asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state at what date it is estimated that the necessary works will be completed and a plentiful supply of oil obtainable for the Admiralty from the Persian oil-fields?

The hon. Member will see from paragraph 6, page 4, and paragraphs 27 to 39, pages 27 and 28 of Parliamentary Paper, Cd. 7419, that the Anglo-Persian Oil Company already has a large production of oil. Part of this is now being taken by the Admiralty. The supply contract which has now been entered into provides for gradual increases of supplies during the next three years, at the end of which period the further development is expected to be completed. The company will then be in a position, in addition to meeting contract obligations with other customers, to provide the average quantity expected to be required by the Admiralty, and also to make larger supplies if the Admiralty should decide to exercise the contract option of increasing the quantity.

also asked whether the War Office or the Government of India were consulted by the Admiralty before entering into the contract with the Anglo-Persian Oil Company?

Before the contract was entered into every aspect of this question received consideration at the hands of the Cabinet. In addition thereto, as I have already stated in reply to questions from the hon. Members for Central Bradford and East Mayo, correspondence prior to the contract took place with the India Office, and there were also conferences between officers of the Indian Government and Admiral Slade, who proceeded to Delhi specially for the purpose after leaving Persia.

next asked whether the contract for the pipe-line and other contracts in connection with the Anglo-Persan Oil Company have yet been given out and, if so, to whom; and, if not, will British firms be given a preference?

I have no information on this subject, and can only refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on the 17th June to the Noble Lord the Member for Dover.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the total amount spent upon, or voted for, the construction of submarines by Great Britain and Germany, respectively, from the financial year 1910–11 onwards; and what are the numbers of these vessels, respectively, completed in this period?

The reply is as follows:— — Amount Voted. Great Britain. Germany. £ £ 1910–11 510,477 733,855 1911–12 709,580 733,855 1912–10 808,360 978,473 1913–14 1,020,484 978,473 1914–15 1,104,769 929,550

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he has any official information showing that the German Government proposes to introduce in the autumn a new Naval Bill to provide for the laying down of a number of new battle cruisers, and for the acceleration of the present naval programme; and, if so, whether such a step, if taken, would affect the Admiralty's present policy?

The reply is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the Committee on the supply of canteens has yet been appointed; and, if so, whether he will give the names of the members of the Committee?

The Committee is constituted as follows: Chairman: Lord Rotherham; Members: Mr. R. Burbidge, Lieut.-Colonel E. D. Graham (1st Battalion Royal Berks Regiment), Sir W. H. Lever, Bt., Brigadier-General S. S. Long, C.B. (Director of Supplies and Quartering), Mr. W. P. Perry, C.B. (Director of Financial Services), Major-General Sir F. S. Robb, K.C.V.O., C.B., Lieut.-Colonel B. F. B. Stuart (3rd Battalion Worcester Regiment), Mr. A. Whitehead; Secretary: Mr. G. W. Lambert (War Office). The terms of reference are: "To inquire and report as to what changes in the system of supplying Garrison and Regimental Institutes are desirable and practicable."

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether his attention has been called to the circumstances attending the death of Henry Hartney, gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery, regimental number 27,073, who was killed accidentally while on duty and obeying orders at the Forth Bridge in the month of September, 1913; what, if anything, has been done for his widowed mother in the way of compensation for the death of her son; what inquiry has been held in this case; and will the War Department grant some compensation to his mother to help her in the loss she has sustained by the death of her son?

The inquiries are not yet complete. I will communicate with the hon. Member when a final decision has been reached.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the establishment of first and second lieutenants for the Infantry battalions of the Special Reserve on the 1st July, 1914, and the numbers serving with these battalions on the same date?

The information is as follows:— Establishment. Strength. Lieutenants 1,111 415 Second Lieutenants 808 310 1,919 725

There are also 206 lieutenants and second lieutenants on the supplementary list.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the Army Council have come to any decision with regard to the permanent staff of Territorial Infantry regiments; and whether fresh Regulations will shortly be issued?

I am not in a position to announce the publication of any fresh Regulations on this subject.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether the Board of Education have any power to arrange for the provision of lectures on matters relating to public health; and, if so, under what Statute or Statutes?

The Board of Education does not itself in the usual course arrange for the provision of lectures. The duty of the Board under the Board of Education Act, 1899, is to superintend matters relating to education in England and Wales, and lectures on public health come within their cognisance only in so far as they are related to education. Grants are payable by the Board under their "Regulations for Technical Schools, Schools of Art, and other forms of provision of Further Education in England and Wales," in aid of suitably organised courses of instruction provided by local education authorities in accordance with their powers under the Education Act, 1902. Grants are also made in aid of medical schools, which in some cases provide lectures of the kind mentioned in the question.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether any provision is made for the medical inspection and medical treatment of children attending secondary schools; and, if so, from what source is payment provided?

