asked the Prime Minister if the Government have had offered stores of food supplies from Canada at the cost of production; and what is the attitude of the Government to such offer?

I am not aware of any definite offer of the kind mentioned. But my attention has been called to the Press report of a recent speech by the Prime Minister of Canada in which he spoke of such an offer, and further inquiries are being made.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether an order has been issued to the effect that all Arsenal and dockyard employés who are enrolled in the Volunteer Training Corps are to resign their membership; and, if so, whether, as all necessary drill and instruction can be carried out in the evenings, and do not therefore as a rule interfere with their work, he will explain the necessity of such an order; and whether, seeing that this force is the only one in which Government employés can obtain the necessary instruction that would enable them to give their services if required in Home defence, he will reconsider and, if possible, cancel the order referred to?

Instructions have been issued that applications to join the Volunteer Training Corps are to be dealt with in the same manner as applications to join the Regular or Territorial Army. These instructions were issued not on the ground that drill and instruction would necessarily interfere with the discharge of official duties, but because, under the War Office rules for recognition of Volunteer Training Corps, membership of the corps involves a contingent liability for service with the Regular or Territorial Army, which only those who could really be spared for such service should be permitted to undertake. It is not considered desirable that the instructions should be cancelled.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if arrangements will be made whereby Admiralty communiqués should be issued much earlier in the day, when possible, than is at present the case, as, in consequence of the method of publication now adopted, evening newspaper readers are heavily handicapped?

The time at which it is possible to communicate news to the Press depends upon a large variety of circumstances, including the time of receipt, the degree of pressure of work in the Department, the necessity of awaiting verification, and so on. It would be a mistake to suppose that the times at which information is given out are decided upon with a view to the convenience of any particular class of paper.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state the name and class of the fifteen ships which were lost in twenty-five years of the, last century, and in the case of which there were survivors, but no court-martial was held; and if he will state the date of the loss in each case, together with the information as to whether the ships were wrecked, sunk, burned, or captured?

The ships whose names are included in the following list are mentioned in the Return of ships lost otherwise than in action from 1815 to 1840, dated 4th August, 1891. An exhaustive search made in the Record Office has failed to disclose the minutes of any court-martial in their cases:—

Ship.					Date when lest.
"Sylph"	…	…	Sloop	…	January 17th, 1815	…	Wrecked.
"Dominica"	…	…	Schooner	…	August 15th, 1815	…	Wrecked.
"Comus"	…	…	?	…	November 4th, 1816	…	Wrecked.
"Bermuda"	…	…	Sloop	…	March, 1821	…	Foundered.
"Confiance"	…	…	Sloop	…	April 21st, 1822	…	Totally lost.
"Arab"	…	…	Sloop	…	December 12th, 1823	…	Wrecked.
"Delight"	…	…	Sloop	…	February 23rd, 1824	…	Lost in cyclone.
"Parridge"	…	…	Sloop	…	November 27th, 1825	…	Stranded.
†"Algerine"	…	…	Sloop	…	January 9th, 1826	…	Upset in squall.
†"Redwing"	…	…	Sloop	…	1827 (date unknown)	…	Supposed foundered
"Acorn"	…	…	Sloop	…	April 4th, 1828	…	—
"Contest"	…	…	Gunboat	…	April 14th, 1828	…	—
"Success"	…	…	Frigate	…	November 28th, 1829	…	Wrecked.
*"Kangaroo"	…	…	Surv. schooner	…	December 18th, 1829	…	Wrecked.
*"Wolf"	…	…	Sloop	…	March 10th, 1830	…	Stranded.
†"Recruit"	…	…	Brig	…	1832 (date unknown)	…	Totally lost.
†"Calypso"	…	…	Packet	…	1833 (date unknown)	…	Supposed foundered.
*"Pike"	…	…	Schooner	…	1836	…	—
†"Pincher"	…	…	Schooner	…	March 6th, 1838	…	Capsized.
"Rapid"	…	…	Brig	…	April 12th, 1838	…	Wrecked.
†"Briseis"	…	…	Packet	…	1838 (date unknown)	…	Totally lost.
"Tribune"	…	…	Sloop	…	November 28th, 1839	…	Wrecked.

