asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is prepared to consider the question of compensating the owners of vessels arrested in German ports out of the proceeds of the sale of German vessels seized in British ports?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to a somewhat similar question asked by the hon. and learned Member for Gloucester on the 9th September. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of that question and answer.

asked the Prime Minister whether His Majesty's Government has received information that automatic contact mines have been laid down by German agents in the Eastern Mediterranean in the track of neutral shipping; and, if so, whether he will propose to neutral Powers that they should, in the interest of common humanity, assist in ridding that sea from these engines of destruction laid in neutral waters?

A report to the effect stated was received shortly after the outbreak of the War, and immediate steps were then taken to counteract the supposed danger to shipping, but, so far as I am aware, no mines have actually been found. Drifting mines have been reported as being set adrift from the Dardanelles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps, by the introduction of a Bill or otherwise, to obtain a census of the male population of Great Britain at the present time for the purpose of ascertaining the number of men of British nationality of an age suitable for military service but not employed in such service, and the districts where such men reside, and also the number of male aliens in the country?

I would refer the hon. Member to the elaborate figures of British and foreign males of various ages contained in the Reports of the Census of 1911. I could not undertake at the present time to obtain further information.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether boards of guardians are obliged to refuse all Poor Law relief, except as indoor paupers, to men between the ages of forty and sixty who are thrown out of work by the effects of the War; whether men so relieved are disqualified from civic rights; and if, under the circumstances, he will consider the possibility of relaxing this order?

In ordinary circumstances boards of guardians are prohibited from giving outdoor relief to men unless relief is required on account of sickness or accident or of bodily or mental infirmity (whether arising from old age or otherwise) affecting the men or any members of their families dependent on them for support; but the Regulations expressly provide that this prohibition may be relaxed in exceptional circumstances or in particular instances of emergency. With regard to the question of possible disfranchisement, I may point out that poor relief received since 15th July last will not affect the Parliamentary registers of voters for 1915. There will, therefore, be ample opportunity for further consideration of this question before the registers for 1916 are prepared.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he can see his way to advise that Nonconformist ministers, representatives of trade unions (including the Agricultural Labourers' Union), co-operative societies, head masters and mistresses of elementary schools, members of urban and rural district councils, and boards of guardians, should be allowed to serve on the distress committees which are being formed?

All the persons named in the question are eligible for inclusion in the local representative committees, and the circulars issued by the Local Government Board, at the instance of the Government Committee, expressly stipulate that representatives of the trade unions, of the local authorities, including boards of guardians, and of philanthropic organisations, should be included. If my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind in which it is considered that a committee is not fully representative, I shall be glad to have inquiry made.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the firm of Messrs. Siemens, of Woolwich, is still executing work for the Post Office; and, if so, if he is aware that 65 per cent. of the shares in this company is held by Germans, that the firm has employed German workmen in the place of English workmen, who refused to work contrary to the rules and customs of the trade; and whether, under these circumstances, he will cancel any contracts that this firm may hold?

Messrs. Siemens Brothers, of Woolwich, are still executing work for the Post Office as well as for other Government Departments. My right hon. Friend understands that although the company is a British company a large proportion of the share capital is held by Germans, and that the firm has employed a small number of German workmen; but my right hon. Friend does not think that these considerations outweigh the inconvenience to the public service and the adverse effect on a large staff of English workpeople which would result from the withdrawal of Post Office contract work. My right hon. Friend is not aware of any such cases as are mentioned in the question, but if the hon. Member will furnish particulars of the circumstances in which Messrs. Siemens are alleged to have infringed the rules and customs of the trade he will have inquiry made into the matter.

asked the Under-Secretary for War if he is aware that the firms of Messrs C. E. Jennings and Messrs. Bobbins and Company, of Bristol, have secured large contracts or sub-contracts from the War Office, the first-named firm the new remount depot at Shirehampton and the other work at Salisbury; whether he is aware that neither of these firms pay the standard rate of wage to the carpenters employed by them nor conform to the hours of labour agreed to in the Bristol district; and whether he will take steps to cancel the contracts held by these firms?

I will have inquiry made.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that the firms of Messrs. Halkes Brothers and Messrs. S. and R. Horton, Limited, of Lincoln, who had the contract for erecting temporary hospitals for wounded soldiers at Lincoln, paid a considerable number of the workmen employed on the contract 2d. per hour less than the standard rate of the district; and whether he will instruct these firms to pay the arrears of wage due to the men, and, if they refuse, to remove them from the list of firms invited to tender for War Office contracts?

