asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state the names of persons in receipt of annual sums exceeding £500, other than salaries, out of public funds, who have surrendered that income, or any part thereof, for the duration of the War, with the amount surrendered in each case?

I have no information. on this point.

also asked the Secretary to the Treasury, if he will give the names of the judges of the Supreme Court and of County Courts in Ireland who have surrendered salary, or any part thereof, for the duration of the War, with the amount surrendered in each case?

No such cases have arisen.

likewise asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will supply, or place in the Library, a copy of the whole Regulations under the Defence of the Realm Acts now in force in Ireland?

I understand that a copy of the whole of the Regulations under the Defence of the Realm Acts relating to the British Isles generally has been placed in the Library, and their special application to Ireland is explained on page xiii. of the "Introductory Note" to the volume.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if it is proposed to disband any part of the Royal Naval Armoured Car Division, now with the British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force; and if the officers will be given the option of transferring to the Air Service in equal measure with those officers of the Armoured Car Service who have not left England?

It is not at present proposed to disband the Royal Naval Armoured Car Division now operating with the British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, as a result of the efforts of the American Ambassador, he has received full lists of prisoners of the Manchester Territorial brigade in the hands of the Turkish Government?

Although some partial lists of prisoners of war in the hands of the Turks have been received, they do not in any case purport to give a complete statement of the men of any particular unit or formation who are prisoners, but my hon. Friend would, I fear, be wrong in assuming that all those who have been reported as missing will eventually be reported as prisoners of war.

asked the Under-Secretary for War if he is aware that the old age pensions committee for the borough of Wexford deprecate the present method of notifying the death of those killed in battle by sending an official letter to their immediate relatives, as it is the cause of extra sorrow and sometimes serious illness; and whether he will consider the advisability of adopting their suggestion, namely, that the announcement of such deaths should be communicated to the local recruiting officer, with instructions to inform the local clergy ministering to the relatives of the deceased so that they might break the news to the persons concerned?

The resolution referred to has been duly considered, but I am afraid that it would be quite impracticable to utilise the services of the recruiting officers. I may say, however, that where the relatives of soldiers wish that the notification of death shall be sent to their clergy, instead of direct to themselves, regard will be paid to their wishes if they will notify the record office that they wish the notification sent through that channel.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he will state, to the latest convenient date, the aggregate amount spent in connection with recruiting since the War began, and what it amounts to per recruit in England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, respectively?

As my right hon. Friend stated on the 2nd March in reply to the hon. Member for the Melton Division, it would not be possible without great labour and diversion of energy from other pressing work to take out a statement of the cost of all the advertisements issued.

asked the Minister of Munitions whether he is aware that in an ammunition works somewhere in the Eastern counties the workmen who have to endure the strain of standing for hours in the dark inside the works when there is a rumour of Zeppelins, have their wages stopped for the time so lost; and whether he proposes taking any steps in this matter?

I have no information on the matter mentioned by my hon. Friend, but if he will give me further information privately I will have inquiries made.

asked the Minister of Munitions whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Arthur Smith, employed by Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth and Company, of Newcastle, who, without receiving notice to attend the North-East Coast Munitions Tribunal, was sentenced in his absence to a fine for creating a disturbance at work; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

The facts in this case are not quite as stated by my hon. Friend. It appears that a notice to appear on Wednesday, 1st September, at the local Munitions Tribunal, at Newcastle-on-Tyne, was delivered under registered cover at Smith's place of lodging, on the morning of Tuesday, 31st August, but owing to a mistake on the part of his landlady, the letter was not handed to Smith till the evening of Wednesday after the trial. Smith was fined in his absence, but upon his stating his case to the tribunal, he was allowed to attend a subsequent sitting to be heard. I am informed by Smith that he was told by the tribunal that his case would be submitted to me. I am accordingly in communication with the chairman in the matter.

also asked the Minister of Munitions whether he is aware that numbers of married workmen at Newcastle have been applying for certificates of discharge, on the ground that they cannot afford to pay two rents and are unable to bring their wives to Newcastle owing to the scarcity of houses; whether he is aware that these applications have been refused by the Munitions Court; and whether he proposes to take any steps in the matter of housing accommodation for munition workers?

