asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Treasury can now see their way to allow the former State service of men who have served in the Navy and Army, and who are now Civil servants, to count for pension on retirement?

I would refer the Noble Lord to the answer given by the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for West St. Pancras on 26th June, 1913, to which, I am afraid, I can add nothing.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state the sum raised by Income Tax under Schedule B for the years 1913–14 and 1914–15, and the estimated sum to be raised for the present financial year; also an estimate of the sum that would be raised in the present financial year if the tax collected under Schedule B was based on the two-thirds of the rental value of, as now, on one-third?

Final figures for 1913–14 and 1914–15 are not yet available, but the approximate net yield was £190,000 for the former and £260,000 for the latter year. The yield for the current year is estimated at £390,000. On the hypothesis referred to in the latter part of the question, the amount which might be raised is roughly estimated at about £1,000,000.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether boys trained in the school ship "Conway" and appointed probationary midshipmen of the Royal Naval Reserve will be allowed to be retained in the Navy on the recommendation of their commanding officers, looking to the fact that their present training will not qualify them for the Board of Trade examination?

Transfer of midshipmen Royal Naval Reserve to the Royal Navy is only allowed in exceptional cases, and no general undertaking can be given in the matter. The Noble Lord is under a misapprehension as to the counting of time, as all time served in the Royal Navy as midshipman Royal Naval Reserve counts towards the four years' sea service required for examination for second mate.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he has had applications from firms actually engaged in carrying out contracts for the supply of War Office or naval material for authority to forbid the further enlistment of men from their works in cases where such further enlistment must delay, endanger, or prevent the fulfilment of such contracts; and whether he has given such authority in proper cases?

The answer to both parts of the hon. Member's question is in the affirmative.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether a censorship of the press, on the lines of the official Press Bureau in London, is being exercised in Australia, Canada, or South Africa?

Yes, sir.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the number of established men in the stores department of the Post Office receiving wages above 30s. and below 40s. per week; the number receiving above 40s. and below 50s.; the number of temporary men receiving below 30s.; and the number of temporary men receiving more than 30s. per week.

The number of established men receiving above 30s. and up to and including 40s. is 129; and above 40s. and up to 50s., thirty-six. No figures are readily available as regards temporary men, but the combined number of unestablished and temporary men receiving wages up to and including 30s. is 710; and receiving above 30s., 389. Mobilised officers are not included in these figures, and overtime and Sunday pay are not taken into account, nor are piece-work rates, which yield from about 20 to 25 per cent. more than the time rates.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that the New Ross Urban District Council applied for a small loan for the erection of workmen's dwellings, and will he say whether the loan was sanctioned by the Local Government Board; and whether, seeing that there is much need for employment in the building trade in New Ross, and that this town, like other parts of Wexford county, is well represented in the Army and Navy, the Treasury will grant the loan applied for?

This case was very carefully considered, but there did not appear to be any such special urgency as would justify capital expenditure at the present time.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he can state how soon M. Driscoll, an evicted tenant on the John White Leahy estate, at Ballinclemsig, North Kerry, will be reinstated in his holding, as the case is very urgent?

I am informed that the Estates Commissioners have considered Driscoll's application, but that they have refused to sanction any expenditure in connection with his reinstatement in that portion of his mother's former holding on the John White Leahy estate in which he seeks to be placed. The estate, however, has been acquired by the Congested Districts Board, who have been asked to consider whether Driscoll could be provided with a more suitable holding on some other portion of the estate or on any neighbouring lands.

asked the Chief Secretary why the three evicted tenants, including the widow Glazier, on the Palmer estate, at Banemore, North Kerry, have not been dealt with as evicted tenants?

Applications for reinstatement in their former holdings on the estate referred to have been received from four persons, including Mrs. M. Glazier, and are at present under the consideration of the Commissioners.

asked what the death-rate in Ireland would have been in 1911 if the conditions of the population as regards sex and age had been the same as that in England and Wales in 1911?

The answer to the question is approximately 13.86 per 1,000.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what the Estates Commissioners propose to do in connection with the glebe lands at Ahascragh Castle-gar estate, county Galway; and whether they will be made available for the tenants of the local uneconomic holdings?

The Commissioners have the allotment of the lands in question under their consideration.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that the Congested Districts Board made a final offer for the lands of Derryhiveney North and South, Young Estate, Portumna, county Galway, in February, 1914; whether the owner has accepted the offer; and, if so, what is the cause of the delay in getting possession of the property?

The Congested Districts Board in December, 1914, made a final offer for the purchase of the lands of Derry- hiveney South and Newtown on the Young Estate, but it was not accepted.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Lord Clanricarde, instead of employing extra land valuers to prepare evidence for the adjourned trial which was fixed for the 3rd May, dispensed with the services of some of those already employed; and whether the Congested Districts Board made any inquiries to ascertain whether Lord Clanricarde took sufficient steps to procure skilled assistance to enable him to have the necessary documents prepared?

The answers to both parts of the question are in the negative.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that on the 30th April last the police, at the direction of District-Inspector Leitham, assisted three property-defence association men to drive stock off the lands of Lisduff, Killimor, county Galway; whether this is any part of the duty of the police; and if he will give instructions that such a course is not to be adopted in future cases where disputes prevail?

I am informed that, on the 30th March last—not April as stated in the question—a party of thirty police, under the charge of the District Inspector referred to, were engaged in affording protection from a large hostile crowd to three Property Defence Association men employed by the vendor of Lisduff farm in collecting and removing a number of sheep which had been driven on the farm. In giving this protection, which did not include assistance in driving off the sheep, the police were acting in the exercise of their duty, and I am not prepared to give any instructions of the nature indicated in the last part of the question.

asked the hon. Member for the Saffron Walden division, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether a licence was granted by the Crown to Lord Ranks-borough some years ago to open a small door in the wall between his house and Richmond Park for the passage of foot passengers; whether this doorway was afterwards enlarged in order to admit of the passage of a bath chair and pony; whether this passage was subsequently further enlarged by him in order to allow a motor car to pass into the park; whether the way thus made into the park is now constantly used by motor cars passing in and out of Lord Ranksborough's back gate; whether a steam roller, provided at the public expense, is being, or has recently been, used for the purpose of rolling bricks and rubble into the park grass in order to facilitate the passage of such motor cars; and, if so, whether these proceedings have been sanctioned and approved by the First Commissioner?

A licence was originally granted in 1888 to a former tenant of Kingston Place for a small bridge over the haha admitting of the passage of foot passengers, but in 1911 permission was granted for a new entrance to the park to be formed admitting the passage of vehicles. The exercise of this privilege resulted in some wear and tear of the grass, and, in carrying out repairs to the adjacent roadways the opportunity was taken of remedying this by a certain amount of filling in with brick rubbish and rolling, at a total cost not exceeding £1, which Lord Ranksborough has agreed to pay. As I have previously stated, the licence is personal to the present holder and will not be renewed when Lord Ranksborough's tenancy expires.