asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the influence of the duty of 74s. per cwt. on English hops imported into America tending to prevent us from paying for some of our excess imports other than in gold, whether he will consider the imposition of a similar duty on American hops with a view to it being expedient to use every means to restrict imports?

I fear I cannot anticipate the proposals of the next Budget, but all relevant suggestions will receive careful attention.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a person who is maintaining and educating a grandchild or an adopted child is entitled to relief from Income Tax as set forth in Section 24 of the Finance Bill?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the grievances of Irish prison warders in the matter of pay and pensions; whether he is aware that on entering the prison service the highest salary paid is £l 1s. per week, rising in the case of a married man to £l 6s. 2d. per week; whether he is aware that dissatisfaction exists in the Irish prison service at the small salaries paid to the men who do the hardest work, whereas the higher placed officials, including the inspectors, governors, and others, draw larger salaries for comparatively light work; and whether, seeing that the Irish prison warders have at all times proved themselves loyal and devoted servants to the Crown, he will consider the advisability of bringing up a new estimate to provide them with some further increase in their wages?

I am aware that representations have been made for an increase in the pay of the Irish prison warders. The Treasury was unable to entertain these proposals, and having regard to present financial conditions I cannot hold out hopes of a reconsideration of the previous decision. As regards the pay of the warders, I would remind the hon. Member that the figures he quotes only represent a portion of the remuneration, as in addition to salary a warder receives various valuable emoluments, such as provision of quarters, fuel, light, and uniform, or allowances in lieu, and medical attendance and medicines for himself and family. The duties of a warder and of the other officers referred to in the question are of so distinct a character that comparisons between the salaries of the one class and of the other classes do not appear to me to be relevant.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland when he proposes to increase for the period of the War the pay of existing prison warders in Ireland; whether, since his interview with the deputation, instead of any improvement in the condition of these men, a boot allowance in which they received some slight remuneration has been reduced; whether, before sanctioning this reduction, he was consulted; and, if not, will he take steps to see that these men are not further penalised for looking for an improvement in their condition?

I regret I have not yet been able to formulate a scheme for increasing the pay of prison warders in Ireland likely to be acceptable to the Treasury, but I hope shortly to be able to do so. No reduction has been made in the rate of the boot allowances to these warders, which has been paid to them as from the 1st April last in lieu of the previous provision of prison-made boots.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, if any economies or reductions are proposed to be effected in the Dublin police, care will be taken that the ratepayers of the district, who contribute so largely to the upkeep of the force, share in any benefit; or is it intended that the Treasury alone shall gain by what is in contemplation?

It is not at present practicable to say to what extent econo- mies or reductions are proposed to be effected in expenditure on the Dublin Metropolitan Police, but any such reduction in the net expenditure will inure to the benefit of the Exchequer, which has had to meet the cost of the increase in the scale of pay and allowances recently-granted to the force.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether steamers requisitioned by the Government will be used for the carriage of the 50,000 tons of nitrate of soda bought recently by the Board of Agriculture?

The question of the carriage of this nitrate is under consideration.

also asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether the imports of nitrate of soda were for the six months May to October, 1913, 50,000 tons; May to October, 1914, 90,000 tons; May to October, 1915, 185,000 tons; whether, in addition, shipments estimated at over 100,000 tons are on the way or have been arranged for early shipment; is it practicable to use both qualities for fertilisers; can he say if the whole annual consumption for agriculture is about 70,000 tons; and whether the purchase of 50,000 tons recently made by the Board for agricultural purposes will be shipped to this country or resold?

