asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many officers and men of the mercantile marine service have lost their lives owing to attack by German submarines during the last three months; of these, how many have been killed by gunfire; whether the Government is making any provision for their dependants; and, if so, on what scale?

During the months of April, May, and June, 1915, the number of officers and men of the mercantile marine service who lost their lives owing to attack by German submarines is approximately 502. Of this number, it is estimated that ten lost their lives by gunfire. With regard to the third part of the hon. Member's question, compensation is paid in respect of all officers and men in merchant ships who lose their lives or are injured through war operations, in accordance with the scale laid down for Fleet Auxiliaries.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that Surgeon David Vickery was invalided from the Navy on 9th September by a survey board, which did not examine his injured knee but accepted the opinion of one of the six special consultants engaged by the Admiralty for the War, who made the mistaken diagnosis of osteo arthritis; whether he is aware that this diagnosis was subsequently disproved by X rays and by a successful operation removing loose pieces of cartilage, resulting in complete recovery, and this is borne out by five surgeons and four doctors; and whether, in view of the fact that the injury was incurred while in the Service and Dr. David Vickery was invalided from the Navy on a wrong diagnosis, the Board will give instructions that the expenses of his operation and his medical expenses should be refunded to him?

Perhaps the hon. and gallant Member will repeat his question in a few days' time.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he will have an inquiry made into the prices charged by the canteens with the British Expeditionary Force in France with a view to the reduction of the present scale of charges so soon as the initial expenses have been paid off?

The prices charged by the canteens in question are brought under review from time to time, and I will bear in mind my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will inquire into the case of Lance-Corporal R. H. Price, No. 1 Company, Army Service Corps, Stanhope Lines, Aldershot, who offered his services at the commencement of the War and joine das a driver, being attested on 10th August, 1914, but whose attestation papers apparently went astray; can he say if this soldier, who was without pay for many months, and who has not been given a regimental number, was recently sent to France without an identification disc; if he was sent back to England for this reason; whether the necessary papers have yet been found; and will he have regard to the hardship suffered by Price owing to this state of affairs and have the terms of his enlistment regularised without further delay?

The case of this soldier is being inquired into, and the question of his proper rate of pay will, I hope, be settled shortly. He is being paid meanwhile at the lower rate. Apart from this question, his documents are in order. He was sent to France on escort duty, and returned on completion of the duty. Identity discs are not issued except to soldiers proceeding for service.

asked the Home Secretary if the petitions from the prison staff of England and Wales for a war bonus, presented in March last, has been considered; and whether there is likely to be any further delay in the matter?

The petitions referred to are now before the Treasury.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that a few years ago a well known Smith-field Army contractor, with an otherwise blameless record, was struck off the list of Army contractors in consequence of a cold storage company forwarding on his account a frozen bull forequarter of beef instead of an ox one, and has not been allowed to tender since; and whether meat-importing firms who tender damaged beef are also struck off the list of contractors when their goods are rejected as unfit for Army use?

I have not been able from the particulars given to identify the contractor referred to. As regards the second part of the question, the War Department selects such suitable meat as it requires from cargoes imported under arrangements made by the Board of Trade. Any meat which is not suitable is not taken, but the meat is not tendered to the Department under contract, and the question of removal from the War Office list does not arise.

asked what is the total sum paid by the War Office to Messrs. Perfect and Company, including the salaries of Messrs. Knowles and Wells, for superintending the discharge, inspecting, storing, and forwarding Army meat from 4th August, 1914, to 30th June, 1915?

The total sum due to Messrs. Perfect and Company for services rendered to 31st May, 1915, including out-of-pocket expenses, is £12,400. Figures for June are not yet available.

asked whether on numerous occasions during the last three months Army transport wagons and private contractors' vans have been loaded with meat for Army purposes at the cold stores of the Central Markets Cold Storage Company, Smithfield; whether any employé of Messrs. Perfect and Company has been present on any occasion either to inspect the meat or check the weights or whether the cold storage company have had to take the responsibility both of weighing and inspecting the meat; and, if so, whether any payment has been made to Messrs. Perfect and Company for these services?