I have received a report of one case in which a certificate was refused by the Local Munitions Tribunal at Newcastle, where the workman gave as a reason for desiring to leave the scarcity and expense of lodging accommodation. The situation with regard to housing accommodation at Newcastle has been investigated on behalf of the Ministry, and proposals for dealing with the situation are now being considered.

asked the Home Secretary if he will inform the House whether changes are being proposed in the duties of the permanent staff of police employed at the House of Commons; and, if so, will he state their nature, the reasons underlying the policy, and the Department responsible for it; whether he is aware that the existing arrangements have long worked satisfactorily to all concerned; and whether, under these circumstances, he will reconsider the whole matter?

No changes are or have been contemplated in the duties of the permanent staff of House of Commons police.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the plain-clothes policemen attached to the House of Commons receive, under the late reduction in pay, an allowance of only 1s. 3d. per week towards the cost of their civilian clothing, as against 2s. 6d. per week previously; and, if so, whether, having regard to the allowances in similar cases made to plainclothes officers at Scotland Yard and other stations, he will consider the advisability of reverting to the old allowance?

As has been explained in reply to other questions, there has been no reduction in pay of police attached to the House of Commons. Uniform police officers receive, when employed on special duty in plain clothes, a daily or weekly allowance for wear and tear. This allowance ceases when the officer ceases to do duty in plain clothes; and as the several officers referred to by my hon. Friend do only three days' duty in plain clothes, they receive only half the weekly allowance. The rule is general, applying at Scotland Yard as elsewhere.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the fact that the pay of the temporary police staff attached to the House of Commons has been reduced by 4s. a week, on the ground that the House is only sitting three days each week; and, if so, will he consider the advisability of reverting to the old rate of pay, seeing that these men are appointed for the Session of Parliament, and that in the past pay has only been deducted when the House has adjourned for not less than twenty-one days?

I think it would be impossible to justify a charge against the Office of Works, who pay these men, of a seven days' allowance for three days' work weekly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he can state from what countries clocks and parts of clocks were imported during the eight months ended the 31st August, 1915; and what was the relative value of such imports from each of these countries; (2) from what countries cinematograph films were imported during the eight months ended the 31st August, 1915; and what was the relative value of such imports from each of these countries; (3) from what countries plate glass was imported during the eight months ended the 31st August, 1915; and what was the relative value of such imports from each of these countries; (4) from what countries motor cars, chassis, and parts of motor cars were imported during the eight months ended the 31st August, 1915; and what was the relative value of such imports from each of these countries; (5) from what countries complete watches, watch cases, and watch parts other than cases were imported during the eight months ended the 31st August, 1915; and what was the relative value of such imports from each of these countries; (6) from what country hats and bonnets, trimmed and untrimmed, were imported during the eight months ended the 31st August, 1915; and what was the relative value of such imports from each of these countries; (7) from what countries motor cycles and parts thereof were imported during the eight months ended the 31st August, 1915; and what was the relative value of such imports from each of these countries; and (8) whether he can state from what countries musical instruments and parts thereof were imported during the eight months ended the 31st August, 1915; and what was the relative value of such imports from each of these countries?

The following statements show for the articles specified in Questions 43, 44, and 52 to 57, inclusive, the value thereof imported into the United Kingdom during the eight months ended 31st August, 1915, distinguishing the value of the imports from each source of supply.

Clocks — Complete: —

Denmark, £7; Germany, £21; France, £8,756; Switzerland, £1,457; Italy, £4,386; Japan, £5,867; United States of America, £136,031. Total, £156,525.

Clocks — Parts thereof: —

France, £9,025; Switzerland, £4,419; Italy, £24; Japan, £26; United States of America, £4,736. Total, £18,230.

