts Board with a view to sale; and, if so, on what date?

The maps and documents for a large section of this estate were lodged with the Congested Districts Board on the 13th instant, and the Board are informed that the vendor hopes to lodge the documents for a further section very shortly.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if the negotiations for the sale of the estate of Mrs. Atkinson have yet been concluded, and, if not, how the matter now stands?

The Congested Districts Board have issued an offer for the purchase of this estate which has not yet been accepted.

asked the Chief Secretary if the maps and documents relating to the Mrs. Lyons-M'Dermott estate, Ardmore, Erris, county Mayo, have yet been deposited with the Congested Districts Board?

The Congested Districts Board have received the maps and documents necessary for an inspection to be made of this property.

asked the Chief Secretary if the Congested Districts Board have yet issued their offer for the purchase of the estate of Mr. H. H. S. Bingham; if so, when; if not yet issued, when do the Board intend to issue their offer; and to what cause is the delay in acquiring this estate due?

The Congested Districts Board issued an offer for the purchase of this estate on the 1st April, 1914. There has been no avoidable delay on the part of the Board in dealing with this property.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the owners of the Higgins M'Carthy estate, Townaleen, Connemara, have yet accepted the offer of the Congested Districts Board and, if not, what reasons, if any, the owners have given for non-acceptance?

The owners of this property have not so far accepted the offer for purchase made by the Congested District Board, nor have they given any reasons for not accepting it.

asked the Chief Secretary whether Messrs. O'Malley and Joyce, owners of the Raha estate, Connemara, have yet lodged the maps with the Congested Districts Board?

The maps and documents necessary for an inspection to be made of this property have not so far been lodged with the Congested Districts, Board.

asked the Chief Secretary whether Patrick St. Ledger Higgins, owner of the Maam West estate, Connemara, has yet accepted the offer of purchase from the Congested Districts Board; and, if not, whether the Board intend to use their compulsory powers in. this case?

Mr. P. St. Ledger Higgins has not accepted the offer made by the Congested Districts Board for the purchase of his property, and the Board do not at present propose to take any steps to acquire it compulsorily.

asked the Chief Secretary whether any action has been taken, or will be taken, by the police authorities and by the General Prisons Board with reference to the conduct of a prison warder named Clanaghan in discharging firearms in the streets of Derry?

I am informed by the police that there are no grounds for the allegation against Clanaghan contained in the question.

asked the Chief Secretary if he is aware that serious disturbances and hostile demonstrations occurred at the Palace Theatre, Cork, on the 25th May last when the British Army film was presented; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

The police inform me that on the occasion referred to a slight disturbance by a group of young men took place while the film was being presented, and a missile was thrown which slightly injured the film. No proceedings could be taken as none of the persons taking part in the disturbance could be identified.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he has any official or other information which will enable him to state to the House under what flag the Irish National Volunteers are being drilled and trained; and, if so, whether he will make a statement accordingly?

I have not been able to obtain any information up to the present to enable me to answer this question.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he will take steps to secure that the pension scheme for teachers is made retrospective so that a teacher who retired from the service of the National Board on the 1st October, 1901, and who had given more than 38 years' service, may obtain an increase in his pension, in view of the fact that the pension premium was increased from 1897 onwards?

I regret to be unable to give the assurance asked for. The premiums paid under the scheme of 1897 were for the rates of pension sanctioned at that time, and have no relation to the revised scheme now under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) under what rules or regulations rifle practice is permitted on Sundays at the Attermire range, Settle; whether he can see his way to put a stop to such rifle practice on Sundays; and (2) whether on Sunday last, 14th June, a number of Territorials, after rifle practice during that day on Attermire range, took their departure from Settle railway station in a drunken and disorderly condition; if so, who were the offenders; where they came from; and what punishment he proposes to mete out to them?

The conditions under which Sunday rifle practice is allowed have frequently been explained, and I would refer the hon. Member in particular to the replies given to the hon. Member for West Ham on 30th October, 1912, and to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland on 6th May, 1912. No change is contemplated. The officers who were in charge of the men state there is no ground for the allegation that the men were drunk and disorderly. Further, the constables who saw the men, both going to and coming from the range, state that their behaviour was perfectly good, and that there could be no question as to this. No complaints have been received by the police.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether, having regard to the generally recognised evil effects of the opium habit, to the declared policy of the British Government speedily to terminate it in our Eastern Colonies and to the ratification of the International Opium Convention, and in view of the considerable stocks of opium now existing in India and elsewhere, he can now say that the British Government in India will henceforth produce no further opium for sale except for medical use?

The Government of India consider that in the circumstances of India total prohibition of the cultivation or the use of opium is uncalled for and impracticable. Export to other countries is prohibited or restricted according to the expressed wish of each country. The Secretary of State is not able to give the assurance asked for. The area under opium in British India has been greatly reduced in late years, and will no doubt be further reduced in accordance with the policy of progressive restriction.

asked the President of the Local Government Board the total number of nurses in the United Kingdom who are trained with hospital or private training; how many are workhouse nurses and asylum nurses, respectively; and what is the number of midwives, including nurses, in midwifery homes?

