asked the Prime Minister whether of late Paris has been comparatively immune from Zeppelin attacks; and whether the anti-aircraft defences of Paris have been fully and carefully studied by the Government Department responsible for the defences of London?

The answer to this question is in the affirmative.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will inform the House who has undertaken the work of starring the names of men of military age ascertained under the National Registration Act; on what basis the work has been carried out; and who has been consulted so as to ascertain who are the men who, though of military age, are engaged on work essential to the trade of the country according to the statement of the Chief Recruiting Officer at the Mansion House on the 19th October?

The work of starring the forms for men of military age registered under the National Registration Act has been carried out at the divisional offices of the Labour Exchanges Department acting under instructions drawn up by the Departments principally concerned, namely, the Ministry of Munitions, the Board of Trade, and the Board of Agriculture.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War how many times the Army Council has met since the beginning of the War?

The procedure of the War Office has necessarily and rightly been modified to meet the requirements of a state of war, and, as regards meetings of the Army Council, has become less formal, but meetings and consultations between members of the Army Council are of frequent occurrence.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether any definite duties have been assigned to persons holding commissions as deputy lieutenants for counties, in consequence of the existing state of war; why were these persons not organised and made officially responsible for recruiting or other work auxiliary to the military authorities in their respective counties; will the services of deputy lieutenants be utilised to release for service abroad as many Regular officers whose duties in the counties could be equally well performed by deputy lieutenants; and what purpose is served by making fresh appointments with the official sanction of the War Office and formally gazetted if there are no official duties to be performed by these persons when appointed?

No specific duties have been assigned to deputy lieutenants of counties in consequence of the existence of a state of war, but what the hon. Gentleman desires is indirectly secured to a considerable extent by the enforcement of the qualification that no person can be appointed a deputy lieutenant who has not either been a member of a county territorial force association, given commissioned military service, or rendered special service to the military forces of the Crown during the period of the present War.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, having regard to the number of cases which have arisen in which false declarations have been made as to soldiers' dependants, he will cause a clear notification to be placed on all future issues of Army Form O, 1839, A, of the penalty which will be incurred as a result of giving false information or making reckless statements in the filling up of such form?

A warning of this kind is printed in prominent type on the new forms which are now issued for claiming the allowance.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether dependant's separation allowance has been paid in respect of Private Denis Donnelly, of the Irish Guards, Caherdaniel, county Kerry, in accordance with the claim put forward; and, if so, can he state from what date it will take effect?

As I have already informed the hon. Member privately, dependant's separation allowance has been paid in respect of Private Denis Donnelly with effect from 29th May to the date of his discharge.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that Mrs. Tonks, of Broad Street, Coseley, Bilston, widow of Private Isaac Tonks, No. 9319, South Staffordshire, reported as missing since February last, has been notified that her pension would be payable as from the 20th September last, but has not received anything since the 13th September; and whether he will have inquiries made with a view to expediting the matter?

By a clerical error the book of drafts was sent to a wrong Post Office. This has since been corrected.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether his Department is supplying leather to industrial schools for the purpose of being made into surcingles and other parts of harness; and, if so, will he state how, and at what rate, the work is paid for?

The answer to my hon. Friend's question is in the negative.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether the denial of proficiency pay to ex-volunteers who fulfilled the obligations of the Volunteer Force will be further considered; and whether he is aware that the denial of proficiency pay is a source of discontent?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I have given on this subject on the 13th instant to the hon. and gallant Member for the Newport Division of Shropshire, and I regret that I can add nothing to the reply I then gave.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in the interests of the soldiers and sailors using the Highland Railway, he can see his way to inquire into the question of the prices charged at the buffets and refreshment rooms on this railway with the view of securing reductions being made in the same?

I have communicated with the railway company on this matter, and I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of their reply.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether there are any ships of German, Turkish, or Austrian register now in our ports that are not being utilised; and, if so, what is the approximate total tonnage of such ships?

All enemy vessels in our ports which are at all fit for employment are being utilised.

asked the President of Board of Trade whether he can state how many men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five have emigrated from the United Kingdom in the twelve months ending 30th September last and in each of the last three months, respectively?

In the twelve months ended 30th September, 1915, the number of males of British nationality of twelve years of age and over who were returned as leaving permanent residence in the United Kingdom for permanent residence in non-European countries was 36,594, compared with 101,663 in the previous twelve months. It is estimated that the number between eighteen and forty-five years of age did not exceed 31,000, compared with about 86,000 in the previous twelve months. The numbers of twelve years of age and upwards in July, August and September, 1915, were 2,802, 2,196 and 2,913, respectively. It must be remembered that the numbers leaving in any short period are affected by the available sailings, and that the principal emigrant vessels sail on fixed days of the week.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if he is aware that a company of woodcutters in Government service in the Forest of Dean, engaged in cutting pit-props and cordwood for use in the local Government acetate factory, -commenced specified work in July last at agreed piece-work rates, after an appeal on behalf of the Government to make the output as large as possible in national interests and an assurance that their work was war work and that at the end of two months their remuneration should be sympathetically reconsidered if the output were maintained, and that, in spite of such maintenance, the above rates of payment have been reduced, involving a loss of wage of from 2s. to 2s. 6d. per week; and whether, in view of the definite assurances given by the Government to all munitions workers working in private employment under exactly analogous conditions, the Government will revise the present reduced rate of the wages of their woodcutters while employed upon work essential to the conduct of the War and thus avoid discouragement or discontent among willing and assiduous workers?

