asked the Prime Minister if increased house rent is to be considered by the Committee which is considering the increased cost of living; if he is aware that rent is being increased on the occupiers of small property more than on the occupiers of large houses; if his attention has been called to a declaration of the Glasgow House Owners' Association at a meeting held on 14th January to the effect that this was the time for increasing the rents, obviously meaning that people were being familiarised with rising prices and that house-owners should take advantage of the fact; and whether the Government will consider the question of a prohibitory order or some other method of saving poor people from such an increased burden at this time when so many of them are otherwise harassed by domestic and other losses?

I have seen a report in the Press of the meeting of the Glasgow House Owners' Association referred to. This report hardly appears to me to bear out the statements made in the question. If the hon. Member will send particulars of such increases to the President of the Board of Trade or, in the case of Scotland, to the Secretary for Scotland, my right hon. Friends will be glad to give the matter careful consideration. I am in agreement with the views of the hon. Member as to the undesirability of adding any further burden to the increased cost of living which prevails at the present time.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has received a protest from Mr. Frederick N. Charrington, of the Great Assembly Hall, Mile End, on behalf of many ministers of religion and the mayors of numerous boroughs, condemning professional football and the playing of cup finals during the present crisis; and whether he is going to take any action?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I am informed that the result of negotiations which have taken place between the War Office, representatives of the Football Association, and Mr. Charrington has been that the international matches have been abandoned. The Football Association did not see their way to stop the playing of cup ties.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider the possibility of conceding to the relations of I those serving at the front the privilege of sending parcels to them by post either at nominal charges or without payment, seeing that, under the present scale of charges, the poorer classes are debarred from the satisfaction of supplying comforts to their relations by this means?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Bedford on the 4th instant.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received notice of the orders issued by the competent military authorities throughout England and Wales under the Defence of the Realm Act and consolidated regulations restricting the hours of sale of licensed premises; and whether he can state the number of orders made and the restrictions imposed in each case?

No, Sir; there is no obligation on the military authorities to report to the Home Secretary in this matter, and they do not do so. Many of the orders issued come to the notice of the Home Office in connection with the orders made by the justices under the Temporary Restriction Act, but my Department is not in a position to collect and give the information asked for in the last sentence of the question.

asked the Postmaster-General whether letters from His Majesty's ships require to be stamped?

As a rule postage stamps can be obtained on board His Majesty's ships, even under existing conditions, and letters should be prepaid with stamps. To meet the few cases where stamps are unobtainable, arrangements have been made for letters which are sent unpaid apparently for this reason to be delivered without charge.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can now state which of the Conventions concluded at the Second Peace Conference held at The Hague in 1907 have been ratified by the Government of Great Britain and Ireland, and which of them, severally, have been ratified by the other Powers engaged in the present War and other Great Powers of the world.

The information asked for by the hon. Member is as follows:—

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has arrived at any decision on the recommendation of Sir H. Acton Blake to the Chief Industrial Commissioner that seamen of the mercantile marine should receive reasonable compensation for loss of kit in the cases of vessels molested by the enemy; and if he is prepared to extend the principle to the losses of effects sustained by masters and officers of interned British ships or of vessels captured and sunk by enemy cruisers since the outbreak of war, for which there is no recompense?

I understand that the recommendation referred to in the question was intended for the consideration of the parties concerned in the Liverpool inquiry, and not of His Majesty's Government. The Board of Trade are, however, prepared to give special facilities for insuring at a reasonable rate of premium the effects of masters, officers, and seamen for moderate amounts against war risks, provided that there is a prospect of those concerned availing themselves of a scheme which has this object in view. The Board are at present in communication with representatives of Associations of Masters, Officers, and Seamen upon this subject.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why licensed watermen specially enlisted for examination duties between St. Helens and the Horse Fort at Portsmouth are not allowed separation allowance?