None of the above vessels were captured. Those marked † are noted as "known to have capsized or have never been heard of." In the case of those marked

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will give further consideration to the cases of widows of dockyard labourers who lost their lives in His Majesty's ship "Fisgard II.," and who are receiving allowances only under the Injury in War Compensa-

The advisability of amending the scheme framed under the Injuries in War Compensation Act, so as to make better provision for the widows and families of men in receipt of low rates of pay, is under consideration.

asked the first Lord of the Admiralty whether promotion among the men in the Coastguard has been suspended since the list of promotions was issued last August; whether in other branches of the Navy the promotions have been accelerated by the War; and, if so, whether he can see his way to mitigate the hardship inflicted on deserving men who have passed their examinations for promotion?

Promotion amongst the Coastguard ratings serving ashore has been suspended since the beginning of the War in the interests of those who are serving afloat, in order that those on shore should not be promoted over the heads of those who, without any option, have been embarked, and are thus outside the Coastguard organisation and are serving under the Regulations for active service ratings in the Fleet. Any acceleration occasioned by the War in the advancement of ratings in the Fleet, applies temporarily to the majority of the Coastguard who are serving afloat; but at the end of the War, Coastguard ratings advanced in the Fleet will, on returning to the Coastguard service, revert to their Coastguard rates, and the large number of vacancies caused by the discharge of men retained beyond the age limit, and of men wishing to take their pension, will be filled by promotions from the Coastguard as a whole.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if his attention has been called to the fact that widows of men who had declared an allotment in their favour and who died while serving in His Majesty's ships between the 4th August and 21st September are receiving pensions only from the date of widowhood, whereas other widows are receiving allotment plus separation allowance for six months before drawing their pensions, the position of the earlier widows being therefore, considerably worse than that of those whose husbands were lost on and after the 22nd September; and whether stops will be taken to treat both classes equally?

The question is under the consideration of the Select Committee.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will give further consideration to the cases of the widows of men lost in His Majesty's Ship "Good Hope," who had not the same opportunities as other men of making out allotments; is he aware that a number of these men were Reservists, who went off suddenly without having time to make adequate provision for their wives; and whether, in these circumstances, arrangements will be made immediately to pay arrears of pay to dependants and to consider their cases further in view of the fact that many widows have drawn no money at all from the Admiralty from the 2nd August until a few weeks since, when they received a small portion of their pensions?

The matter is under the consideration of the Select Committee.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the ease of Mrs. Annie Rice, of Limerick, whose son, Private Joseph Rice, was a soldier in the Connaught Rangers, regimental number 8198; whether he is aware that Joseph Rice was killed in action on the 14th of September, 1914, and that, this young man was employed in the Engineer's Department at the Post Office, Limerick, prior to rejoining the Colours after the outbreak of the War; and whether, in view of this woman's circumstances and of the loss to her involved in her son's death, the Government will grant liberal compensation to the deceased soldier's mother?

This case is under consideration.

asked the Under-Secretary for War why, if it was not considered right to expel Mrs. Savile and her daughter from the East Coast, was the order only withdrawn on condition that she undertook to leave the prohibited area and to report her movements?

It had been ascertained that Mrs. Savile and her daughter were proposing to leave Beverley of their own accord. The order of expulsion was accordingly withdrawn on that condition, so as to allay local fears, without exposing the ladies to undeserved obloquy.

asked the Under-Secretary for War, whether he will consider the desirability of publishing the Report of the delegation of this House on the condition and treatment of the German prisoners?

No Report from the delegation as a whole has yet reached me. If and when my right hon. and hon. Friends think it necessary to render such a Report I will consider without delay the desirability of its publication.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he has now obtained information from the competent military authorities in each district as to the number of cases in which they have exercised their powers under the Defence of the Realm (Consolidated) Regulations to restrict the hours of sale of licensed premises; and if he can give the names of the districts in which these powers have been exercised, the hour of closing fixed, and the provisions (if any) imposed upon the licence-holders?

I regret that it is not practicable to furnish the information asked for by my hon. Friend owing to the very considerable labour involved in its compilation.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether some extension can be given to the very restricted rule under which at present the issue of badges to workmen is limited to those of recruitable age in the employ of British armament firms whose services are indispensable for the execution of certain selected Government contracts; whether large contracts are current with British firms for the supply of spades, shovels, picks, and other tools and articles indispensable in campaigning; and whether the grant of badges can be extended to any of the workmen engaged under these contracts?

