asked the hon. Member for St. Georgs's-in-the-East whether it has been the habit of public elementary schools for years past to take their children for educational purposes to Hampton Court Palace; whether he is aware that the charge of 3d. per head now prevents large schools from attending; and whether he can see his way to omit the charge in the case of public scholars attended by their teachers?

The First Commissioner is aware that parties of children from public elementary schools visit Hampton Court Palace. In view, however, of the absolute necessity to protect from damage at this particular moment all buildings and objects of great historical interests, he regrets that he does not see his way at present to admit large parties free of charge, although he has already consented to reduce the charge by one-half in cases of parties.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of his words of encouragement to the deputation of working women from the East End on 20th June, when he stated that, if the franchise were to be extended to women, it should be on a thoroughly democratic basis and on the same terms as to men, it is the intention of the Government to give facilities for an Amendment extending the suffrage to women on this basis, leaving it an open question to the free judgment of the House of Commons when next the Government fulfils its promise to introduce a Franchise and Registration Bill, to which they were pledged so long ago as 1908; or have the Government now receded from that pledge or do they regard it as lapsed by effluxion of time?

I dealt fully with this matter in my speeches in the House on 27th January and 16th May, 1913, and I can add nothing to what I then slated. I am not aware that anything that I said to the Deputation on 20th June had any bearing on this subject.

asked the Prime Minister what duties, if any, are performed by the Junior Lords of the Treasury, for which they are paid salaries of £1,000 each per annum under the Vote for the Treasury Department?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 6th April, 1905, by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for the City of London when First Lord of the Treasury in reply to a question on this subject.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the tenants on the estate of the M'Gillicuddy, in county Kerry, signed agreements for the purchase of their holdings fourteen years ago; that these agreements for purchase were held up by the landlord and never lodged with the Land Commission; that new agreements were then signed under the 1903 Act in 1906; will he say if this estate was inspected two years ago; and, if so, to what cause is attributable the delay in vesting the tenants' holdings?

The Estates Commissioners understand that the facts are as stated in the first part of the question. The estate is the subject of a sale by the 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 Commissioners in July, 1906. The estate was inspected in June, 1912, and the Commissioners' rulings have been issued to the solicitor having carriage of the sale, and are being attended to.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Robert Smyth was promised a new single cottage upon an agreed site in the townland of Ballylummin, near Ahoghill, county Antrim; whether he is now offered one of a pair of cottages on a different site that is inconvenient and far from his work; and whether steps will be taken to carry out the original proposal?

This case appears to be included in the improvement scheme of the Ballymena Rural District Council, into which an inquiry has only just been held. The inspector of the Local Government Board bas not yet made his Order in respect of the scheme, and if the applicant mentioned in the question objects to any proposed modification of the scheme in so far as it may concern him, he should make his objection known to the council who could consider it before the matter is finally dealt with by the inspector.

asked the Chief Secretary the number of claims arising out of malicious injury to cattle and other animals in Ireland during the years 1905 to 1913, respectively, and the amount of compensation awarded?

The collection of this information will require considerable time and labour, but if the hon. Member wishes to move for a Return I shall offer no objection to its being granted.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the sealed pattern, namely, Colonial or Cavalry pattern, of saddle for issue to the Yeomanry?

The position is one of transition. Hitherto the authorised pattern has been that known as "Yeomanry" pattern, which is, I think, that which the Noble Marquess refers to as "Colonial" pattern. Eventually, as the present stocks of this in use becomes unserviceable, the "Universal" pattern, which is that with which the Regular Cavalry are equipped, will be issued to the Yeomanry, some of whom already have it.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that Messrs. Colbeck Brothers, of Alverthorpe, contractors to the War Office for clothing, are not paying the standard rate of wages agreed to by the West Yorkshire Federation of Employers, namely, warehousemen and hand-cutters are receiving 5¼d. per hour and the proper rate is 5¾d.; other classes of workmen receive ½d. per hour less than the standard rate; other workmen receiving 23s. per week should have 6d. per hour; and other workmen receiving 5½d. per hour should receive 30s. per week; and whether he will take action to ensure that workmen receive the benefit of the Fair-Wages Resolution of the House of Commons?

I am having inquiry made.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether Major Adam has been paid the amount of damages allotted to him; and, if so, by whom?

I can add nothing to what was stated in reply to the hon. and gallant Member for St. Andrews Burghs on the 11th March, except that an appeal is pending.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War the number of aeroplanes now available for effective service, with particulars of the type of machine and make of engine, and similar particulars with regard to the new aeroplanes now on order for the use of the Army?

It is considered best to follow the practice of other countries and treat these details as confidential.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he has considered the allegations of irregularity in the Earl Shilton provided school in Leicestershire which were made at the inquest on the late head mistress; and, if not, whether he will have a report from His Majesty's inspector?

I have heard of the allegations referred to, but I understand that they were denied. I am in communication with the local education authority.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he will circulate a White Paper setting out the objects to which it is intended to devote the Finance Bill Grants for purposes other than elementary education and the approximate amounts which it is proposed to expend upon them?

