asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether instructions have been given to the censors at the front that they are not to open or censor letters which are addressed to Members of Parliament at the House of Commons; and whether this privilege applies to Members of the House of Lords?

In view of the statement made by the hon. Member in his supplementary question on 6th July, instructions are being sent to Sir John French that the censors in the field might be guided by the same principles in this matter as are the censors in the United Kingdom. This privilege would apply also to correspondence addressed to peers at the House of Lords.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that doubt exists among officers of the Army, especially in the Army Service Corps, as to their liability for Government property issued to them; whether even junior officers, if in command of companies or other units in this country, are personally liable for the value of all stores and equipment issued to their unit which may be lost in camp or when moving camp, although in many cases the actual person in charge is a noncommissioned officer in whose appointment the officer so responsible has no voice; under what regulation docs this liability arise, and upon what officers does it rest; and whether, in order to avoid any hardship to men already serving, or who may be desirous of serving their country as officers, he can see his way to state that this liability, if it exists, will during the War only be enforced in cases of actual and personal negligence?

All officers are responsible for taking due care of public property in their charge. The responsibility of officers commanding companies in this connection is clearly laid down in paragraph 112 of the King's Regulations. Officers are not made pecuniarily liable for losses without full inquiry, and every allowance is made for inexperience and the difficulties of present circumstances, if these are represented to the military authorities dealing with the matter.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he has made inquiries into the loss sustained by five tenants on the Lord Longford property by reason of their turf banks being cut down and destroyed in order to provide rifle ranges for the 5th Service Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment; whether he is aware that those people have been unable to cut any turf this year in consequence of the complete destruction of the face bank and the difficulty of restarting cutting operations; and whether, in consequence, he will direct that a moderate sum by way of compensation will be paid to these people, all of whom are poor men in humble circumstances?

These cases are under investigation, and I will let the hon. Member know the result in due course.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether any contracts have been placed by his Department since the 1st of January for blankets for the Army with Scottish carpet manufacturers direct; if so, will he say to what extent; and is he aware that such contracts were placed by middlemen in the early months of the War, thus helping to keep working a large number of female employés whose trade was otherwise severely injured by the War?

Since the 1st of January contracts for about one million Army blankets have been placed directly with Scottish carpet manufacturers In the earlier months of the War, when the demand for blankets was so urgent that it was necessary to utilise every available source of supply, contracts were in some cases placed with middlemen, but it is the established policy of the War Office to deal directly with manufacturers, and in the absence of very special circumstances I am not prepared to depart from that policy.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War if he will state who is the contractor entrusted with the construction of the camp at Clip-stone, in Nottinghamshire; by what date the contractor undertook to complete the construction, and by what date it is hoped that it will be in fact completed; has the War Office received any, and what, complaints as to the manner in which the work is being carried out; and what public official is supervising the construction?

The contractors were W. Hodson and Son, Limited, of Nottingham. The date for completion was 6th February, but this date was contingent on a satisfactory supply of material, which was not realised, and also on certain other technical considerations. The occupation of the camp began in May and was completed early this month. Certain additional buildings are also in course of construction. No complaints of the nature referred to have been received. The work was carried out under the supervision of the director of barrack construction.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether an officer and a surveyor inspected a site for the construction of Clip-stone camp last October; whether it was then pointed out to them that a connection for the transport of material could be made with the Mansfield Railway at the cost of a few hundred pounds; whether the War Office nevertheless determined to use the roads; whether, in consequence, the roads have been so used and have been damaged to the extent of over £6,000; whether the railway connection has now been made; why it was not made at first; and who is to blame?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The possibility of a railway across the valley over the Vicar Water to the camp and connecting with the Mansfield Railway was suggested, but after discussion it was decided that the cost was too great and that the railway would take too long to construct. It was subsequently arranged by the Office of Works who were supplying the timber, to use motor haulage over the roads, but, owing to the abnormally wet weather, this method was reconsidered, and finally a connection over another route was made with the Mansfield Railway.

asked the Comptroller of the Household, as representing the National Health Insurance Commissioners', whether the orderlies of the Order of St. John now serving in France who have been insured under the National Insurance Act since August last are unable to keep up their insurance unless they return to England within twelve months and have their cards duly stamped; and, if so, whether he will make special arrangements to meet their case?

The Insurance Commissioners are about to issue to approved societies a circular, of which I will send the hon. Member a copy, which covers the cases referred to in the question. I am communicating with the Order in the meantime.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that a Report of the National Physical Laboratory dealing with pyrene fire extincteurs, prepared at the request of the Board of Trade and dated 22nd April, 1915, says that at temperatures up to a dull red heat the most important decomposition product of pyrene vapour is hydrochloric acid; and that, in regard to the fumes generated when pyrene is used for extinguishing fire, the irritant acid character imparted by the presence of hydrochloric acid renders it difficult for anyone to sustain more than very brief exposure to the fumes; will he say whether this report was in possession of the Admiralty when thousands of these extincteurs were bought by the Department; and whether any of them form part of the equipment of submarines?

The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The nature of the liquid used in this extincteur was already known to the Admiralty, and is, I am informed, similar in its properties to that used in some other types. I may say that the extincteur in question was only adopted for the services in which it is employed after trials of many types extending over several years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether net or drag-net fishing is permitted in any of the English or Welsh inland lakes; is there any close season on those lakes; and, if netting is permitted, is there any licence payable or any restrictions as to the sort of net used?

The hon. Member's question cannot be answered in general terms. Fishing in inland fisheries in England and Wales is subject to the provisions of numerous statutes, orders, and local regulations made by boards of conservators which deal with restriction of netting, close season, and licences. If the hon. Member would give me the name of any inland lake in which he is interested, I shall be happy to supply him with full information on the subject, if I can obtain it.

asked the Postmaster-General whether a rule exists in the Post Office that no complaint against any Post Office servant is to be inquired into or acted upon unless made in writing and until the person complained, of has been allowed to make a reply in defence?

The rule which the hon. Member has in mind is as follows: "Before an officer is punished for an offence or has an adverse entry made in his record the precise nature of the charge will be clearly stated to him in writing. He will be requested to make a written explanation, and will be afforded every opportunity of meeting the charge and proving his innocence. Whore, however, any question of criminal misconduct is involved, the procedure must necessarily depend on the circumstances of the case."

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can now state the result of his inquiry into the complaint that a mail contractor at Scarborough employs' a driver from 4.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. six days a week, that, in addition, the man makes two post offices attendances on Sunday, and has also to undertake other driving work for the contractor, making his average hours of work over eighty per week for a total wage of a guinea?

I find that the driver is not required to perform any-regular work for the contractor outside the mail contract. He receives wages of 21s. a week, in addition to uniform and certain privileges, for about seventy-one hours work a week (including Sunday) in the winter, and his summer hours have now been reduced by the contractor to the winter level. His employment in case of emergency on work outside the contract will be restricted. I am inquiring further into the case.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that at some of the Labour Exchanges in London it is frequently necessary for the junior female clerks to work overtime, but that, unless it is a special duty, they get no pay for the overtime worked; and whether he will give instructions that the female clerks employed at Labour Exchanges shall be treated the same as female clerks in other branches of the Civil Service are treated?

A system is in operation under which payment for overtime may, within certain limits, be made for certain classes of work or if specially authorised by the Department. In any other cases of overtime the staff are allowed a corresponding amount of time off as far as this is possible. Owing to the difficulty of exercising the necessary degree of supervision in a large number of small branch offices, it is not practicable to make the same arrangements with regard to payment for overtime as in a large central office.