Cinematograph Films: —

Russia, £10; Denmark, £140; Netherlands, £394; Belgium, £266; France, £36,167; Switzerland, £917; Spain, £32; Italy, £20,568; Japan, £62; United States of America, £784,156; Cape of Good Hope, £40; British East Africa Protectorate, £350; British India, £7; Canada, £595; British West India Islands, £405. Total, £844,109.

Glass, Plate: —

Netherlands, £36,707; Belgium, £99,917; France, £88; Spain, £40; Switzerland, £480; United States of America, £86,199. Total, £223,431.

Motor Cars — Complete: —

Netherlands, £300; France, £133,260; Switzerland, £1,600; Italy, £38,823; United States of America, £1,755,972; Argentine, £250; Federated Malay States, £750; Canada, £103,589; British West India Islands, £150. Total, £2,034,694.

Motor Cars — Chassis: —

Netherlands, £660; France, £246,403; Switzerland, £6,790; Italy, £108,234; United States of America, £346,950; Canada, £17,398. Total, £726,435.

Motor Cars — Parts thereof: —

Rubber Tyres and Tubes (not imported with complete Motor Cars):—

Russia, £31,305; Germany, £322; Netherlands, £32; France, £252,537; Switzerland, £400; Spain, £3,071; Italy, £69,797; Japan, £7,911; United States of America, £429,004; Cape of Good Hope, £250; Straits Settlements, £18,141; Canada, £26,461. Total, £839,231.

Other Parts:—

Sweden, £24,267; Norway, £489; Denmark, £49; Netherlands, £4,397; Belgium, £4,381; France, £110,490; Switzerland, £150,306; Spain, £5; Italy, £11,976; United States of America, £1,137,468; Brazil, £25; Canada, £3,857. Total, £1,447,710.

Watches — Complete, of Gold: —

France, £45; Switzerland, £61,204; New South Wales, £458. Total, £61,707.

Watches — Complete, of Silver: —

France, £504; Switzerland, £135,911; Italy, £39; Canada, £10. Total, £136,464.

Watches, Complete, of Other Metals: —

Sweden, £416; Germany, £3,121; France, £2,677; Switzerland, £363,399; Italy, £874; United States of America, £16,269; Canada, £121. Total, £386,877.

Watch Cases, of Gold: —

Switzerland, £3,766; United States of America, £262. Total, £4,028.

Watch Cases, of Silver: —

France, £133; Switzerland, £8,341; United States of America, £430. Total, £8,904.

Watch Cases, of Other Metals: —

Germany, £174; France, £186; Switzerland, £2,328; United States of America, £9,501. Total, £12,189.

Watch Parts, other than Cases: —

Germany, £625; France, £2,388; Switzerland, £103,755; Italy, £18; United States of America, £65,123; Canada, £180. Total, £172,089.

Hats and Bonnets, trimmed and untrimmed —Felt: —

Germany, £40; Netherlands, £8; Belgium, £34; France, £30,392; Switzerland, £116; Italy, 29,379; Austria-Hungary, £25; United States of America, 1,435. Total, £61,429.

Hats and Bonnets, trimmed and untrimmed — Straw: —

Netherlands, £25; Java, £6,769; France, £30,310; Switzerland, £5,780; Italy, £20,925; China, £4,570; Japan, £8,883; United States of America, £3,806; Colombia, £30; Ecuador, £15; British India, £25; New South Wales, £34; Canada, £205; British West India Islands, £50. Total, £81,427.

Hats and Bonnets, trimmed and untrimmed — Other Sorts: —

Netherlands, £246; Java, £38,411; Dutch West India Islands, £10,243; Belgium, £102; France, £27,007; Switzerland, £298; Spain, £1,197; Italy, £54,001; China (exclusive of Hong Kong, Macao, and leased Territories), £12,566; Japan, £10,118; United States of America, £4,949; Colombia, £13,729; Panama, £13,488; Ecuador, £26,455; Peru, £2,130; British India, £1,473; Hong Kong, £255; New South Wales, £197; Canada, £161; British West India Islands, £668. Total, £217,694.

Motor Cycles: —

Denmark, £24; France, £792; Switzerland, £100; United States of America, £155,341; Ceylon, £85; Canada, £l,058. Total, £157,400.