This question is receiving consideration.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he will cause inquiry to be made into the case of Bugler A. N. Wade, No. 10637, now of 1, Wedmore Gardens, Upper Holloway, who enlisted on 24th August, 1914, in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, and was discharged on 6th February, 1915, from Connaught Hospital, Aldershot, suffering from tuberculosis, said to have been contracted during his period of service; is he aware that Wade has been tendered £1 5s. 9d. in final settlement of his account, that his insurance care has been returned stamped up to 28th December, 1914, only; and will he say whether no further payment can be made, notwithstanding the fact that Wade's health has been seriously undermined by the unavoidably severe conditions of housing to which he was subjected?

I will have inquiry made, and inform the hon. Member of the result.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he will make inquiries into the case of Mrs. Margaret Coates, of 24, Allen Street, Burnley, mother of Private William Coates, No. 2843, 5th East Lancashire Regiment, from whom, previous to his enlistment in October last, she wan receiving 24s. a week towards the support of herself and her mother, he being her only child; whether, upon his enlistment, he allotted to her 3s. 6d. a week; and will he say why she has not yet received any allowance from the Government?

This case is being inquired into.

asked the Postmaster-General what are the terms regarding rates of pay, time for meals, sick pay, and holidays in the case of temporary clerical assistants taken on during the War, as compared to the regular members of the Post Office staff doing similar work?

The rates of pay of adult temporary clerks, whether male or female, employed by the Post Office during the present emergency range from 18s. to 40s. a week according to the nature of the work performed. It is hardly practicable to make any useful comparison with the pay of regular members of the Post Office clerical staff, whose wages vary widely according to the length of their service and the classes on which they are borne. Generally speaking, temporary clerical officers are allowed the same time for meals as the regular members of the clerical staffs of the offices at which they are employed. After twelve months' service temporary clerical officers are granted twelve working days' annual leave, compared with periods varying from fourteen to twenty-seven days granted to established clerical officers. They are not eligible for sick pay, but are insured under the National Health Insurance Acts.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that sappers in the Royal Engineers signal sections, most of whom were formerly telegraphists in the Government service, are being employed on civil telegraph duties in the post offices at Colchester and Shrewsbury; whether these men have received the full military training proper to their companies in the Royal Engineers; and whether there has been any displacement of labour in consequence of this innovation.

I am aware of the facts quoted. The sappers are Post Office telegraphists serving in the Royal Engineers for the period of the War. They receive full Post Office pay in addition to regimental pay and engineer pay. They are being employed on civil telegraph work, with the concurrence of the War Office, until they are required for active service, and their assistance is valuable to the Post Office which has supplied about 4,000 telegraphists for service in the Army and Navy. The services of two temporary female assistants at Shrewsbury were dispensed with for a few weeks, but employment is now being found for these assistants.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether representations from several boards of guardians have been made to the Local Government Board as to the necessity, from motives of humanity, of extending Poor Law relief to occupants of labourers' cottages in some special cases; and, if so, will he say why it cannot be done?

Representations on this subject have been made to the Local Government Board from time to time. Section 2 of the Act 25 and 26 Vic., cap. 83, lays down that any person who shall be in occupation of any land of greater extent than a quarter of a Statute acre and who shall be considered by the board of guardians to require relief, shall be relieved by them in the workhouse and not otherwise. The Board have held that this prohibition applies only to the occupier himself, and that if his wife or any member of his family is permanently disabled from labour by reason of old age infirmity or bodily or mental defects, or disabled from labour by reason of severe sickness or serious accident, the guardians can, under Section 1 of the Act 10 Vic, cap. 31, relieve such person being destitute, either in or out of the workhouse.

asked the Home Secretary if he is aware that three constables of the Greenwich Division of the Metropolitan Police (435 Davies, 732 McShea, and 748 Shave), in addition to being severely reprimanded and cautioned, have been punished by a reduction of 6s. per week in pay, and will according to regulations only be entitled to readvancements of 1s. per week per year, involving in two cases a total financial loss of £54 12s., and in the third case £63 10s.; whether the offence for which they have been so severely punished was that of committing a breach of discipline by endeavouring to induce members of the force to join an association; and whether he will inquire into the matter with a view to the punishment being rescinded?

