asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the proclamation prohibiting the payment of money to any person who lives in an enemy country, even though the payment arises out of a contract made before the war, he is proposing to make any further payments to the Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz under the annuity of £3,000 a year hitherto granted to her by the British Government; and when was the last payment made to this lady

Payments in respect of the annuity in question are suspended in view of the terms of the proclamation referred to. The last payment in respect of the annuity was made on 6th July, 1914.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether overtime is being worked by clerks in any branch of the Inland Revenue Department; whether such overtime is being paid for at the usual rates; and whether he can state how many hours overtime have been worked since 4th August, distinguishing between paid and unpaid overtime?

The answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. The information asked for in the last part of the question is not at present available and could only be obtained at the cost of some time and labour. I may add that the Board are considering whether special treatment should not be given for the heavy additional work arising out of the issue of the Currency Notes, and involving attendance at night and on Sundays.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) what is the nature of the illness now prevalent amongst the horses at the Curragh; whether any and, if any, how many deaths have occurred in consequence of such illness; and what steps are being taken to prevent its further spread?

Horses in military camps are wholly under the supervision of the Army Veterinary Corps. Orders under the Diseases of Animals Acts do not apply to such horses. I am in consultation with the War Office in the matter.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury why the tender of the New Irish Mining Company, Queen's County, for the supply of anthracite coal to the Irish Board of Works was rejected; and if he will state why a higher tender was accepted, in view of the fact that Queen's County anthracite is in every way suitable and equal to the best Welsh anthracite for Board of Works purposes?

I understand from the Board of Works that the lowest tenders for anthracite coal of a suitable quality were accepted by the Board, and the tender of the New Irish Mining Company, Queen's County, was rejected because it did not fulfil the conditions.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, since the war commenced, the Board of Trade has instructed labour exchange managers to stop the unemployed benefit of skilled artisans who refuse to accept employment as labourers?

No such instructions as my hon. Friend refers to have been issued.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the injurious effect on the building trade, and consequently on employment, produced by the increase in the price of timber since the outbreak of war; and whether the Government will take steps to fix maximum prices for such raw materials on a basis similar to that recently adopted in the case of foodstuffs?

My attention has been called to the matter referred to by my hon. Friend. The Board of Trade are fully aware of its importance, and are considering what steps, if any, are possible and desirable to encourage the supplies of timber for building. I may add that it is not accurate to say that the Government have themselves fixed maximum prices for foodstuffs.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has any official information showing that a British Red Cross nurse has been brutally tortured and killed by German soldiers at Vilvorde, near Brussels; and, if not, whether, in view of the specific and circumstantial nature of the charges made with full disclosure of names and places and having regard to the fact that the evidence of another British Red Cross nurse, escaped from Vilvorde and now in Scotland, is available, he will cause immediate inquiry to be made into the matter?

As soon as the story to which my hon. Friend refers appeared in the newspapers I caused inquiry to be made. My information from the Procurator-Fiscal of Dumfries is that the story is a fabrication. Instructions have been given that strict inquiry shall be made to discover the person or persons responsible for inventing and giving currency to this story.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether the Government have arranged for the equal distribution of War Office orders during the period for which Parliament is prorogued?

The present policy, to which I assume that the hon. Member refers, will be continued.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether officers on consolidated pay are debarred from drawing field allowance while on active service?

If the Noble Lord will refer to paragraph 472 of the Allowance Regulations he will find that the answer is in the affirmative.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the Government proposes to take no action for the relief of the mercantile community, whose cable bills are at present trebled, quadrupled, and even quintupled, owing to war regulations; whether the regulations cannot be made applicable or not as firms and individuals are or are not of known and recognised standing and nationality; and whether steps can be taken to ensure the delivery of the cablegrams and their despatch without undue delay?

As I stated yesterday in reply to the hon. Member for Bolton, I am in communication with the cable companies, and I hope very shortly to arrive at an arrangement which will substantially reduce cable charges to countries outside the European system. The question of allowing the use of abbreviated addresses in certain cases is also being closely considered by the military authorities, who are responsible for the cable censorship. As regards the question of delay, some of the more important cables are heavily pressed with traffic, and this necessarily involves delay; but so far as the censorship itself is concerned, steps have been taken to reduce delay to a minimum.

asked the Postmaster-General if the increase of wages recommended by the Holt Committee is to be given to the Post Office servants?

The increases recommended by the Holt Committee have for the most part been approved, and have either already been carried out or are in course of being carried out.

asked the Postmaster-General what payment is being made by the Post Office to auxiliary postmen who have been called up for service or who volunteered?

The regulations approved by the Treasury for full-time civil servants have been extended to auxiliary postmen regularly employed by the Department.

asked the Secretary for Scotland if he can say when the Report by the Commissioners of the Local Government Board on the housing conditions in Greenock will be forwarded to the local authority?

The Report was forwarded to the local authority last week.