I am informed that Messrs. Perfect and Company properly discharge the duties for which they are paid.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury what was the aggregate sum spent up to 5th April last on the work of the Committee appointed to inquire into the International Regulations of the North Sea Fisheries; how much it is proposed to spend in the present financial year; how many men are employed in this inquiry; and whether a substantial saving in money and labour could be instituted in this War year?

I understand the question to refer to the work of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. The annual contribution of the British Government to the expenses of the Council is £1,250. The expenditure of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries on North Sea investigations is difficult to distinguish from the general scientific work of the Fisheries Division of which it forms an integral and most important part. The sum voted to the Board for scientific fishery investigations, exclusive of salaries, was, in the year 1914–15, £13,041. The actual expenditure was reduced to £9,144 mainly owing to the impossibility of carrying on deep sea investigations after the outbreak of war. The sum voted in the Estimates for the year 1915–16, in respect of similar work, was £11,836. This estimate was framed, however, at a time when it was difficult to say what work it would be practicable and desirable to carry on, and was in the nature of a provisional estimate only. It is not expected that expenditure under this head will exceed a sum of £2,500 at the outside. The salaries of the Board's staff of Naturalists of the Fisheries Division (thirteen men and three women) amount approximately to £4,300 a year. Of the officers whose salaries are included in that sum, two are serving in the Army and one in the Navy, one has been engaged for the most part, since the outbreak of war, on special war services, another is mainly so engaged at present and the remainder are either engaged in carrying on scientific work which it would be undesirable to drop or are assisting in the general services of the division which has been reduced by approximately 30 per cent, by the calls of military and naval service. For information as to the scientific work of the Scottish Fishery Board and the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland, I must refer the hon. Member to those Departments respectively.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, in the case of Mr. James Kennelly's farm at Knockamoohane, near Listowel, North Kerry, on the Knight of Kerry's estate, the Estates Commissioners were satisfied, on the reports of their inspectors, that it was essential that a proper embankment should be erected so as to protect Mr. Kennelly's farm against the encroachments of the River Smearla, the said farm being the security which the Irish Land Commission would have for repayment to them of the purchase money to be advanced by them; if Mr. Kennelly's holding was vested in him before the embankment was completed; and what steps the Estates Commissioners propose to take for the purpose of seeing that the embankment is properly completed?

I am informed that this estate was sold by the owner direct to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and purchase agreements, at prices agreed on between the parties, were lodged with the Estates Commissioners. In the case of Kennelly's holding, the Commissioners required the vendor to erect certain river protection works, and on the vendor undertaking to do so, the holding was vested in Kennelly in accordance with the terms of the purchase agreement signed by him. The improvement works have since been completed to the satisfaction of the Commissioners, and they do not propose to take any further action in the matter.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if steps are being taken to provide that lodger voters on the existing Parliamentary register for 1914–15 shall not be disqualified for the ensuing register by reason of their absence on military or naval duty during the past twelve months?

The Electoral Disabilities (Naval and Military Service) Removal Act, 1914, provides that in certain eases absence in pursuance of naval or military duties is not to disqualify a person for being registered as an elector in respect of any qualification for which residence or inhabitancy is required. In the case of a lodger, the claim to be registered may be made by any person on his behalf.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether, in the Bill dealing with the postponement of municipal elections, he will make provision for extending the terms of office of aldermen as well as of councillors?

The answer is in the affirmative.

asked the President of the Local Government Board how many lord mayors, mayors, chairman of urban district councils, and their officials, and members of the Primrose League, and other kindred organisations, have volunteered personally to distribute and collect gratuitously the forms to be issued for the compilation of the National Register?

I have received a very large number of offers of voluntary assistance from all classes of the community, and these offers of help are by no means limited to the mere distribution and collection of forms.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he has any official information showing that large poultry farmers were buying newly-born calves at 2s. each and boiling the carcasses as food for fowls; and, if so, will he say what step the Board of Agriculture proposes to take in regard to this matter in view of the present high price of meat?

The Board have no official information as to the existence of the practice referred to by the hon. Member, but I will have inquiries made, and in the meantime I should be glad if the hon. Member would acquaint me of any specific cases which may have been brought to his notice. If the practice relates to calves born alive, it would, of course, generally speaking, constitute a contravention of the Slaughter of Animals Order recently made by the Board.