Motor Cycles — Parts thereof: —

(a) Rubber Tyres and Tubes (not imported with complete Motor Cycles):—

France, £45,213; Japan, £3,084; United States of America, £29,794; Straits Settlements, £5,127. Total, £83,218.

(b) Other Parts:—

Sweden, £1,554; France, £347; Switzerland, £7,786; Italy, £254; Greece, £4; Japan, £3; United States of America, £18,667; Canada, £17. Total, £28,632.

Musical Instruments — Organs and Harmoniums: —

Sweden, £15; France, £14; Japan, £22; United States of America, £8,030; Canada, £5,418. Total, £13,499.

Musical Instruments — Pianos: —

Germany, £205; Netherlands, £1,208; France, £12,384; Switzerland, £477; Spain, £760; United States of America, £11,365; Canada, £1,124; New South Wales, £164. Total, £27,687.

Musical Instruments — Unenumerated: —

Sweden, £20; Germany, £9; Netherlands, £1,898; France, £5,520; Switzerland, £848; Spain, £506; Italy, £4,899; Japan, £196; United States of America, £981; Canada, £87. Total, £14,964.

Musical Instruments — Parts thereof: —

Germany, £76; France, £45,384; Switzerland, £908; Italy, £582; Japan, £5; United States of America, £53,090; Canada, £13,218. Total, £113,263.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if he will state the amount of any Grants made, in the interest of increased food production, towards experiments and research in bacterised peat as a fertiliser; and to what institutions such Grants have been made?

Grants have been sanctioned to the University of London (King's College) in respect of Professor Bottomley's researches on bacterised peat. They amount to £150 in respect of the academic year ending 30th September, 1915, and £75 in respect of the six months ending 31st March, 1916.

also asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he is now in a position to state the results of the experiments made by the Department and by private persons during the past season in the utilisation of peat?

It is not clear to what particular experiments in connection with peat the hon. Member refers. He has been informed, in reply to another question put by him to-day as to the present position of the Department's experiments in regard to bacterised peat. As to the manufacture of peat fuel and producer gas, I would refer him to my previous replies on these matters. The experiments referred to in my reply of 18th May, in connection with the possibility of utilising peat in other directions than those mentioned, are still in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the British, French, and Belgian Governments, acting together, have placed, or are about to place, a contract in the United States of America for the provision of movable dwellings for use in Belgium after the War?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer returned to the hon. Member for Devonport on the 28th ultimo.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state upon what grounds the Board of Customs and Excise have, by their order of the 25th September, abolished an allowance of 9d. per night to preventive men when employed between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m., which was sanctioned by the Treasury on the 12th September, 1900; whether he is aware that the taking away of this allowance means a considerable financial loss to a number of these officers; and whether it is proposed to give them a Port of London allowance in lieu?

This anomalous allowance was the last survival of the now obsolete system of paying piecemeal allowances representing travelling and subsistence expenses for special details of work. In old days the class of boatmen, now converted into preventive men, had not the same general advantages of ordinary and overtime pay and an allowance for night work as their modern representatives, and those win were on duty in the London Docks during the small hours of the night were considered to have special disadvantages in regard to facility of access from their homes and of obtaining refreshments as compared with the boatmen employed elsewhere. For this reason they were given this allowance, and though the arguments for it are certainly not valid now, it was allowed to continue untouched on account of the small amount involved until the completion of the final revision of the travelling, subsistence, and overtime allowances of the general Customs and Excise Service, which followed upon the recent amalgamation of the separate Customs and Excise Departments. There is no reason nowadays to continue a perquisite in the case of such preventive men as may happen to be employed in London which is not given to any of their fellows employed elsewhere, and which conflicts with the general Civil Service rule that officials must bear their own expenses in proceeding from home to the ordinary place of work. The allowance must therefore be abolished as soon as possible, but it has been decided that actual existing recipients shall continue to draw it so long as they satisfy the conditions which at present attach to its receipt.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the graziers and planters on the Clanricarde estate, county Galway, were made permanent tenants for the purpose of evading the enactments passed for the restoration of the evicted tenants and the enlargements of the uneconomic holdings on the estate; and if he will state what steps the Congested Districts Board intend to take with regard to bogus tenancies on this property?