Attention has already been called to this matter. It is understood that the contract was placed by the Territorial Association, to whom any representations should be addressed. The War Office is not a party to the contract.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that the messengers employed in the Army Ordnance Department at Weedon are working a large amount of overtime for which they receive no remuneration whatever; and whether he will give instructions that these men be paid for the overtime worked?

I will inquire and let the hon. Member know the result.

also asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that writers employed at the Army Ordnance Department, Weedon, are working a considerable number of hours overtime for which they are not paid; and whether he will make arrangements for all time worked over the normal weekly hours of work to be paid for at the rate of time and a quarter for the first two hours overtime worked each day, and time and a half for all time over two hours, with time and a half for Sundays?

Special instructions regarding overtime pay during the present emergency were issued about a month ago, and it is understood from inquiry that they are in operation.

asked the Under-Secretary for War, with reference to the notices in the "London Gazette," dated 29th August, under the head of the Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight Rifles, 8th battalion the Hampshire Regiment, to be captains, Lieutenants C. Ratsey, A. S. Little (late lieutenant Imperial Yeomanry), 29th August; the following lieutenants to be lieutenants, G. C. Loader and C. S. Pittis, 29th August; the following to be second lieutenants, A. T. Vesey (late captain 1st Herts Volunteer battalion Bedford Regiment), J. H. Bromhead, G. C. Seeley, W. B. Bartlett; to be supernumerary, J. D. Anderson, D. E. Carley, 29th August; whether Lieutenant Ratsey has passed for promotion, and whether the officer commanding this regiment recommended this officer for promotion; if, in the case of Captain A. S. Little, his appointment should read from 1st August, 1914, as this officer joined for duty on 5th August; if the officer commanding the regiment sent a recommendation for Captain N. Deakin (late North Devon Yeomanry) for appointment as captain to complete establishment, and this officer joined for duty on 5th August, and therefore the date of his commission should read 1st August, 1914, and this notification should appear in place of that relating to Lieutenant C. Ratsey on 29th August; if the date of promotion of Second Lieutenant Loader should be the 18th April, 1914, vice Lieutenant Ellery promoted; if Second Lieutenant C. Pittis has qualified for promotion, and there is no vacancy for him to fill; if the date of appointment of Second Lieutenant Vesey should be 8th August, 1914, as this officer joined for duty on 15th August; if the date of appointment of Second Lieutenant Seeley should be 3rd August, 1914, as this officer joined for duty on 5th August; and if the commanding officer has vacancies for the following second lieutenants, J. P. Bronhead, W. B. Bartlett, J. D. Anderson, and D. E. Carley; if the following officers were recommended by the commanding officer for the following, Captain C. W. Vincent, late 8th Hants, to be captain-quarter master, Mr. H. B. Harrison to be second lieutenant, Mr. R. H. Curtis to be second lieutenant; and if the War Office knew on or about 13th August that there was only one vacancy for a second lieutenant in this battalion; and will he say why the recommendations of the officer commanding the regiment, who is responsible for his officers, are not considered; why his letters to the War Office have not yet been answered although written nine or ten days ago; why there are so many obvious clerical mistakes in the "Gazette"; whether he is aware of complaints throughout the Territorial service of the carelessness and inefficiency of the War Office Department dealing with the appointment of Territorial officers; and if he will inquire into the matter and take steps to insure that this Department carries out its duties in a more reasonable and efficient manner?

I am aware that there has been some delay in dealing with appointments to commissions, but I think more allowance should be made for the difficulties involved in suddenly filling up a deficiency of some 2,000 officers in the Territorial Force. The policy of the War Office has been, while giving every consideration to the recommendations of commanding officers and county associations as such, to give priority to gentlemen having previous military training over nominees who had no such training. The names of the latter have, however, been recorded, and all steps that are possible will be taken to gazette them as soon as possible. I cannot enter into all the points of detail set out at length in the question.

asked whether the 3s. a day sustenance allowance will be granted to the men who were called up from the National Reserve, Classes I. and II., in order to relieve the regular troops from guard duties, etc.?