The figures that I have do not agree with those given by the hon. Member in the first part of his question, but he would no doubt be able to obtain exact figures from the Board of Trade. I would, however, point out that the figures, both as to imports and as to shipments, have no relevance to the question of the supplies available for agricultural purposes owing to the large and altogether exceptional demands for munitions purposes. The hon. Member, I believe, seriously underestimates the annual agricultural consumption, of which, however, I can give no exact figures. Refined nitrate of soda bought for munitions purposes can be used for agriculture, if it can be made available; and it is partly because of the difficulty of making it so available that the Board intend to ship nitrate to this country, if possible.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War if captains of the Indian Army serving with the Expeditionary Forces and doing the work of field officers may be temporarily promoted to the rank of major, in view of the fact that they cannot be granted that rank in the Indian Army until they have completed eighteen years' service?

Proposals for the grant of temporary rank in certain cases of the kind mentioned have been referred to the Army Council.

asked the Under-Secretary for War how many members of the Irish prison service have volunteered for the front; and whether, compared with other branches of the public service, the percentage is relatively higher in the case of these men?

I believe that members of the Irish prison service have come forward in good numbers to enlist, but I think comparisons between one branch of the public service and another in this matter are to be deprecated. Some branches can spare men more readily than others.

also asked whether for some time past large numbers of young men have been enlisting at Longford in the Leinster Regiment; and whether, in view of the success which attended the formation of Lord Granard's battalion at Longford last year, it will be now arranged to further encourage recruiting by having one of the four battalions of the Leinsters at present in the Irish Command quartered at the vacant military barracks at Longford?

I am glad to say that my hon. Friend's suggestion has been anticipated, and I am sure he will be pleased to learn that arrangements are being made to quarter a detachment of the Leinster Regiment at Longford in order to stimulate recruiting there. I am sure that my hon. Friend will give all possible assistance in this direction.

asked the Under-Secretary for War whether his attention has been called to the fact that, in the event of the command of an Infantry battalion falling upon a captain, such captain receives the rank of temporary major and not temporary lieutenant-colonel; whether the War Office will recognise that the responsibility is as great or even greater for a captain than a major, and that the effect of this policy is to deprive the commanding officer of the authority of his command; and if he will say if this discrimination, which does not apply in the case of a major appointed to command a brigade or in any of the higher commands, will be abolished in the case of a captain who may have commanded a battalion on active service for thirty days?

I am aware that it has been laid down that only one step of rank should be given at a time and, though I recognise the point made by the hon. and Gallant Gentleman in the second part of the question, I think there are good reasons from a general Army point of view why the rule referred to should be maintained. The analogy between the two cases mentioned is not, I think, exact; a major appointed to command a brigade is taken out of his unit and has under his command officers of the rank of lieutenant-colonel, whereas a captain in the other case remains in his unit and there is no officer in that unit of superior rank to himself.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War if his attention has been called to cases where officers of the Regular Army, who at the outbreak of war were in signalling companies and have since been wounded, and having been passed fit for service are posted to other signalling companies, and there find themselves junior to officers with temporary commissions; and will he say what steps he will take to meet such cases?

I think the hon. and gallant Gentleman must be referring to cases of officers holding temporary commissions. If this is so, I would point out that it is of the nature of temporary commissions that the holders cannot permanently retain the advantages attached to the temporary rank. If, however, he refers to Regular officers, I would ask him to be so good as to send me particulars of any cases of which he has knowledge, and I will have them inquired into.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if arrangements will be made for the men of regiments which have been at the front for over a year, as, for instance, the 4th Seaforths, who embarked on the 5th November, 1914, being given home leave?

My hon. Friend will recollect that in an answer I gave on the 23rd November to the hon. Member for Derby I said I would write to the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief. He now informs me that the matter has been under his continuous and careful attention, and that the numbers who can be given leave depends primarily on the accommodation available in the ships. This accommodation is made use of to the fullest extent possible. The Field-Marshal's instructions are that preference is to be given to those who have been in the country a long time, but a considerable time is required to work through all the men who have been in the country a year. He is aware that individual cases of hardship may occur: Some of these, however, are more apparent than real, as it is not possible to treat men. who, on account of misconduct or ill-health, have spent a long time at the base as having the same claim to ordinary leave as men who have been uninterruptedly at the front.

