asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, owing to the economic inducements offered to poor married men to enlist, a great number of widows and orphans is being created day by day at the cost of enormous present and future liabilities for the State; if he has yet formed any estimate of the provision that will have to be made, in correction of the White Paper [Cd. 7662] issued to the House in November last, which was based upon incomplete premises; and if, in view of the importance of having regard to the financial strength of the country after the War, he will ask the Secretary of State for War to reconsider his present policy of issuing advertisements asking men over thirty-eight to join the Army, seeing that ten out of twelve of such men are married?

Certain calculations of the cost of the increased separation allowances and pensions recommended by the Select Committee have been made, but it will be obvious to my hon. Friend that the data for a reliable estimate are not available. With regard to the latter part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by the Prime Minister on the 10th instant.

asked the Under-Secretary for War if he will state for the latest possible date how many separation allowances are being paid in respect of married men who have joined the Army?

I regret I am not in a position to give this information.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of men of military age who are at present employed in the Valuation Department; have any steps been taken to ascertain the wishes of these men with regard to service in the armed forces of the Crown; whether any definite rules have been framed or other means taken to determine who shall be permitted to enlist and who remain in civil employment; and is he aware that members of the staff of recruiting age are subject to annoyance when in the discharge of their duties, by reason of the criticism of the circumstance that, being of suitable age, they have not enlisted?

With regard to the first part of my hon. Friend's question, I would refer him to an answer given on the 12th ultimo to my hon. Friend the Member for Aston Manor; with regard to his question generally I would refer him to an answer given on the 20th April last to my hon. Friend the Member for Haggerston. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of each of the answers mentioned.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will suggest to the Commissioners of National Education the advisability of relaxing their rules so as to enable teachers to publicly identify themselves with organisations assisting the Government in obtaining recruits for His Majesty's Army; and if he is aware that the absence of teachers from recruiting meetings is generally misunderstood in country districts and has an injurious effect on the objects of these meetings?

Teachers in national schools are not debarred under the Code from attending meetings held for the purpose of furthering recruiting in His Majesty's Forces, and, thus, if there is any such general abstention as the hon. Member suggests it is not due to any interference on the part of the Commissioners of National Education, who, on the contrary, highly approve of their teachers lending their influence and assistance in this cause.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the contract for the supply of Bibles to men and boys in the naval service is made by the Admiralty or by His Majesty's Stationery Office?

The Bibles issued to men and boys in the naval Service are supplied on the requisition of the establishments concerned at the expense of the Stationery Office, which makes the necessary arrangements with the publishers. My hon. Friend will remember that, as I indicated in my reply on 19th May, the official supply is being largely supplemented from other sources.

asked whether the contract for the supply of Bibles to soldiers is made by the Army Council or by His Majesty's Stationery Office?

The contract for the supply of Bibles for the Army is made by His Majesty's Stationery Office.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the Board can see their way to increasing the remuneration given to the members of the medical profession who are appointed as naval surgeon and agent in different districts, having regard to the alterations of conditions which the War has caused since the terms were framed?

No reason is seen for increasing the emoluments of these posts, which can always be satisfactorily filled upon the present terms, which (with a few exceptions) being based on the payment of fees for services rendered, are elastic enough to ensure that additional services during the War are recognised by additional remuneration.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, as shown on pages 786 and 787 of the Navy List, the majority of ranks in the Royal Marine Light Infantry are paid at the same rate as the Royal Marine Artillery, whereas in some instances they are paid less; that whereas among the non-commissioned officers six grades of non-commissioned officers and the privates are paid at the same rates in both corps, a sergeant in the Royal Marine Light Infantry is paid 9d. a day less than a sergeant in the Royal Marine Artillery and 1d. a day less than the lower rank of corporal in the Royal Marine Artillery; and whether the Board will consider this alleged grievance?

The difference of pay between the Royal Marine Artillery and the Royal Marine Light Infantry is based on the difference between Artillery and Infantry rates in the Army, because whilst both are trained in naval gunnery, the Royal Marine Artillery are trained in heavier guns and also land service gunnery. The training of officers (entered in recent years) of both branches has been assimilated, and consequently the pay has also been equalised.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if an agreement has been reached regarding the exchange of British and German military medical officers?