The scheme of Navy separation allowance extends only to naval ratings, Marines and Reservists, borne on the books of His Majesty's ships and paid at naval rates of pay. The licensed watermen alluded to are paid at mercantile rates, and, consequently, separation allowance is not issuable in respect of them.

asked the Under-Secretary for War why the tenders of the Irish Tobacco Company for the supply of tobacco for the troops have been refused; and whether Irish tobacco and Irish firms will receive a share of Government contracts?

Three tenders for tobacco have been received from the Irish Tobacco Company; on two occasions they received a portion of the order; on the third the sample submitted was not considered suitable. Two tenders have been received from this company for cigarettes, one of which was declined on account of price and the other because the delivery offered was not sufficiently prompt. Nine Irish firms are noted on the War Office list for tobacco and cigarettes, and their tenders are duly considered. Applications to tender from any suitable firms not already on the list would be favourably considered.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, although not referred to in the Special Report from the Select Committee on Naval and Military Services (Pensions and Grants), it is intended to continue the grant of London allowance for rent?

The answer is in the affirmative.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office by what Army Order is a paymaster authorised to withdraw separation allowance for twenty-eight days from the wife of a soldier undergoing detention for ten days; if there be no such Army Order, will he inquire why the wife and child of Private John Parkinson, No. 6821, East Yorks Regiment, was deprived of twenty-eight days' separation allowance; and has the Order of 16th November, 1914, been revoked, by which it was decided that pending further instructions no deduction for separation allowance and allotment will be made for periods of imprisonment of soldiers up to twenty-eight days at home and six months abroad.

The existing Regulation is paragraph 11 of Army Order 120 of 1915, under which separation allowance is stopped for periods of detention exceeding twenty-eight days, if the soldier is at home. I will have inquiries made into the case to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to ensure that a larger acreage than formerly shall be devoted to the cultivation of wheat, oats, and other bread-stuffs for the current year; and what steps he is taking to encourage such cultivation in the coming years, both during and after the War?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries have supplied information and advice on this subject to a great number of farmers. According to the latest information in the possession of the Board there is likely to be a substantial increase in the acreages under grain crops, particularly wheat, this year. There would undoubtedly have been a still greater increase if unfavourable weather and shortage of skilled labour had not interfered with autumn cultivation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will cause an inquiry to be made from the American Embassy as to whether the 7,500 parcels for the benefit of the British prisoners in Germany, sent by the Church Army, have been delivered; and, if not, what prospect there is of their delivery?

His Majesty's Government have not heard that these parcels which are stated to have been dispatched on January 16th have gone astray, but such inquiries as are possible will be made in the matter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of the recent decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of the Continental Tyre and Rubber Company, the whole of the shares in which, with one exception, are held by alien enemies, it is proposed to introduce legislation to deprive alien enemies by this device of the right of using the English Courts to sue British subjects?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for East Nottingham on the 4th February.

asked the Attorney-General whether, having regard to the sums due from German debtors to British creditors, the Government will take steps to ascertain what property and assets of every kind and description there is in this country belonging to alien enemies, and that such property and assets be included in the register mentioned in Section 5, Sub-section (4), of the Trading with the Enemy Amendment Act, and be open at all times for public inspection, primarily for the benefit of British creditors of enemy countries and subjects?

The provisions of the Trading with the Enemy Amendment Act, 1914, cover a large part of the ground indicated, and there are considerable practical difficulties in further extension, but this matter is under careful consideration.

asked the Attorney-General whether he is aware that the Public Trustee has been unable to give British creditors of enemy debtors rights of protection over the property and assets of every description belonging to their enemy debtors in this country; and, if so, whether he will introduce legislation to make it clear that Section 4 of the Trading with the Enemy Amendment Act, 1914, shall not be limited to any special class of property and assets?

I am not sure that I understand the point the hon. Member wishes to raise. Section 4 of the Trading with the Enemy Amendment Act, 1914, is not limited to any special class of property or assets, and this question appears therefore to be based on some misapprehension.

asked the Prime Minister whether there are three large ships lying in Portsmouth Harbour containing about 4,000 interned alien enemies; whether these alien enemies I can have a full view of the proceedings in Portsmouth Dockyard and Harbour as well as of all signals made; whether other matters useful to the enemy could be observed by these prisoners; whether any of these prisoners have been released since their arrival at Portsmouth; if so, how many; and whether he can see his way to remove such a danger from the precincts of our first naval port and arsenal?