I am not aware what were the motives underlying the conversion of temporary lettings of grass lands on the Clanricarde estate into permanent tenancies. The Congested Districts Board will deal with the estate in accordance with their usual procedure, and acquire volun- tarily or compulsorily, under their statutory powers, all suitable lands urgently required for the relief of congestion, which in their opinion ought to be utilised for this purpose. In this connection they are willing to enter into negotiations with any of the planters or other tenants of farms for the acquisition of their occupation interest in the farms they hold.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will state the scale according to which the Estates Commissioners distribute bog among purchasing tenants and other persons when dealing with an estate comprising more bog than is required for such purposes; and if he will state the names of all estates dealt with, or in course of being dealt with, by the Commissioners on which such surplus bog exists, with the estimated area of each tract and the county in which it is situated?

I am informed by the Estates Commissioners that in dividing turbary on an estate purchased by them they allot to each tenant on the estate sufficient to provide for the requirements of his holding, so far as the amount of bog available and circumstances permit. The amount therefore necessarily varies with the quality of the turbary and other local conditions. If there is more bog on the estate than is required for the allottees, the balance is as a rule reserved for allocation amongst tenants on neighbouring estates inadequately supplied with bog, and no useful purpose could be served by giving the information asked for in the second part of the question.

also asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland), if he is now in a position to state the amount of increase in the area under each of the principal food crops in Ireland this year as compared with the previous year, and the amount of the untenanted and non-residential grass land which the Department has been instrumental in having divided into small holdings for young agriculturists to cultivate?

The detailed figures asked for by the hon. Member will be found in the Agricultural Statistics for the year 1914–15, recently issued by the Department. As to the latter portion of the question, the Department are not responsible for the carrying out of the division of untenanted or other land in Ireland, their duties in this connection being confined to the assisting as far as possible, by means of expert instruction, and in other ways, the new holders after they have been placed upon their farms.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the Royal Commission on Secondary Education, as shown on page 383 of volume IX. of their Report [Cd. 7862], made an estimate, based on the ascertained figures of representative areas in 1894, that the number of pupils in secondary schools who had been admitted from public elementary schools was about 25 per cent. of the total scholars; whether the Return of pupils in the secondary schools, from which the Board of Education could obtain information in 1897 [Cd. 8634], gave a total number of 291,544 pupils in such schools; whether these data suggest that about fifteen or twenty years ago the number of ex-public elementary school children in secondary schools in England and Wales was about 75,000; and whether, in the absence of an exact official record, he can suggest any material for a better estimate than these figures, and for an estimate of the number who were admitted free and the number who paid fees?

I am aware of the figures given in the Report and Return to which the question refers me, but I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by the attempt to use them as a basis for an estimate of the number of ex-public elementary school children in secondary schools in England and Wales in later years.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will state the average prices of wheat (including new wheat), flour, and the quartern loaf of bread on the 1st June, the 1st August, the 1st September, and the 1st October in the current year; and (2) if he can state the reason why, if there has been a fall of over 20s. per quarter in the average price of wheat as between the 1st August and the 1st September, 1915, the difference in the price paid by the poor for a quartern loaf of bread has not exceeded a halfpenny, and in some parts of the country is nil; and what action, besides watching the fluctuations in market prices, is the Board taking in the matter?

