asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Government have considered the desirability of reopening the Crawshay Iron and Steel Works at Merthyr for the purpose of manufacturing arms and ammunition, in view of the fact that they have only recently been closed and could be reopened with little cost, and that many of the men formerly employed there are still available?

This will be considered along with all other suggestions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, under the amended Defence of the Realm Act, restrictions as to leases and covenants can be set aside so as to make it easy for the Cyfarthfa Works, Merthyr Tydfil, to contribute on a large scale towards the military needs of the country; and whether he can cause an immediate inquiry to be made into the capacity of the works?

This will be considered along with all other suggestions.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can send a representative of the Admiralty to inspect and report upon the possibilities of the extensive Cyfarthfa Works at Merthyr Tydfil towards providing for the needs of the Admiralty during the War?

A report will be obtained.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether relief will be given to officers of the Navy and Army in respect of taxes on their houses when they are called up for active service during the War?

I fear I cannot see my way to grant a special exemption in favour of those cases where there is a liability under the Income Tax and Inhabited House Duty laws.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to relieve officers in receipt of pensions given for wounds received from the payment of Income Tax in respect of those pensions or, alternatively, to increase the pensions by an amount corresponding to the amount of the tax?

The liability to Income Tax was taken into account in fixing the amount of the pensions referred to.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will consider the possibility of reserving some commissions in the Royal Naval Division for qualified non-commissioned officers of the Royal Marine forces?

There have been eight commissions given as quartermasters in the Royal Naval Division, and four combatant commissions for service with the Naval battalions. In the Royal Marine Brigade fifteen combatant commissions have been granted, and four commissions as quartermaster.

asked if there are several cases of spotted fever at Tidworth; and, if so, have precautions been taken to prevent fresh troops being sent there?

There have been no cases of cerebro spinal meningitis since 9th March.

asked whether officers of the Special Reserve supplementary to a regiment are promoted on the establishments of the Reserve battalions or the Regular battalions; and, if not, how are they promoted for services, and who makes the recommendation?

They are at present promoted by time, i.e., after five years to lieutenant and after ten years to captain, but an alteration of the system is under consideration. Recommendations would come from the Commanding Officer of the battalion with which the officer is serving.

asked the Under-Secretary for War whether any assurance or undertaking was given by or on behalf of the Secretary of State for War to the 4th Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment, or to its Commanding Officer, prior to its departure for India last September, that it would in due course be relieved by some other unit and be permitted to proceed to the front; and, if so, whether and when it is proposed to carry it out?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Under-Secretary for War whether he is aware that the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, the Dublin Port and Docks Board, the County Dublin County Council, and the Dublin Mercantile Association, have all unanimously passed resolutions requesting the War Office and Government to establish a permanent depot fully equipped for the reception of military and Government stores and supplies in Dublin; and whether, in view of those resolutions from responsible public bodies, he will consider the advisability of granting their request?

I am aware that such requests are made, but as I have already informed the hon. Member, I regret that I can give no undertaking that a permanent depot will be established. In this, as in other matters, it is not possible to anticipate the state of affairs at the conclusion of the War.

asked the Under-Secretary for War what firm is supplying the meat for the soldiers in the Old Public School and University Corps now encamped at Epsom; and whether he is satisfied that the quality of the meat so supplied is satisfactory?

The battalions of the corps mentioned, stationed at Epsom, are supplied with meat under a general contract for catering entered into with Mr. W. H. Cullen, of Earl Street, Finsbury, by the private committee responsible for the raising of the corps. The secretary has reported that the committee are quite satisfied with the meat supplied, that there have been no complaints, and that the meat has been of very good quality.

asked whether complaints of the quality of meat supplied to the troops have referred to refrigerated beef and mutton as well as to home-killed; whether his attention has been called to the statements in a lecture at the City of London College by Mr. Arthur R. T. Woods, C.E., a recognised authority upon refrigeration, that whilst the sea carriage of perishable food-stuffs was a triumph of invention and engineering skill, the horse drawn insulated vans, the insulated barges in the harbours and the insulated cars on railways were often unclean and not regularly disinfected; whether any regulations will be made to be observed by the port authorities and others to insure the better sanitary conditions of refrigerated meat in its transit from the ships to the various military depots; and whether the War Office will communicate with the Board of Trade and with the Board of Agriculture upon this matter?

I am not aware of any complaints having been made as to the quality of meat supplied to the troops, whether under War Department or other arrangements, except in the case of the White City. My attention has not been called to Mr. Wood's lecture, but the hon. Member may be assured that if any regulations are found to be necessary regarding the future sanitary condition of insulated vans and barges they will be made.

asked what provision it is proposed to make for the families of officers of the Territorial Force who have been, or may be, killed or disabled by wounds or illness during the currency of the War?