The answer is in the affirmative, and it is hoped that the agreement will shortly be made effective. Some delay has been caused owing to the necessity for the military authorities to determine exactly the members of the British and German military medical personnel who are entitled to be exchanged.

asked the Under-Secretary for War how many persons have been shot as spies by the British Forces in France and Belgium since the commencement of the War; and whether any of those persons have been women?

It is undesirable to give this information.

asked whether temporary lieutenants in a battalion of Infantry called upon to perform the duties of captains for more than one month are temporarily promoted to that rank, and become entitled to draw the pay of captains; and why a similar privilege is denied to temporary lieutenants of the Army Service Corps?

The position as regards the Infantry is as stated in the question. The promotion is made on the grounds of military necessity and is not a privilege. The promotion of temporary lieutenants of the Army Service Corps who may be in command of companies is also carried out where it is considered necessary for military purposes, but, as the Noble Lord will realise, a large part of the temporarily commissioned Army Service Corps officers are receiving training and under probation.

asked the Under-Secretary for War what will be the position, after the War, of officers of Special Reserve battalions who have been attached to their Line battalions; and will they be junior to young officers who have joined from Sandhurst?

The Special Reserve officers who do not get Regular commissions will, after the War, normally revert to the Special Reserve battalions or supplementary lists, and will cease to be attached to Regular battalions. Those who are granted Regular commissions will take their place in the Regular regiments according to the date of such commissions, and will not be junior to any young officers from Sandhurst who are appointed subsequently.

asked the Under-Secretary for War whether he is aware that, by an Army Order of 24th November, 1914, the following alterations in the pay of captains of the Royal Engineers were made:—Original scale of regimental pay 11s. 7d., engineer pay 6s., total 17s. 7d.; new scale of regimental pay 13s. 6d., engineer pay 4s., total 17s. 6d., or a decrease of 1d. per diem; and whether steps will immediately be taken to have this grievance redressed?

I would refer the hon. Member to a reply given by my predecessor to a similar question on 1st March.

asked the Secretary for India if he will state what is the official estimate of the Indian wheat crop harvested for this year; and what will be the exportable surplus?

The latest official estimate of this year's Indian wheat crop is 10,293,000 tons. The exportable surplus is calculated at 2,000,000 tons or something more.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the actual cost of bread, butter, jam, cheese, bacon, meat, oatmeal, tea, and sugar on the 1st June, and the price on the 1st March last?

The following are the average prices paid by the working classes for certain articles of food at 1st March, 1915, and 1st June, 1915:

asked whether the scheme for compensation for damage by enemy aircraft now under consideration includes damage to agricultural live stock and crops such as corn and hay; and, if not, whether such property may be so included?

No scheme for compensation for damage by enemy aircraft has yet been decided upon, but various possibilities in this direction are being explored. I am hopeful that it may be possible to include damage to agricultural live stock and crops such as corn and hay.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the advisability of making the Income Tax payable in two instalments instead of in one as at present?

Income Tax assessments cannot be completed in time to enable the collection of duty to commence much earlier than 1st January. Consequently, if the duty were collected in two instalments, payment of one moiety would necessarily be deferred until after the expiration of the financial year, and the yield for the year would be substantially reduced. There are, consequently, grave difficulties in the way of the Noble Lord's suggestion.

asked the Chief Secretary if his attention has been directed to the kidnapping of a boy named George Dunn under circumstances which were described by Mr. Justice Barton as a grave contempt of the Court of King's Bench; and if he will state what steps have been taken by the Irish Executive to ascertain the boy's whereabouts and restore him to the custody of his lawful guardians?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. While it would be obviously undesirable to indicate the precise steps which are being taken, the hon. Baronet may rest assured that every effort is being and will be made by the police to trace the missing boy.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland how many children under the age of one year, of or over the age of one year and under the age of two years, of or over the age of two years and under the age of three years, respectively, died in Ireland during the six months immediately preceding 1st April, 1915; and what were the numbers of such children so dying during the corresponding periods 1913–14, 1912–13, and 1911–12?