The following table shows the prices of certain grades of wheat in London and Liverpool and of a standard quality of flour in London, on the Monday preceding the 1st of June, August, September and October, 1915, respectively, and the predominant prices of bread in London and the United Kingdom on the 1st of each of those months:— — June, 1915 August, 1915. September, 1915. October, 1915. Wheat. London quotations— English White (delivered), per quarter of 504 lb 64s. 6d. to 67s. 58s. to 61s. 47s* 45s. to 49s.* No. 1 N. Manitoba (ex-ship), per 496 lb. 71s. 60s. 6d. 59s. 8d. No quotation. No. 2 Hard Winter, per 496 lb. 68s. No quotation. 55s. 48s. 6d.† Liverpool quotations— No. 1 N. Manitoba, per 496 lb. 63s. 2d. to 63s.5d.‡ No quotation. 56s. 2d. to 56s. 5d. 56s. l0d. to 57s.† No. 2 Hard Winter, per 480 lb 64s. 2d. to 64s. 5d. 56s. to 56s. 2d. 56s.7d.to 56s.10d. 56s. l0d. to 57s. No. 2 Hard Winter (new), per 480 lb. — — 52s. l0d. to 53s,§ 49s. to 49s. 2d. Flour. London Households, No. 1 (ex-mill, less usual discount), per sack of 280 lb. 51s. 6d. 43s. 6d. 42s. 6d. 4ls. 6d. Bread. Mean predominant price per 4 lb.— London— N. & N.W. 8¾d. 7¾d. 7¾d. 7¾d. E. & N.E. 8¾d. 7½d. 7¾d. 7¾d. S.E 8½d. 7¾d. 7½d. 7½d. S.W 9d. 7¾d. 7¾d. 7¾d. W. & W.O. 9d. 8d. 8d. 8d. * New wheat. The last quotation for old wheat (57s. to 59s. 6d.) was on 23rd August. † Price on 20th September. No later quotations given † Price on 4th June. § Price on 28th August.

Between the beginning of August and the beginning of September there was a fall of 10s. to 12s. per quarter in the price of English wheat, but this was due to the fact that the quotations for August were for old wheat, while those for September were almost wholly for new wheat. The new wheat is not so productive as the old, when milled, owing to greater moisture; consequently no fair

comparison can be made between the prices of new and of old wheat in regard to their effect upon the price of bread. It will be noticed that the Liverpool quotations for old wheat show very little change-since August. If definite cases of unduly high prices of bread, having regard to the local qualities and other conditions, are brought to the notice of the Board of Trade they will be inquired into.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state when the Return of

Experiments on Living Animals for the year 1914 will be issued; and whether he is aware that, having regard to the fact that no proceedings for an offence under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, can be instituted after the lapse of six months from the time when the matter of complaint arose, and that such Returns are practically the only means whereby the public can obtain any information as to whether any such offence has been or appears to have been committed, the withholding of such Return for more than six months after 31st December, 1914, precludes all possibility of instituting any prosecution for such offences, if any, as may have been committed during the year aforesaid?

The Return was issued yesterday. I regret that owing to pressure of war work it was impossible to issue it earlier. The date of the publication of the Return does not affect the power of the Home Office to institute proceedings. Any contravention is reported to the Secretary of State as soon as it is discovered.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, if the proposed changes in regard to telephone charges are sanctioned, they will be accompanied by a revision of areas, to the end that subscribers just without the 10-mile London radius may not have to pay higher rates on trunk calls while their requirements relate almost exclusively to such calls?

The revision of telephone areas would involve too many changes in the agreements with subscribers and too much work for the staff to be undertaken at the present time. But I hope at the end of the War to be in a position to remove anomalies in respect of areas.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state how much revenue was obtained from Press telegrams transmitted between the hours of 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. for the year ending 31st March, 1915?

It is estimated that the revenue in question amounted to £66,000, about 51 per cent. of the whole.

asked the Postmaster-General whether girl friends and relatives of postal workers are being taken on as sorters in preference to unemployed girls who have registered for these posts; and whether he will take steps to ensure that only girls who have registered will be engaged and according to priority and I suitability?

Such employés are obtained, as a rule, through the Labour Exchanges, and where application has been made direct by persons who appear suitable they are required first to register at the Labour Exchange.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether any live cattle have been shipped from any Colonial or foreign port to Avonmouth or Cardiff for immediate slaughter under the terms of the Order recently issued by the Board; and, if so, how many?

According to the latest information, the reply is in the negative.