Certain woodcutters employed in felling trees for the Commissioners of Woods in the Forest of Dean began certain work at piece-work rates which had been fixed by the deputy-surveyor on the day before the work began. On the first day of work he informed the men that on further consideration, overnight, he felt that he had fixed the rate somewhat too high as regards felling spruce trees. As, however, that rate had been agreed upon, he thought it fair that it should run for two months, after which he would reconsider it. He had in view, however, a probable reduction of the rates, not an increase. At the end of the two months he saw no reason to change his previous view, that he had fixed the rate for felling spruce too high, and he accordingly reduced it by a ¼d. a cubit foot. This is the only case which has occurred in the Forest of Dean of a piece-work rate being reduced and the men had notice on the day they began that a reduction would probably occur. The average daily wages earned during the two months when the higher rate was in force were 6s. 1d., and it is believed that they would have been about 5s. 5½d. had the lower rate been adopted during that period. The work will be finished this week, and it is not proposed to revise the rates which are at present being paid in respect of it. The men are opposed to doing any overtime work. Their working hours are eight per day.

asked the Secretary for Scotland what steps, if any, he proposes to take to further the recommendations of the Scottish Departmental Committee on Food Supplies during the War, particularly as to the utilisation of deer forest areas?

The recommendation of the Departmental Committee, with regard to the possible utilisation of deer forests, will be brought before the district agricultural committees being formed in the Highland districts.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury what powers are possessed by the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, under the Irish Teachers' Pensions Regulations, 1914, to authorise the commutation of pensions of retired teachers of national schools; will he state whether all teachers' pensions can be commuted; and, if so, on what basis; and what pensions, if any, are not capable of commutation?

There is no power under the Irish Teachers' Pension Rules of 1914 to commute pensions granted under those Rules; but under a Supplementary Rule of 19th December, 1914, the Treasury is empowered to commute pensions granted to teachers who retired on the ground of permanent disablement under Rule 10 (1) of 1897. No pensions, therefore, granted under the Rules of 1914 can be commuted; but teachers who have refused to accept the Rules of 1914, and who may be granted a disablement pension under the Rules of 1897, can have their pensions commuted under the provisions of Rule 10 (3), 1897. The sum paid as commutation in such cases is three times the amount of premiums, with interest repaid to the teacher under Rule 10 (1) 1897, less any pension paid. The pensions not capable of commutation are:—

I. All pensions granted under the Rules of 1914.

II. All pensions, other than disablement pensions, granted under the Rules of 1897.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the pensioned policemen who have been called back to duty can be granted their ten days' leave with pay, the same as the other members of the force?

The Commissioner of Police informs me that when the annual leave of the regular police has been worked off he hopes to be able to arrange for some annual leave being given to the pensioners, who have been and are getting a weekly rest-day.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that certain municipal bodies are being advised by their officials that the extension of the term of office by one year, under the Elections and Registration Act, only applies to councillors whose term of office expires this year and not to all councillors; and if he will say whether the Local Government Board have given sanction to this view?

I am advised that the extension of the term of office, under the Elections and Registration Act, applies to all councillors in office at the time mentioned in Section 1 (6) of the Act, whatever the date of their retirement would have been if the Act had not passed.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether his attention has been directed to the experiments on the use of bacterised peat as a stimulant to the growth of vegetables, flowers, and grass; and whether, in view of the enormous supply of peat in Ireland, he will consider the utility of having extensive experiments carried out to find whether such treatment can be successfully applied to corn and green crops?

Tests of the effects of bacterised peat on various crops were arranged by the Department in the current year and the reports thereon are now being received. The question of instituting further experiments will be considered as soon as information regarding all the crops tested is available.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture (1) if any further purchases by the Government of wheat from abroad have recently been made or are in contemplation; and whether some indication can be given to farmers beforehand as to the quantity of wheat about to be so purchased and the dates upon which it will be placed upon the market in competition with British wheat; and (2) whether, in view of the appeal by the Government to British farmers to sow this autumn an increased area of wheat and of the anxiety of many who would otherwise respond thereto as to the possibility of serious loss resulting to them from the flooding of British markets with quantities of overseas wheat bought with public money at a higher price than that at which it is resold, the Government will give a definite undertaking forthwith that the wheat thus purchased shall not be so marketed as either to cause violent fluctuations in the Home wheat market, to the embarrassment of the millers, or to depress its price below that at which, under existing conditions, farmers can grow it with any margin of profit to themselves?

The hon. Member may be certain that any action which the Government may take to safeguard the national food supply will only be such as they consider imperative in the interests of the country as a whole. There is no more reason to think that stocks of wheat which the Government may hold will be used in the manner which the hon. Member deprecates in the coining season than there has been for any such suspicion as to transactions already completed. A primary object which is constantly kept in view in any action taken by the Government in this matter is to interfere as little as possible with the normal course of trade both as regards supplies imported from abroad and as regards those produced at home.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he has considered the effect of the present shortage of trawlers in the Scottish fishing industry in restricting the supply of cheap and wholesome food and in increasing the cost of living; and whether, in the event of the Admiralty desiring to commandeer further trawlers, he will take care that the facts of the situation and the importance of maintaining large supplies of cheap food are fully represented to the Admiralty?

The effect of the shortage of trawlers has been carefully watched since the shortage first arose, and information as to the facts of the situation has been and will be regularly communicated to the Admiralty in order that the question of supplies, of which the importance is recognised by all the Departments concerned, may be fully considered.

asked the Comptroller of the Household, as representing the National Health Insurance Commissioners, whether the sums advanced to certain approved societies are much heavier than in other cases, and if the Commissioners have drawn the attention of some societies to their financial position; and whether attention has been given to the difference of experience which must become manifest when the ages of the respective insured persons are taken actuarially into account?

Yes, Sir.