asked the Secretary to the Treasury what rates of pay, hours of labour, amount of sick leave, and other conditions of employment have been laid down for clerks appointed for temporary service in Government Departments during the War?

Clerks required for temporary service during the War have been engaged from applicants for employment at the Labour Exchanges, candidates being selected after interview by a Committee representing the Board of Trade and the Civil Service Commissioners. The hours and conditions of employment vary to a certain extent with the character of the work; but for ordinary clerical work of a routine character, the rate of pay authorised has been 30s. to 35s. a week, with overtime pay at the rate of 10d. an hour after forty-eight hours a week. These clerks are entitled to one day's ordinary leave on full pay (as well as public holidays) for each completed month of service, and to sick leave on full pay up to a maximum of six weeks.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War what is the rate being paid for the billeting of men and horses to the keepers of public-houses and to ordinary householders; respectively; why the former receive less than the latter; and whether he will take steps to secure that the inducement now offered to a publican to equalise the remuneration by selling drinks to his lodgers shall be removed by paying the same rates to both publicans and ordinary householders?

The present statutory rates for licensed victuallers are: Soldier, lodging and food, 2s. 3d. per day; horse, stabling and forage, 1s. 9d. per day, which will be increased to 2s. on the passage into law of the Army (Annual) Bill. The corresponding rates for ordinary householders are 50 per cent. higher. The ground on which the difference is based is that it is the licensed victualler's ordinary business to lodge and feed strangers, and the obligation to take troops at these rates is a known condition of his licence. The householder is in a different category.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, in order to force inoculation upon officers who object, threats are being used that they will be brought before the general officer commanding and prevented from going to the front until inoculated; whether non-commissioned officers and privates are being refused leave or only granted passes for one night, which in many cases barely gives time to go and return, whilst inoculated men in the same companies are granted several days' leave; and whether it is the settled policy of the War Office to hinder recruiting by treating as a crime and punishing officers and men in the way described, for the exercise of a legal right?

As regards the first part of the question, there is no authority for treating men who refuse to be inoculated in the manner suggested. As regards the second part, my hon. Friend will find that I explained the position in a reply given to the hon. Member for Haggerston yesterday. The inoculated men receiving leave will, as a rule, be those going to the front, and as they are going to face the risk of being killed or wounded, it is right that they should have every facility for seeing their families before they go. It is the policy of the War Office to encourage recruiting by protecting the health of officers and men against enteric fever by the means of inoculation.

asked whether the M'Adam spades with which the Canadian soldiers were supplied at Salisbury Plain have been discarded; and, if so, under what circumstances?

It is necessary that the entrenching implement should be carried on the person, and as the Canadian troops had no means of doing this with their spade, the service pattern with the appropriate fitment was issued to them.

asked whether the War Office will give an undertaking that in future uncertifiable soldiers invalided through nerve strain will not be placed under asylum administration or in charge of officials connected with lunacy, and that, in the event of their becoming certifiable, such soldiers as are already interned in the State institution at Moss Side, near Liverpool, or in similar institutions elsewhere will not be certified except by independent physicians unconnected with any lunacy staff or with the Board of Control?

No case of nerve strain is or will be placed under asylum administration. Cases in military hospitals if transferred on discharge as certifiable lunatics to county asylums come before a board of Military Medical Officers, and are certified under the Lunacy Act.

asked the Under-Secretary for War how many separation allowances are payable in County Cavan; how many dependant allowances are registered for that county; have any complaints been made as to non-payment or delay in payment of these allowances; and will he have the matter looked into generally without delay?

This information is not available as the records are not kept by counties. But if the hon. Member has information showing that there is any special ground for complaint in the county, perhaps he will communicate it to me.

asked the Secretary for Foreign Affairs whether he has yet received any report as to the conduct of His Majesty's Consul at Dunkirk with reference to the case of George Lade, a British subject, who was arrested at that place?

A report on the subject has now been received from His Majesty's Consul at Dunkirk. Both the French and British military authorities object to the presence of unauthorised civilians in the military area, of which Dunkirk forms a part. George Lade did not possess the qualifications requisite for receiving a "permis de sejour" as he did not form part of any recognised hospital or ambulance unit; His Majesty's Consul could not consequently properly intervene in his favour. Lade remained for about six weeks in the prohibited area without authority. His detention appears to have lasted only about six hours.

asked the Foreign Secretary whether any representations have been made by His Majesty's Government and the Governments of Russia and France to the Government of Serbia suggesting the immediate cession to Bulgaria of certain parts of Macedonia as a basis for the co-operation of these two States in the redistribution of Balkan territories after the present War; and whether, if no such representations have been made, he will approach the Governments of Russia and France with a view to such joint action being taken?

The Governments of Great Britain, France and Russia continue, as they have always been, ready to assist in common in any lasting and satisfactory settlement of the questions affecting the Balkan States, and the three Governments will omit no favourable opportunity of furthering that object.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will cause to be displayed at the various Labour Exchanges copies of the actual prices of food this year and last in order to give fullest publicity to actual prices?

The average prices of food which were circulated recently with the Votes relate to the United Kingdom as a whole, and would not necessarily coincide with the prices current in any particular district. I do not think therefore that any useful purpose would be served by displaying such general averages at the local Labour Exchanges.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that orders are being placed by the Government with some leading firms of engineers and manufacturers upon the understanding of a 10 per cent. profit basis, and that such arrangement reacts unfavourably upon smaller traders as a whole; whether he is aware that the smaller firms form in the aggregate the larger proportion of those having Government contracts; and, seeing that firms have difficulty to compete in an open market for labour without such guarantee of profit, upon a continually increasing cost of labour and of material, while larger contractors, being assured of their profits, can pay any demands for increases, can the Government meet the contractors by considering the increased cost of labour which they may have to pay?

