asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that a number of second division clerks employed in the National Health Insurance Commission (England) are unable, by reason of the attitude of the Insurnce Commissioners, to enlist in the Army for the duration of the War; and whether, in view of the recent announcement that the Secretary of State for War had expressed a desire that every available Civil servant should be permitted to join the Army and the necessity for the Government setting a good example to private employers, he will take steps to secure the early release of the clerks in question?

The Insurance Commissioners have, as far as practicable, allowed second division clerks to join His Majesty's Forces, and 25 per cent. of this grade have already been released for war service.

asked the Prime Minister whether, following the precedent recently set in the case of the wholesale and distributing trades, he will cause to be known the number of men who have joined His Majesty's Forces from, and the number of men of military age still remaining in, the theatrical and journalistic professions, respectively?

I regret these figures are not available.

asked the Under-Secretary for War whether steps were taken before sending to the Press the recruiting advertisement headed "Is your conscience clear," to see that the newspaper proprietors who published this advertisement did not themselves employ on their editorial or mechanical staffs an undue proportion of men of military age?

I am not aware that any particular case can be made against newspaper proprietors in the matter of releasing their employés for military service. Newspaper proprietors and managers are among the general public to whom the question has been issued.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the practice of the Admiralty with respect to the supply of copies of the Bible to sailors in His Majesty's Navy?

A presentation copy of the Bible or Testament is supplied to all boys in the training service and in mechanical training establishments who desire it when kitted up for sea. No other personal issue is made; but I may say that a certain number of Bibles and Testaments are allowed as a part of the store establishment of His Majesty's ships.

asked the Under-Secretary for War whether the Cardiff Mental Hospital has been taken over by the War Office for the accommodation of wounded soldiers; and, if so, whether he can say to where the patients that were being treated in the hospital have been transferred; and whether arrangements have been made for their relatives to visit them?

The Cardiff Mental Hospital is being taken over. The patients have been moved, under arrangements initiated by the Board of Control with the approval of the Home Secretary, to the following seven asylums:—Gloucester, Hereford, Monmouth, Newport, Glamorgan, Carmarthen, Brecon and Radnor. In reply to the last part of the question, the relatives will, of course, have facilities for visiting.

asked the Under-Secretary for War whether he is aware that German prisoners of war interned at Lancaster during last week marched through the neighbouring village of Halton accompanied by a brass band playing dance music; and will he state who provided or authorised the brass band, and was the same provided or authorised with the permission of the War Office?

The facts are as stated except that the band did not play while actually passing through Halton. The instruments are the property of the aliens interned at Lancaster, who obtained permission from the commandant to use them when marching out for exercise on the condition that no German tunes were played. The commandant has prohibited their use for a similar purpose in the future.

asked the Under-Secretary for War if he is aware that Mr. Harold W. Everitt, electrical engineer to the Clacton Urban District Council has been refused a War Office badge on the ground that his works are not supplying power in connection with the preparation of munitions of war; will he say if this represents a modification of the War Office regulations under which badges were offered to skilled employés of electrical services who would be willing to enlist if called upon in an emergency; is he aware that the employés of an electrical corporation in the Midlands have received badges without any stipulation; and will he explain whether uniformity of practice will be observed in future and what the practice will be?

Mr. Everitt was refused a War Office badge on the ground that his company was not supplying power for munitions of war purposes, and, further, that the undertaking to enlist, if called upon, which the issue of the badge would involve, did not appear suitable to his case. It was suggested to him that he might apply for an Admiralty badge, which does not require this undertaking, as his work seemed to be connected with that Department. There has been no change in the War Office procedure, which still is to offer badges to firms whose output is largely used for Government purposes. I have no knowledge of the case in the Midlands referred to, and no such badges have been issued by the War Office. Uniformity of practice is being observed as far as the complexity of conditions permits.

asked if Julius Hirschmann is still a director of the Union Cable Company, which received a Government contract; if he is a nominee of the Deutsche Kabelwerke A. G., Berlin; and where is he now residing?

So far as the information in the possession of the Office of Works shows Julius Hirschmann is not a director of this company. His place of residence is not known.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will state what has been the annual expenditure on elementary education in England and Wales during the last five years; what portion of such expenditure was raised from rates and from the Imperial Exchequer, respectively; what has been the annual expenditure of local education authorities in the erection and enlargement of council schools during the same period; and what portion of such expenditure was raised by loans?

The following tables give particulars of the annual expenditure of local education authorities in England and Wales:—

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that a Commission on Waterways which reported in 1909 recommended that a State grant be made to develop the Boyne Canal; if any action has been taken on that Report; and, if not, whether when the War is over it will be favourably considered?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and to the second in the negative. I am afraid that I am not in a position to give the undertaking suggested in the third part.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland on what grounds the Estates Commissioners of Ireland declined to purchase thirty-five holdings at Ballyteigue, Robertstown, county Kildare, the property of the Grand Canal Company of Ireland?

The character of these non-agricultural holdings is not such that the Estates Commissioners are prepared, in the exercise of the discretion vested inthem, to declare the lands fit to be regarded as an estate for the purposes of the Irish Land Acts, 1903–9.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is now in a position to state the exact increases in the rates of pay of mail drivers of all classes which he has arranged with the contractors to be paid as from the 1st of March?

I understand that the regular horse drivers have received an increase of 3s. a week. In the case of the odd drivers an increase of wages was not regarded as necessary in order to comply with the terms of the Fair-Wages Clause, but I understand some of them are receiving increases of 1s. to 3s. a week. The regular motor drivers have received an increase of 2s. a week.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of established workmen, including the electric light staff, in the engineering department of the Post Office who are receiving wages below 30s. per week; the number receiving above 30s. and below 40s.; the number receiving above 40s. and below 50s.; the number of unestablished workmen receiving wages below 30s.; the number receiving above 30s. and less than 40s.; the number of temporary men taken on and paid below 30s.; and the number paid above 30s.?

I have not these statistics in the exact form required, but, according to returns taken recently, which do not, however, include particulars of the men who have been withdrawn for service with the Forces, the number of established workmen receiving wages up to 30s. is

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) if he will state the number of outbreaks of swine fever in Ireland in each of the last ten years, the number of pigs diseased, the number destroyed, the amount of compensation paid to the owners, the cost of administration in this connection, the total expenditure, the receipts from salvage, and the net cost in each year?

The following table gives the information asked for by the hon. Member:—