The following table sets out, for Ireland, the number of deaths of infants under one year of age, at one and under two years, and at two and under three years of age, registered (1) during the six months ended 31st March, 1912, 1913, and 1914, respectively, and (2) during quarter ended 31st December, 1914. The unrevised figures of deaths of infants under one year of age registered during the quarter ended 31st March, 1915, are also shown, but the corresponding figures for infants between one and three years are not yet available:—

asked the President of the Local Government Board how many children under the age of one year, of or over the age of one year and under the age of two years, of or over the age of two years and under the age of three years, respectively, died in England and Wales during the six months immediately preceding 1st April, 1915; and what were the numbers of such children so dying during the corresponding periods 1913–14, 1912–13, and 1911–12?

The number of deaths of children under the age of one year in England and Wales during the six months immediately preceding the 1st of April, 1915, was 50,209. During the corresponding periods of 1913–14, 1912–13, and 1911–12 the numbers were 49,029, 47,357, and 48,944, respectively. The number of deaths of children between one and two and between two and three years old cannot yet be given for the six months immediately preceding 1st April, 1915.

asked the Secretary for Scotland if he will state how many children under the age of one year, of or over the age of one year and under the age of two years, of or over the age of two years and under the age of three years, respectively, died in Scotland during the six months immediately preceding 1st April, 1915; and what were the numbers of such children so dying during the corresponding periods 1913–14, 1912–13, and 1911–12?

The numbers of deaths of children aged one and two years are not available in portions of years. The following are the numbers of deaths of children of less than one year old in periods named:—

asked the Chief Secretary whether Mrs. Finn, Curraduff, Camp, county Kerry, is being evicted by the Congested Districts Board because she refuses to accept terms of purchase which were contrary to the agreement with the tenants; whether, at the time of the agreement, tenants who did not think the proposed reductions adequate were invited to go into Court and have fair rents fixed; whether Mrs. Finn availed of this alternative, got a fair rent fixed, and since then not alone has she been refused the terms of the sale, but has been put to considerable annoyance and cost; and what steps he proposes to take to compel the Board to carry out the terms of their agreement?

Mrs. Finn was a judicial tenant at the time the estate was purchased by the Congested Districts Board and refused to sign an undertaking to buy her holding on the terms applicable to her then existing tenancy. As a judicial tenant she did not have the option extended to non-judicial tenants, who did not sign undertakings of serving notice to have a fair rent fixed and of purchasing their holdings on the reduced basis of the new rent. When, however, she had a second term rent fixed the Board decided as a special concession to sell her the holding on the basis of a reduction of 3s. 6d. in the £ off the new rent. The annuity payable on these terms is £10 11s. 4d., as compared with a first term rent of £23 8s. when the Board purchased the estate, but Mrs. Finn is not satisfied with this liberal reduction, and in view of her refusal to pay the rent demanded on the basis of this proposal the Board have no alternative but to institute ejectment proceedings.

asked how many certificates under Section 95 of the Children Act, 1908, were issued in 1914 in England and Wales?

The figures for England and Wales generally are not available, but in the Metropolitan Police district forty certificates were issued last year.

asked the Secretary for Scotland how many certificates under Section 95 of The Children Act, 1908, were issued in 1914 in Scotland?

As far as can be ascertained, the number of such certificates issued during 1914 was ten.

also asked whether any persons are now undergoing penal servitude in England or Wales for offences committed when under the age of eighteen years; and, if so, what is the number of such persons?

There are nine—they are all males.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether any persons are undergoing penal servitude in Scotland for offences committed when under the age of eighteen years; and, if so, what is the number of such persons?

There are no such persons.

next asked what are the regulations in the Metropolitan Police with respect to the taking down of statements made by persons in custody, and with respect to the questioning by constables of such persons or of persons suspected of offences?

The Metropolitan Police are instructed not to question persons who are in custody or are about to be taken into custody. Exceptions to this rule may have to be made for the purpose of identifying the person named in a warrant of arrest. When a person is merely under suspicion questions may be put to him if the answers to them may remove the suspicion and obviate the necessity of an arrest, but police officers are instructed to use the utmost discretion in doing this, and not to ask questions of a suspected person the answers to which may have an incriminatory character, without first cautioning him. Voluntary statements made by persons in custody are reduced to writing and preserved.