The men called up for these duties have been taken from Classes II. and III., and they have been enlisted into Territorial Force units as supernumeraries. As Territorial soldiers they would be entitled to pay and allowances. If they do not receive rations in kind they will get 2s. in addition to pay and any other allowances to which they may be entitled.

asked the Under-Secretary for War whether arrangements have been made whereby the captured enemy can communicate with relatives; whether he is aware that in a large number of cases no information can be obtained by the relatives of British officers and men who are reported as missing or captured; and whether he will cause representation to be conveyed to the proper source in order that the same facility which has been granted to the captured enemy shall be at once extended to British wounded and captured?

Arrangements have been made for the transmission to Germany of letters written by German prisoners in this country, and for the official communication of information in regard to such prisoners in the event of reciprocity being granted. I am aware, and I much regret, that information as to British officers and men reported missing or captured is not at present obtainable. Every effort is, however, being made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to obtain such information.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the official construction of the law respecting Estate Duty, as amended by the Finance Act, 1914, regards property in which a deceased person had a limited interest only, under a disposition not made by himself, as fully aggregable with his other property for the purpose of determining the rate of Estate Duty; and, if so, whether, having regard to the fact that before the said Finance Act of 1914 any such property as aforesaid was either exempt from Estate Duty on such a death by Estate Duty having been paid on the disponer's death or, if liable to Estate Duty by the disponer having died before the commencement of the Finance Act, 1894, obtained, as regards aggregation, the benefit of special provisions of which the subsisting one completely exempts the said property from aggregation on death of limited owner, and, seeing that the aggregation of such property in the new circumstances created by the Finance Act, 1914, involves hardship, especially when such property does not pass to a near relative of the limited owner, he will at the first convenient opportunity introduce a provision operating as if enacted in the Finance Act, 1914, exempting such property from aggregation on the death of the limited owner, either unconditionally, as provided in Section 16 of the Finance Act, 1907, in terms co-extensive with the heretofore liability of such property to Estate Duty, or exempting the same in so far as it does not pass to a spouse, descendant, or ancestor of the limited owner, as in Section 4 of the Finance Act, 1914, so provided?

The exemption from aggregation in certain circumstances conferred by Section 16 of the Finance Act, 1907, to which my hon. Friend refers, will apply equally in the case of the fresh Estate Duty in respect of settled property imposed by the Finance Act, 1914. I regret that I am unable to promise any further concession.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether Patrick Flynn, an evicted tenant on the estate of Lord Gormanstown, was promised rein statement or an equivalent holding by the Estates Commissioners?

The Estates Commissioners have not received any application for reinstatement from Patrick Flynn, but they have received such an application from Mary Flynn. The Commissioners are not prepared to take any action in her case.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether Mr. Robert Acton accepted an offer, made about two years ago by the Congested Districts Board, for the purchase of his congested estate in Ballinlassa, county Mayo; why the sale has not been completed; whether the tenants are now being sued by the landlord for rent; and will the Board take steps to have the sale completed as soon as possible?

The Congested Districts Board made an offer for the purchase of this property in June, 1913. The price was accepted by the owner on 7th January, 1914, but the Board have since been unable to compel him to proceed with the sale. Proceedings are being taken by the owner against a number of tenants for arrears of rent, but in the circumstances the Board have no power to prevent the vendor from recovering the rent due.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Congested Districts Board are now in a position to purchase for the relief of congestion the Doonflin ranch, part of the Fenton estate, situate in the parish of Skreen, county Sligo; and whether the attention of the Board has been called to the urgent need for prompt steps being taken for the relief of congestion in this area?

The Congested Districts Board have been in communication with the owner of the lands referred to, but they have not so far been offered for sale through them. Several communications have been received by the Board calling attention to the necessity for the relief of congestion in the district.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Congested Districts Board have purchased, or are about to purchase, the Bunfedia lands, at present in the occupation of Mrs. M'Mun and Thomas Coleman, situate in the townland of Bunfedia, in the parish of Dromard, county Sligo?

The Congested Districts Board have agreed to purchase the A. H. L. Popham estate, comprising the lands of Bunfedia referred to.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he will state how many animals were in contact where the ten outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease occurred in the Grimsby district originally scheduled; and how the in-contacts were dealt with?

Eleven out breaks of disease have occurred in the Grimsby scheduled district, and it was ascertained that 569 animals had been in contact with the animals actually affected with the disease. All these animals have been slaughtered.