Families of Territorial officers are treated in these respects in exactly the same way as those of Regular officers.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he will explain why the War Office or its agents are going direct to the timber mill-owners in America for quotations, although some of these owners have agents in London and Liverpool who have for years handled the whole of the output for European markets; if he will state the names of the timber trade papers in this country in which the War Office requirements for timber are advertised; and if he will consider the advisability when special timber is required to apply to houses accustomed to dealing in it in this country instead of relying upon newspaper advertisements?

British firms have already been given full opportunity of quoting for the timber for pontoon work for which inquiries are now being made in America and Canada. The requirements of the War Office have been advertised in the "Timber Trades Journal," "Timber and Woodworking Machinery and Timber News." A number of replies have been received, and these will be fully considered before any order is placed abroad. The War Office had recourse to advertising on the present occasion in order to give the widest publicity to their requirements.

asked the Undersecretary for War whether he can send a representative of the War Office to inspect and report upon the immediate productive military possibilities of the Cyfarthfa works at Merthyr Tydvil?

The question of making a special inspection of these works shall be considered, but it must be decided in connection with numerous similar proposals from other quarters.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can inform Parliament if the Allied Governments have agreed upon the conditions of peace to be exacted from Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the allowance of 3s. per week to all ranks of the Metropolitan Police, to begin on 15th March and to continue until the declaration of peace, will be met in part from national sources, having regard to the many Imperial duties the London police are called upon to perform; can he state, as nearly as possible, what the estimated cost will be; and in what proportions it will be borne by the Exchequer and the London ratepayers, respectively?

The cost will be about £2,950 a week. In the case of officers employed by the Government the Exchequer will pay the whole. The remainder of the charge will fall on the Metropolitan Police Fund which is maintained partly by the Police Rate and partly by the Government contribution.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether, if the local authorities remit the rates on certain properties of those who have gone to the War, his Department will raise no objection to their action?

I may refer the Noble Lord to the provisions of Section 11 of the Poor Relief Act, 1814, and Section 225 of the Public Health Act, 1875, under which the payment of rates may be excused on grounds of poverty, and also to the provisions of the Courts (Emergency) Powers Act of last Session, under which unreasonable distress for rates may be avoided.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if the Government have borne part of the War risks insurance in connection with the importation of cargoes of frozen meat to Great Britain; and why this protection has not been afforded to the Irish meat trade?

I know of no case in which the Government have borne part of the War risk insurance on cargoes of frozen meat.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what is the cause of the delay in issuing the vesting orders on the estate of Lord Castlerosse and Kenmare at Hospital and Killiely, county Limerick?

The Earl of Kenmare's estate, county Limerick, in respect of which purchase agreements were lodged in October, 1908, will be dealt with in order of priority on the principal register of direct sales (all cash), but in view of its position on the register the Estates Commissioners are not in a position to say when it will be reached.

asked the Chief Secretary if he can explain the delay in holding an inquiry into the scheme of cottages promoted by the Youghal rural district council; is he aware that some of the labourers who applied in the last scheme are obliged to live in dilapidated and unsanitary dwellings; and what steps will be taken to provide better dwellings for them without delay?

The Local Government Board informed the rural district council on the 11th instant that they are not yet in a position to direct a local inquiry into this scheme, but that the matter will be dealt with as soon as practicable. The scheme proposes to provide fifty-three cottages, but only ten of these are based on the ground of sanitary unfitness of existing dwellings.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the fact that it is not considered feasible to have a daily delivery in the townlands of Car-hoonahone, Cappaganeen, Cullina, Cool-cumisk, Allohert, and Gortboy, near Beaufort, county Kerry, he could arrange to have one extra day's delivery in the week, namely, on Saturdays?

I regret that, in existing circumstances, I do not see my way to provide additional postal facilities in the locality referred to by the hon. Member.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether the two hours' detention order regarding cattle intended for embarkation was ever heard of until the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease; were any representatives of the cattle raisers or cattle dealers or any Irish interest consulted when this order was made operative; is there any trace whatever of foot-and-mouth disease in Ireland now; if not, will he say why an order brought in for the first time in the cattle industry ostensibly to deal with this disease and which causes hardship on the farming community is maintained; and, in view of the statements made by all classes connected with the Irish cattle trade that this order is one which is not necessary and harmful, will the Department have regard to Irish public opinion and revert to the old policy?

The period of two hours' detention for animals at Irish ports was established after the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Great Britain in the year 1912, this outbreak being traceable to cattle sent from Ireland. The proposal for such a detention period was first made to the Department by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries in order to minimise the risk of disease in connection with the movement of livestock from Ireland to Great Britain. As explained in my reply of 10th instant to the hon. Member for Limerick City, the Regulation was decided upon after full consultation with all the interests concerned, including the cattle traders and transit companies, and was designed not only to secure effective inspection in connection with disease but also to provide for the resting, feeding and watering of animals, many of which had travelled long distances. There is no foot-and-mouth disease in Ireland at present, but the Department are not prepared to modify a Regulation which in their opinion is both humane and necessary.