The objection to prison ships lying in Portsmouth Harbour are admitted, though I am informed that, owing to the precautions taken, the amount of information that can be acquired by observation is not likely to be of any value. Owing to the large number of prisoners that had to be dealt with at short notice by the military authorities, no other arrangement at the time was possible, but steps are being taken to find other accommodation with as little delay as possible. From information supplied to me by the War Office, it appears that 351 prisoners have been released.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Drimsnane grass farm on the Ardilaun estate, Connemara, which has recently been acquired by the Congested Districts Board, is still in the possession of a grazier; whether the Congested Districts Board will immediately take the necessary steps to allow the tenants, on reasonable terms, to have the use of this farm; and whether the proposal of the tenants to the Congested Districts Board will be favourably considered without unnecessary delay.

The Congested Districts Board are not yet the legal owners of this property and cannot therefore at present take any action with regard to the lands referred to.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether an offer for purchase for the Blake Minor estate, Inverin, Connemara, has yet been made by the Congested Districts Board; and, if not, will he state whether negotiations for purchase of this estate are going on between the Board and the owners?

An offer was made by the Congested Districts Board for the purchase of this property, but was not accepted, and negotiations are now proceeding.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what is the total amount of purchase money advanced under all the Land Purchase Acts up to the 1st January, 1915; what is the total amount of purchase money representing all the agreements which are pending and where the sale has not been completed up to 1st January, 1915; what is the amount of purchase money advanced last year from the 1st January, 1914, to the 1st January, 1915, under all the Acts; what has been the total purchase money advanced altogether under the Land Purchase Act of 1909 since it was passed up to 1st January, 1915; what is the total amount of purchase money represented by agreements, whether the sales have been finished or not under the Land Purchase Act of 1909, from the time it was passed up to 1st January, 1915; what was the amount of annuities and interest payable by the tenant purchasers under all the Acts from the 1st January, 1914, to the 1st January, 1915; what arrears were due by them in respect of these annuities and interest up to the 1st January, 1915; about how much rental has been bought out in Ireland under all the Land Purchase Acts in Ireland up to the 1st January, 1915; about how much of the rental of Ireland still remains to be bought out; what is the average price paid under all the Land Purchase Acts by tenant purchasers calculated on all the money advanced up to the 1st January, 1915; and what is the estimate of the money required for the purchase of all that portion of the rental which has not yet been bought out?

The total amount advanced under the Irish Land Purchase Acts. 1870–1909, up to 1st January last was £91,768,450, and a sum of £1,584,516 was lodged in cash by the purchasing tenants, making the total purchase money £93,352,966, the sum advanced during the year ended the 1st January last being £5,764,412. The estimated purchase money of lands for the sale of which proceedings had been instituted and were pending on that date, including lands for the purchase of which the Congested Districts Board were in negotiation, but had not yet acquired, was £30,137,420. The total amount advanced under the Act of 1909 up to the 1st January last was £5,132,033, and the estimated purchase money of lands pending for sale under that Act on that date, including pending congested Districts Board sales was £8,037,929.The figures as to purchase annuities and interest in lieu of rent collectible by the Land Commission under these Acts, and the arrears, are not classified and abstracted up to the date mentioned in the question, but it will be seen from the Annual Report of the Land Commission for the year ended 31st March last, that during that year a sum of £2,658,550 was collectible in purchase annuities, and £1,212,591 as interest in lieu of rent in pending sales, and that the arrears on the 1st July last in respect of these sums were only £12,499 and £11,638 respectively. These arrears have since been considerably reduced as the result of legal proceedings instituted. The average number of years' purchase of all classes of rents (including judicial, non-judicial, leasehold, etc.) of holdings vested by the Estates Commissioners in direct sales under the Acts of 1903 and 1909 is 22.4 and 20.3 respectively. Detailed particulars as regards the number of years purchase under the Acts prior to 1903 are given in Parliamentary Paper 90 of 1903. The rental of the lands sold is not available in all cases, but such particulars as are available are given in the tables relating to the various classes of sales appended to the Annual Reports of the Irish Land Commissioners and the Estates Commissioners. On the basis of the estimate submitted in Parliamentary Paper 6930 of 1913, the purchase money of lands which have not yet, but which may become the subject of proceedings for sale under the Land Purchase Acts may be estimated at a sum not exceeding 60 millions.