As I informed the hon. Member for Barrow on Thursday last, some constables of the R Division of the Metropolitan Police having complained to their officers that they were being pressed against their will by certain senior members of the force to join secretly an unauthorised association styling itself the National Union of Police and Prison Officers, an inquiry was held. Conclusive evidence established the fact that the constables named in my hon. Friend's question had been guilty of a very serious broach of discipline by endeavouring to induce the younger constables to act in contravention of Standing Orders on the subject, and they were reduced in pay 6s. a week, to regain advancement at the rate of 1s. per week a year. The misconduct of these constables was deliberate, for repeated admonitions on this subject had been given. The three constables had by their misconduct rendered themselves liable to dismissal. A lesser punishment was inflicted after being very carefully considered. I do not think the ease is one for interference by me.

also asked the Home Secretary if he will consider the desirability of cancelling Section 5, paragraph 62, of the General Orders governing the Metropolitan Police, which provides that no societies are to be formed amongst the police unless the sanction of the Commissioner has been previously obtained, or, alternatively, will he endeavour to ensure that the sanction of the Commissioner is not unreasonably withheld from members of the force who may desire to join an association?

The answer is in the negative. Unless the General Orders referred to were in existence associations might be formed incompatible with the regulation of official conduct which must in the public interest be maintained in any disciplined force. I have no reason to think that the sanction of the Commissioner, to which my hon. Friend refers, has ever been unreasonably withheld.

asked the Home Secretary why Police-constable Parrett, who has served ten years in the V Division of the Metropolitan Police, was not given permission last November when he wanted to join the Military Mounted Police and was informed that he could join the Army if he resigned from the police; will ex-Police-constable Parrett, who has now joined the Military Police, be deprived of his ten years' service which would count for pension; is Mrs. Parrett receiving allowance from the police; and will he explain why Police-constable Parrett was so treated, seeing that other police officers are accorded compensation and have not been obliged to resign?

Under the Police Constables (Naval and Military Service) Act, 1914, a police authority, if satisfied after consultation with the Admiralty or the Army Council that a constable who is not a Reservist possesses qualifications not possessed by ordinary recruits for rendering special service in the Army or Navy, may extend to such a constable the full benefits of the Police Reservists Act. Police-constable Parrett applied last November to join the Military Mounted Police. His application was submitted to the Army Council and rejected, as the constable was held to possess no qualifications for rendering special service. He was thereupon told that he might, if he wished, resign for Army service, but care was taken to make clear to him that if he did so he would not come within the Act and neither he nor his wife would have any claim on the Police Fund. He decided not to resign; but some weeks afterwards reported to his superior officers that he had actually enlisted in the Military Foot Police, and he asked leave to resign forthwith, and to receive back the superannuation deductions contributed by him during his police service. These requests were complied with, and Mrs. Parrett cannot now receive the special allowance from police funds, though she no doubt receives the ordinary Army separation allowance. No applications from Metropolitan police officers considered by the Naval or Military authorities to possess special qualifications have been refused; and I may say that 559 men have been released for service with the Colours under the Act quoted.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is prepared, in accordance with the tenor of the memorial signed by 330 Members of Parliament and 236 doctors which was presented to him last July, to grant permissive powers to the London Country Council and other county councils to form a committee to manage and maintain a hospital which uncertificated mental patients may enter voluntarily to receive the early treatment most conducive to their cure?

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to a similar question on 1st March. I have no authority to confer on county councils the powers suggested in the question, but my hon. Friend will see on reference to the London County Council (General Powers) Bill that the county council are seeking powers to receive in a hospital cases of the kind mentioned.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he is aware that Alice Bateman, aged three years, who was removed to the Metropolitan Asylums Board Fever Hospital, Homerton Grove, on or about 9th October last, suffering from scarlet fever, was subsequently reported to be doing well, then to have contracted chicken-pox, then to be quite well again and soon to be discharged, and then to be suffering from diphtheria; will he say whether a sequence of illnesses is common in the experience of the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums; and will he cause inquiries to be made as to the possibility of adopting improved methods of treatment, especially as regards the exposure of convalescents to risk of infection?