I told the House on Tuesday, 23rd June, that we proposed to allocate £395,000 to secondary education, £100,000 to technical education, £65,000 for training of teachers, and to start a pension scheme for teachers in secondary and technical schools, and £150,000 for universities. I do not think I can go further than this at present, but I can assure the hon. Member that I am most desirous that there should be full opportunity for discussion of any Regulations for the distribution of the money before they become operative.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the royalties payable to the British South Africa Company in respect of Rhodesian minerals should be included in the administrative revenue of the territory, or whether such royalties will continue to be payable to the company as commercial profits in the event of His Majesty repealing the administrative Clauses of the Charter next October?

The mining revenue of Southern and Northern Rhodesia has for some time past been divided into administrative and commercial under a working arrangement provisionally accepted by His Majesty's Government, which does not, however, exempt the company's mining receipts of a commercial character from the general liability attaching to all their assets to make good administrative deficits. I do not understand that the company's claim to these items which are treated as commercial is in any way based on anything in the Charter, and any question as to their rights out- standing whenever the administrative provisions of the Charter are withdrawn would presumably have to be settled by the Courts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, if unable to give an estimate of the quantity or value of the guano phosphate on Ocean Island in 1901, will he give the latest and most accurate estimate the Colonial Office has got, and say when it was made; and whether on behalf of the Phosphate Company or independently?

I have not received any estimate of the probable quantity, or value, of the phosphates on Ocean Island.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the date of the British annexation of Ocean Island, in the Western Pacific, and the date upon which the British flag was first hoisted there; and if he will give the official explanation of the delay in this ceremony?

Ocean Island became part of Her late Majesty's territories on 2nd October, 1900, the date of the first licence to the Pacific Islands Company. The company had previously hoisted the British flag when they first occupied the island. A formal hoisting of the flag by a naval officer took place on 28th September, 1901, it having been found impossible to arrange for a visit of a man-of-war before that date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Colonial Office is supplied with information from Ocean Island similar to that obtained from other Crown Colonies; and, if so, whether he will state the number of deaths from starvation on that island since it became under British rule; the number of natives imprisoned in that time for alleged theft of food and other offences arising from want; the number imprisoned for inability to pay food taxes; the number deprived of their lands for the same cause; and the total number flogged in connection with want of food and nonpayment of food tax?

The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I have no reason to believe that any natives of Ocean Island have died from starvation; I am not aware whether any natives have been imprisoned for theft. I have no ground for supposing that any natives have been imprisoned or deprived of their lands, or flogged for non-payment of taxes.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India under what Rules of Government payment of arrears of exchange compensation allowance is refused by local governments when passing a claim to monthly exchange compensation allowance; in how many cases during the last five years has grant of arrears of exchange compensation allowance been refused when the claim to draw such allowance is conceded; and whether, when refusing to allow arrears of exchange compensation allowance, a local government could quote the Rule under which the refusal is made?

I append a copy of a Rule which may perhaps cover the case the hon. Member has in mind. It will be observed that local governments have discretion to allow the payment of arrears of exchange compensation allowance, but no statistics are available at the India Office as to the number of cases in which they have refused to exercise it in recent years. If payment of arrears were refused under the Rule, the Secretary of State has no reason to doubt that the authorities concerned would quote the Rule if asked to do so.

"Civil Account Code, Volume I., paragraph 5 ( c ).

Claims of officers, whether gazetted or not, to arrears of pay or allowances or to increments which have been allowed to remain in abeyance for a period exceeding one year, cannot be investigated by an Accountant-General except under the special orders of the local government."

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children were charged by the police in the Metropolitan area in 1911, 1912, and 1913, respectively; and how many of these were allowed to return to their own homes at once under Section 94 of the Children Act?

I will obtain this information and send it to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if at the present time officers at Parkhurst and Camp Hill Prisons, in the Isle of Wight, are on duty inside the prison walls for the following periods per week: Men on early-turn duty, 65½ hours per week; men on late-turn duty, 62 hours per week; and men on night duty, 78 hours 35 minutes per week; if in any other branch of the Civil Service employés work so many hours; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

The hours for an officer on active day duty work out to an average of sixty-three a week; on night duty he has fifty-eight and a half hours. The hours and conditions of duty for a convict prison officer cannot rightly be compared with those of other members of the Civil Service, and when regard is had to all the circumstances I do not think they can be regarded as excessive.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if His Majesty's Prison Commissioners received and acknowledged a petition, dated 4th November, 1913, from the warders of Parkhurst Prison on behalf of the warders at Parkhurst, Camp Hill, Portland, and Dartmouth Prisons, and acknowledged the same, informing the petitioners that the Secretary of State would duly consider the same; and, if not, when an answer may be expected?

I regret that I cannot at present add anything to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Tavistock on the 15th of June.

asked the President of the Local Government Board how many local sanitary authorities there are in England and Wales; how many medical inspectors there are in the service of the Local Government Board whose duty it is to inspect personally and keep in personal touch with the work of these authorities; and what are the other duties of these officers?

The number of sanitary authorities in England and Wales is 1,870. The medical inspectors of the Local Government Board are not specially deputed to make routine inspection of the work of each of these authorities, but in the performance of their various duties, such as the holding of local inquiries, investigations into sanitary circumstances and outbreaks of disease, the inspection of vaccination, and the visiting of localities and conferences with local representatives for various other purposes, they are brought into constant touch with the sanitary authorities and their administration.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) how the case of Blackwater pier, in county Wexford, stands; and what is proposed to be done in the matter?

The Department regret that they have at present no funds available for a contribution towards the cost of harbour works at Blackwater.