asked the Chief Secretary if the Congested Districts Board will, in view of the grazing facilities urgently required by small neighbouring farmers, expedite the transfer of the Thomas O'Reilly estate, Erris, county Mayo, so as to be available for the ensuing spring and summer?

The offer of the Congested Districts Board for the purchase of the estate referred to has already been accepted, and the legal formalities in connection with the purchase will be expedited as much as possible.

asked if the Congested Districts Board have issued an offer of purchase for the estate of Mr. G. T. Shaen Carter, Belmullet, county Mayo; if so, what reply has been received from Mr. Carter; and, if no offer has been issued, when do the Board hope to be in a position to do so?

The Congested Districts Board have not yet issued an offer for the purchase of this property, but the question of doing so will be considered as soon as practicable.

asked if Mr. Denis G. Bingham has yet intimated to the Congested Districts Board his acceptance of their final offer for the purchase of his Kilmore Erris estate, county Mayo?

Mr. D. G. Bingham has accepted the final offer of the Congested Districts Board for the purchase of his estate, comprising 120 acres of the lands of Ballykinlettra, county Mayo.

asked when the Congested Districts Board hope to be able to begin the improvement works on the estate of Mrs. Atkinson, Glencastle, in the barony of Erris, County Mayo, the Board's offer for which was accepted in June, 1914?

This estate has not yet been vested in the Congested Districts Board, and it is doubtful, having regard to the probable shortness of money available, whether the Board will be in a position to carry out any improvement works on it during the coming financial year.

asked whether the maps and other documents necessary for the sale of the estate of Mr. Robert Carson, in Erris, county Mayo, have yet been deposited with the Congested Districts Board?

The answer is in the negative.

asked if the Congested Districts Board have yet issued a final offer for the purchase of the estate of Mr. Arthur Bingham, at Doolough, county Mayo; if so, what reply has been received from Mr. Arthur Bingham; and has the owner announced his willingness to sell if paid cash instead of being paid wholly in stock?

The Congested Districts Board have not made a final offer for the purchase of Mr. Arthur Bingham's property. An offer providing for payment in stock was issued, but the Board were informed that the owner could not accept it in view of the depreciation in value of the stock.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office what is the total cost of the proposed new houses to be erected for the employés of Woolwich Arsenal, the cost of the land per acre, and the number of acres, the cost of the different sizes of houses and the rents to be charged in each case, and the date when the scheme was started?

The land for this scheme is eight acres, rented at £5 per acre, and it is proposed to erect fifty houses, all of the same size. The cost of erection is estimated at £7,700, not including drainage, water supply and other necessary incidentals. Until the cost of these is ascertained, the rents cannot be definitely fixed. The scheme was taken in hand last month.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many assistant inspectors of schools have been appointed since 1st January, 1913; how many were school teachers; how many were college trained; and how many were drawn from each training college?

All the assistant inspectors were appointed after 1st January, 1913. They number thirty. All of them had been school teachers, but three of them were engaged in educational work other than teaching at the time of their appointment. Twenty-six were college trained. The numbers drawn from each college were: Bangor, 1; Battersea, 5; Borough Road, 4; Cambridge, 1; Chelsea, 2; Culham, 5; King's College, 1; Nottingham, 1; Saltley, 1; Westminster, 2; Winchester, 1; York, 2; total, 26.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he has information as to when the next Report of the Royal Commission on Sewage Disposal is likely to be issued?