Medical inspection is provided in some secondary schools and is paid for out of the funds available for the maintenance of the school. Where medical treatment is provided, it is generally, I think, provided at the cost of and by arrangement with the parent. The hon. Member will find some information on the subject in the Annual Report for 1912 of the chief medical officer of the Board.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether the report on the Dowlais Roman Catholic school case by Mr. Barker is the official report on this case?

The answer is in the affirmative. I may add that Mr. Barker's inquiry and report did not relate to the efficiency of the school.

also asked where, when, and by whom the investigation into the Dowlais Roman Catholic school case will take place?

The question which now remains to be investigated is a disciplinary one, namely, whether a certain teacher has or has not acted in such a way as to require the suspension or cancellation of her certificate by the Board. The investigation will take place as soon as possible after the preliminary examination of the registers and any other documentary evidence has been made and time has been given to the teacher for the preparation of her defence. The investigation will be held by an officer of the Board, and we will do our best to arrange the time and place to suit the convenience of the persons concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is permissible for the officer administering the government of any Colony possessing any measure of autonomy, on his own initiative and without first consulting the Colonial Office, to introduce into the legislature of such Colony legislation affecting the fundamental principle of representative government of any corporate institution in the Colony?

I am not prepared to express any opinion on the abstract question of principle raised by my hon. Friend without some indication of the particular case, if any, which he has in mind.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what arrangements are made by the Government of India and by the provincial Governments for the censorship of films exhibited at public cinematograph entertainments?

I understand that orders issued under the several Police Acts enable precautionary action to be taken against the exhibition of objectionable films.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made with the Regent's Canal Company and the police authorities with a view to preventing the loss of life of children by drowning in the canal?

I regret to say that the company have not yet taken any effective measures, but I still hope they may be induced to do so.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he will supply a list of the names, ages, addresses, and dates of death of the twenty-four persons who are certified, in the Annual Reports of the Registrar-General for 1911 and 1912, as having died from cow-pox and other effects of vaccination; and, if not, will he state by what means the information required by the Registrar-General, when copies of certificates of death are applied for, can be obtained?

As the Registrar-General's tabulation of mortality statistics is carried out without reference to the identity of the individuals concerned, the information sought in the hon. Member's question is not available, and I am not in a position to suggest means by which it can be obtained.

asked the Postmaster-General, with reference to the Wheatstone punching test at Sheffield, whether he is aware that only six hours weekly, during the football season, is scheduled for Wheatstone punching for the whole of the staff at that office; whether it has been found that the amount of work of this character is sufficient to maintain all members of the staff efficient to pass the standard of the test imposed; and whether he will provide facilities for the staff to qualify, and upon qualification in a reasonable time grant the increased pay recommended by the Holt Committee as from the 2nd February last?

During the football season there is a certain amount of Press work handed in regularly, and to provide for this work six hours weekly are scheduled for Wheatstone punching. Other Press work is received daily; but as it varies in amount and is often handed in unexpectedly or at very short notice, it is not practicable to schedule it beforehand. Provision for such work is made from the staff on duty at the time. There is sufficient necessary punching to enable the staff to maintain the standard of efficiency required, and special facilities for practice in official time cannot be provided for those officers who have failed to maintain their qualifications. An increase of pay under the recommendations of the Holt Committee can only be given from the date on which the officer is certified to be efficient.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the International Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property provides that any application for a patent from a foreign country must be made within twelve months from the date of application for the same patent in that foreign country; whether application in contravention of that provision are so frequently allowed as to cause it to be practically inoperative; and whether, seeing that parties interested are put to unnecessary expense for revocation proceedings, he will consider an alteration of the law to obviate such difficulties?

Applicants for patents based upon foreign applications who desire to obtain the benefits of the International Convention, for the Protection of Industrial Property must make application in the United Kingdom within twelve months from the date of the first foreign application. No exception to this rule is allowed. If an applicant does not desire to avail himself of the benefits of the Convention he may make application at any time in the United Kingdom. No alteration of the law in this respect is contemplated.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the Committee on Preservatives in Cream and other Food has yet been appointed; and, if so, whether he will give the names of the Members of the Committee?

I hope to be in a position very shortly to announce the names of the Committee.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) if he will give a botanical and chemical analysis of deep peat and surface peat, respectively, taken from the Bog of Allen and from any other large bog in Ireland, with a view to comparison with analyses of the peats of other countries from which fuel is profitably manufactured?

As at present advised, I am not prepared to authorise expenditure in the direction suggested.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland), if he will specify what the Department consider obstacles to the successful commercial manufacture of peat fuel in Ireland, other than the opposition of the coal interest to a fair trial of peat manufacture?

This question seems to be based on the assumption that the Department's view is that peat fuel cannot be successfully manufactured in Ireland on a commercial scale. The Department have not expressed any opinion on this question, and do not propose to.