I am informed by the managers of the Metropolitan Asylums Board that Alice Bateman, aged two and a half years, was admitted to the Eastern Hospital, Homerton, on 10th October, certified to be suffering from scarlet fever. The attack was mild, and she was placed in a ward of twenty beds reserved for scarlet fever patients. On 11th December she developed chicken-pox, which there is no doubt at all was introduced into the ward by a patient from outside who was admitted suffering from scarlet fever and also incubating chicken-pox, which shortly afterwards developed. Alice Bateman was promptly isolated, along with two other patients who were suffering from scarlet fever and chicken-pox (all three being removed from the same ward). On 22nd February Alice Bateman showed signs of diphtheria, and from that date she has been in a separation ward by herself. I am also informed that post-scarlatinal diphtheria is unfortunately not uncommon—in fact there are some grounds for stating that an attack of scarlet fever predisposes to an attack of diphtheria. Such cases of diphtheria occurring in a scarlet fever ward may be due to an unrecognised case of diphtheria or to the presence in the ward of a "carrier case." Such cases are quite frequent among school children, and it is possible that Alice Bateman was herself a "carrier case," and that the diphtheria bacilli in her throat became active after her prolonged illness. No other case of diphtheria has occurred in either of the wards in which she was treated. In reply to the second paragraph of the hon. Member's question, I am informed that it is quite uncommon to have such a sequence of illnesses in the Metropolitan Asylums Board's hospitals, and even secondary diseases are relatively uncommon, especially when one considers the frequency with which children are exposed daily to infection in schools and crowds. The ratio of the following complications of scarlet fever cases in 1913 (the latest return available) and 1933, respectively, was per 100 cases:—

			1903.		1913.
Diphtheria	…	…	2.32	…	1.36
Chicken-pox	…	…	2.36	…	1.48

In reply to the third paragraph, I may say that the question of improved methods of treatment is at no time lost sight of by the managers and their advisers, and the figures given above show that the structural and other provision which has been made to reduce the risk of cross-infection to which all fever hospitals are liable has not been unsuccessful.

asked the Postmaster-General if he can state at what hour the mail train from the south was due and at what hour it arrived at Helmsdale on the 18th ultimo; and also at what time the mail-gig for the north left Helmsdale station on that day?

The train is due at Helmsdale at 1.52 p.m., on the 18th February it arrived at 3.58 p.m. The mail-cart for the north left Helmsdale at 2.5 p.m., after information had been received that the train was running more than one and a half hours late.

asked the Postmaster-General if he has received an application from the London mail drivers for a revision of their present rates of pay, which remain as fixed by the award made over seven years ago; whether consideration has been given to the men's application; and, if so, can he state with what result?

I am in communication with the contractors on the subject of the rates of pay of the men whom they employ.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any annual Report of the working of canals in this country is issued; and whether any information is available as to their working in European countries?

Reports on the working of canals in this country are not issued annually, but my hon. Friend will find a a great deal of information on the subject and on the working of Continental canals in the Report issued by the Royal Commission on Canals and Waterways.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether Messrs. Plunkett and Company, Dublin, having applied to the Customs and Excise for licences to ship malt on 31st January and the 8th and 13th February, and having received no acknowledgment of their application, those licences will be immediately granted for the shipment of such malt as has already left Dublin en route for its destination?

also asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state why the licences applied for by Messrs. Plunkett and Company, of Dublin, for the shipment of roasted crystal malt from the port of Glasgow have not been issued, and why no attention has been paid to repeated applications; and if he is aware that the malt has been lying at Glasgow since the end of January and that it is a perishable article?

The applications made by Messrs Plunkett and Company, of Dublin, for the grant of licences authorising the shipment of roasted crystal malt from the Port of Glasgow have been under consideration by the War Trade Department and some letters written in reference thereto have been forwarded to that Department. The statement that no attention has been paid to these letters is not correct, but the position with regard to the prohibition affecting malt has rendered necessary some inquiries by the Department upon the question as to whether in existing circumstances the export of malt can be sanctioned. The Department received a reply to these inquiries on Friday last, and in the special circumstances affecting the malt referred to in these questions as lying at Glasgow the issue of three licences for the export of the malt was authorised on that day. The licences have since been issued.