The final Report has now been signed, and will be issued shortly.

asked the Postmaster-General how many men in the London area in the telephone service are receiving 26s. a week; how many 28s. a week; and how many less than 30s. a week?

I assume that the hon. Member refers only to men employed on full time duties in the London Telephone service. Of these there are ninety-seven in receipt of wages between 26s. and 27s. 11d. a week, twelve between 28s. and 29s. 11d., and a total of 652 with pay of less than 30s. a week.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that whereas in Armagh the charge for a telephone is £5 per annum, in Keady, Markethill, and Tandragee the rate is £6, that the trunk line charge between Armagh and Monaghan, seventeen miles, is 3d., between Armagh and Dungannon, twelves miles, 3d., and between Armagh and Newry, twenty-one miles, 3d., while between Armagh and Portadown, ten miles, the charge is 6d., and between Armagh and Lurgan, fifteen miles, it is 6d.; if he is aware that the high rates charged militate against the development of telephonic communication in these districts; and if these charges can be revised and reduced?

The Armagh exchange was opened by the Post Office before the National Telephone Company's system was transferred to the State, and £5 was the minimum rental for exchange lines in such areas; £6 was the corresponding rate charge by the company. These rates have been continued pending the general revision of telephone rates, which has had to be suspended in consequence of the War. Portadown and Lurgan are in the Belfast area, and trunk calls to these places are effected through: Belfast. The charge of 6d. for trunk calls between Armagh on the one hand and Portadown and Lurgan on the other is therefore based upon the distance between Armagh and Belfast, which exceeds the limit of twenty-five miles within which the minimum fee of 3d. is applicable. I regret that it is not at present practicable to alter the existing basis of charge, but the question will be borne in mind when it becomes practicable to resume the consideration of the general question of telephonic charges.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what were the current rates of freight for wheat from the Atlantic ports of Canada, the United States, and the Argentine Republic, respecively, to this country during each of the last twelve months, respectively?

I regret that the information in my possession does not enable me to give the particulars desired.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the live stock loading-banks adjoining main railways in Ireland are open on the line side, without protection to prevent cattle from straying on the line, although under similar conditions the necessary protection is generally provided in Great Britain; and whether he will cause an inquiry to be made into this matter and an official report issued thereon?

If my hon. Friend will furnish me with particulars of any loading-banks he may have specially in mind, I shall be glad to communicate with the railway companies concerned in the matter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that a case was heard in Athy recently when the plaintiff, Mr. C. Bergin, J.P., C.C., obtained damages against the Great Southern and Western Railway Company, it being proved that cattle strayed on to the line at Kildare station; whether he is aware that the Rosslare express killed three animals; and whether, in order to safeguard the public, he will cause an examination with a view to provide a remedy?

I am asking the railway company for their observations on the subject and will communicate with my hon. Friend upon receipt of their reply.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been directed to the fact that, in the Returns prepared by the Board of Trade and presented to Parliament, the number of emigrants from Ireland for the year ended 31st December, 1914, is stated to be 30,912, whereas in the Returns presented by the Registrar-General for Ireland and presented to Parliament for the year ended 31st December, 1914, the number is stated to be 20,314; whether, having regard to this startling discrepancy, he will state the methods of investigation by which the Board of Trade has come to that conclusion with respect to the number of emigrants from Ireland; and whether, having regard to the fact that the figures of the Registrar-General have been collected at Irish ports, the Board of Trade is in a position to give any explanation of the difference in its conclusion from that of the Registrar-General as to the number of emigrants from Ireland in 1914, and the difference in the conclusion of the Board of Trade that the number of emigrants from Ireland in 1913 was 44,396 from the conclusion of the Registrar-General for Ireland that the number of emigrants from Ireland in that year was 30,967?

The figures to which my hon. Friend refers have not escaped attention. I would point out that the basis of the two sets of figures is not identical, since the Returns of the Registrar-General for Ireland relate to natives of Ireland only, while the Returns published by the Board of Trade relate to all emigrants of British nationality to countries out of Europe whose last permanent residence was in Ireland.