There are no statistics at present available showing the total number of trained nurses in the United Kingdom, or the number of mid-wives in midwifery homes. The number of nurses in Poor Law institutions in England and Wales is, approximately, 9,000, and the total number of names on the roll of midwives for 1913 is 35,513. The information I am now collecting as to hospitals will, I hope, enable me to furnish the particulars desired by my hon. Friend, so far as regards hospital nurses in England and Wales.

asked the President of the Local Government Board the number at the date of the last Census of children between the ages of seven and twelve who were inmates of workhouses or other institutions inspected or controlled by the Local Government Board; and, if figures for these years cannot be given, whether the numbers can be given for children of all ages?

The number of children between seven and twelve returned at the Census of 1911 as inmates of Poor Law institutions were as follows:—

The numbers in schools and institutions certified under the Statute 25 and 26 Viet. c. 43, have not been tabulated by ages; the total number of inmates (exclusive of officials and their families) was 7,962 males and 11,368 females.

asked the President of the Local Government Board the expectation of life at birth based upon the mortality in the ten years 1896–1905, and based upon the five years 1901–5?

Without the construction of a life table the information cannot be given. The only life tables which are in preparation or contemplation by the Registrar-General are those for the periods 1901–10 and 1910–12, to which I referred in my reply to my hon. Friend's question of the 12th instant.

asked the Postmaster-General if, in view of the convenience of the parcel post service and of the fact that in many foreign countries the limit of weight of the service is much higher than in the United Kingdom, he can see his way to extend the maximum weight of inland parcels to one hundredweight, which is very nearly the limit fixed in Germany?

I am not in a position to adopt the hon. Member's suggestion. Any considerable increase of the maximum weight would bring with it serious difficul- ties of administration. I may add that the number of parcels weighing even over 4 lbs. at present sent is small.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the numerous cases of breakdown in the health of the staff at the Central Telegraph Office due to nervous diseases, i.e., telegraphists' cramp, neurasthenia, etc.; whether he is aware that for many years almost continuous complaints have been made against the administration of this-office; and whether, in view of the fact that all ranks are concerned as to their future prospects of health, he will have inquiry made into the working conditions of this office?

I can find no evidence of any recent increase in the number of cases in which officers employed in the Central Telegraph Office have broken down in health by reason of telegraphists' cramp or other nervous affections. I am aware that complaints are made from time to time as regards the working conditions of the office; and these complaints have been fully investigated. A Committee, under the chairmanship of the hon. Member for the Hawick Burghs, considered the causes and incidence of telegraphists' cramp, and a further Committee, under the chairmanship of my right hon. Friend the Assistant Postmaster-General (on which the hon. Member for Hoxton served) was appointed to consider certain points of detail in connection with the hours of duty and intervals for meals enjoyed by certain sections of the staff. The working conditions are under the constant supervision of the chief medical officer, and I do not see any ground for the suggested inquiry.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of units of work credited to the Southampton post office and to the Cardiff post office; and the number of supervising appointments at each of these post offices?

The latest figures available at the present time of the number of combined units of work at Cardiff and Southampton are 2,924 and 1,998, respectively. It should be explained that the figures quoted for Southampton are for the year 1909, while those for Cardiff are practically up-to-date. The existing figures of work which are now being scrutinised may possibly show some diminution in the number of units at both offices. The number of supervising officers is shown in the supplement to the Estimates for the current year, to which I would refer the hon. Member.

asked the Postmaster-General when the telephone exchange that it was promised to instal at Turton, Lancashire, over twelve months ago will be installed and opened for the use and convenience of the public of that district; and whether he is aware that considerable dissatisfaction exists owing to the delay that has occurred in connection with this matter?

It was not possible to arrive at a decision regarding the establishment of an exchange at Turton until the end of March last. A considerable amount of construction work is involved, and I regret that I am at present unable to state an approximate date of completion. The work will be expedited as much as possible.

asked the Postmaster-General whether a scheme is under consideration whereby the additional appointments for women principal and first-class clerks recently authorised in the Controller's Office of the London telephone service will be filled not by the promotion of the efficient senior clerks already serving in that office, but by principal and first-class women clerks who may desire to be transferred from other branches of the Post Office; and, if so, whether he will undertake, before considering such a scheme in detail, to provide the women clerks of the London telephone service, who would suffer under such an innovation, with facilities for offering evidence in defence of their own claims to promotion?

The claims and qualifications of women clerks in the London telephone service will be most carefully considered before any promotions are made in that service.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is now in a position to fix the date for granting the increases due to night attendants and call-office attendants under the Holt Report recommendations?

Some of the increases referred to have already been paid, and the payment of the others will be proceeded with as quickly as possible.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the case of the Perth General Station workmen has yet been settled?

Yes, Sir. The Board have been in communication with the Perth General Station Committee, and I am now glad to be able to say that the matter will, be satisfactorily settled.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value of total imports from the United States into the Dominion of Canada during 1912 and 1913, and the value of imports of manufactured goods during the same years?

The total value of the imports of merchandise into Canada from the United States of America in the year ended March 31st, 1912, was. £70,358,000, and in the year ended 31st March, 1913, £92,503,000. The values of the imports of manufactured goods included in these totals were £39,917,000 in the year 1911–12, and £56,376,000 in the year 1912–13.