The Board of Trade are not responsible for the arrangements connected with the orders to which the hon. Member refers, and I would therefore suggest that he should address his question to my right hon. Friends who represent the contracting Departments.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what deduction, if any, should be made from the old age pension of a man, aged seventy-two, who is in receipt of a naval pension amounting to £30 7s. a year?

The terms of this question are too general to admit of a definite answer, but I will make inquiries if the hon. Member will give me particulars of any specific case or cases that he has in mind.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the attention of the Congested Districts Board has been called to the damage caused by a recent storm to the pier under construction at Ballinskelligs; and whether steps will be taken to repair the damage?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The Congested Districts Board have called for a report as to the extent of the damage caused, on receipt of which the question of repairs will be fully considered.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what steps the Local Government Board has taken to deal with cases of distress in the parish of Cahirciveen, as set out by the terms of a resolution recently submitted to the Board?

The Local Government Board directed their inspector to investigate the alleged distress in Cahirciveen. From his report it appears that from various causes connected with the War there are a certain number of families in temporary distress, and the Board have forwarded a consignment of Canadian flour and cheese to meet the emergency.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether, in view of the need for hospital treatment, apart from lunacy administration, for recent and uncertifiable mental cases, he will agree not to delay till after an expert inquiry the administrative action which he promised on 16th July as to mental hospitals, seeing that by the Public Health Act, 1875, local authorities are empowered to make such provision, and that the hospital to which he has referred, as contemplated in the London County Council Bill, does not fulfil the desired end if placed under lunacy administration?

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies I have recently given on this question.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether, in view of the shortage of the flax supply, any steps are being taken to encourage increased production, particularly in districts reported to be specially suitable in various parts of Ireland?

It is anticipated that there will be a considerable increase in the area under flax in Ireland in the coming season in districts in which it is a staple crop provided that sufficient seed be available at reasonable prices. Owing to the high prices at present ruling for flax seed and to the expenditure which would be necessary for the provision of retting ponds and scutch mills in districts where flax growing is not already established farmers who have no experience of the crop or facilities for dealing with it would not be well advised to undertake its cultivation at present.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether his attention has been directed to the shortage in the supply of osiers; and whether, in view of the large area of land suitable for the growth of osiers at present practically useless, he will consider the advisability of suggesting a method of its utilisation for this purpose?

From the result of inquiries carried out by the Department they are of opinion that if osier-growing is to be successful in Ireland, it must be through the laying down of fresh beds, and cultivating them with that regularity which other crops demand. The prospect of utilising existing beds is not encouraging. As intimated in my reply of 18th ultimo to the hon. Member for South Kerry, the Department will be glad to furnish expert advice to anyone taking the matter up, and have also issued a leaflet on the subject.

also asked the Vice-President whether he is aware that many serious complaints have been made respecting the delay of cattle trains, especially on the Great Southern and Western Railway; and whether he will consider the advisability of the recommendations suggested by the hon. Member for the St. Patrick's Division, and supported by experienced members of the Irish Cattle Traders and Stockowners' Association, that a minimum rate of speed and a compulsory insurance rate should be adopted?

From time to time the Department have received complaints as to cattle trains being delayed on the Great Southern and Western and other Irish railways, but in almost every instance investigation has shown that the delay was due to cause outside the power of legislation to remedy. The necessity for fitting in live-stock traffic arrangements with ordinary goods and passenger traffic is a frequent cause of such delays, and it often happens that through the late arrival of animals from fairs the punctual despatch of the special trains provided for the cattle traffic becomes impracticable. Where so many unavoidable causes of delay occur it would not appear feasible without increasing the risk of accident to require cattle trains to complete their journeys within a stipulated time or to fix a minimum rate of speed for such trains. The attention of the Department has been directed on various occasions to the question of the insurance of live stock. They are not aware, however, that cattle traders are by any means unanimous in desiring to be obliged to insure their stock on railway journeys. It is understood that sufficient facilities are at present afforded for voluntary insurance, and the Department are not satisfied that compulsory insurance would serve any useful purpose or be acceptable to the trade generally.

further asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) (1) whether he is aware that, in most of the important stations in Great Britain where live stock is entrained or detrained, specially constructed cattle-banks are exclusively used and maintained for facilitating the carriage of animals; whether he is aware that it is inconvenient and frequently dangerous to passengers, and likewise to the passage of special trains, to allow the mixing of live stock and goods on a generally used platform; whether he will cause inquiries to be made with a view to provide a remedy; also (2) whether he is aware that in most of the stations in Great Britain specially constructed cattle-banks are provided for the exclusive use of live stock; and whether he will have inquiries made and a similar system adopted and enforced in Ireland?

The Department do not possess details regarding the extent of provision in Great Britain of facilities of the kind referred to, but it would be incorrect to assume that no such facilities obtain in Ireland. Many Irish stations have loading banks provided solely for animal traffic. There are also stations where, at intervals, the traffic from large fairs overflow the recognised cattle-bank and requires the use as well of additional parts of the station. It is, however, the policy of the Department to discountenance any bank or platform being used on such occasions for other traffic concurrently with the animal traffic, and they have generally found the railway companies amenable to representations in this respect. If any specific instance be adduced where danger is considered to arise in the way indicated in the second question, the Department will have the matter duly looked into.