asked the Undersecretary for War if he is aware that uncertainty exists in different military areas as to the exact interpretation of the wording of some of the Regulations laid down in the new Billeting Order; if he will say whether, in the case of officers, the 3s. rate for lodging and attendance is intended to include, and must include, the use, or part use, of a sitting room, in addition to the exclusive use of a bedroom for each officer; if he will also make it clear whether the householder billeted upon is compelled by the new Order to provide fires in all bedrooms, if called upon to do so, in addition to lighting, hot-water baths, the provision and washing of bedroom linen as well as attendance for the same inclusive charge— namely, 3s. per night per officer in private houses and 2s. per night per officer in victualling houses; and if he will state whether the 2s. rate for victualling houses is intended to apply to hotels such as the Gordon and Frederick hotels, and others of a similar class?

A billeted officer is entitled under the Army Act to lodging and attendance, and the Act defines that an officer is entitled to a separate bed. What else is covered by the terms "lodging and attendance" is not defined exactly, but their meaning is generally known, and I have every confidence that in this emergency all concerned are interpreting their legal obligations in a common sense and reasonable manner. The term "victualling houses" covers hotels of all descriptions.

also asked the Under-Secretary for War (1) if he is aware that the new billeting rates for noncommissioned officers and men in many cases inflict hardship upon small householders having from two to five soldiers billeted upon them; if he can say whether the high military authority has realised that the inclusive price allowed under the new Order for billeting each non-commissioned officer or man beyond the first is 2s. 3d. per day, and that when the authorised allowance for lodging and attendance has been deducted there is only 1s. 9d. left for the provision of breakfast, hot dinner, and supper, the quantities of which have been laid down in the Second Schedule of the Army Act, namely: For breakfast (5d.), 6 ozs. of bread, one pint of tea, with milk and sugar, and 4 ozs. of bacon; for dinner (1s. 1d.), 1 lb. of meat previous to dressing (cooking), 8 ozs. of bread, 8 ozs. of potatoes or other vegetables, and one pint of beer or mineral water of equal value; for supper, 6 ozs. of bread, one pint of tea, with milk and sugar, and 2 ozs. of cheese; if his attention has been called to the fact that after the 5d. and 1s. 1d. for breakfast and dinner have been deducted only 3d. remains for the purchase of the supper required; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter; (2) if he will state whether the daily ration issued to non-commissioned officers and men in this country still represents a cost to the Government of 1s. 9d., as it was estimated to have done at the beginning of the War whether the various changes to a higher scale in food prices since the beginning of the War have raised the value of the daily ration; and, if so, whether he will explain why the military authority has assumed that the small householder called upon to provide subsisted billets can provide a fair and proper substitute for the 1s. 9d. daily ration at the same price, although the small householder has to make his purchases in the retail shops at a necessarily higher figure than the Government, which has the advantage of purchasing in the wholesale market at the lowest prices; if he is aware that in many towns and villages the price of food has risen more than 25 per cent., and that in some parts of the country the retail price of coal is £2 and even £2 2s. per ton; if it has been realised by the authorities concerned that the small householder providing subsisted billet has not only to purchase the food required by the regulations but to cook and serve it to the satisfaction of the men themselves and of the inspecting officers; if he can say whether due consideration was given to the fact that both non-commissioned officers and men are not infrequently ordered to have their dinner at mid-day or soon after, so that they may have a long unbroken period afterwards for their various forms of exercise and training; and, if so, whether the high military authority still holds the opinion that 3d. is a sufficient sum to allow a small householder to provide a sufficiently substantial supper for a hungry soldier after several hours of hard and strenuous work frequently carried out in cold and inclement weather; (3) if his attention has been called to the new rates for non-commissioned officers and men billeted without subsistence; if he is aware that in cases where soldiers are billeted without subsistence, and the ration is not cooked by the householder, that the new rate is now 4d. a day for each non-commissioned officer or man beyond the first man; if consideration has been given to the fact that for this 4d. the small householder has not only to provide lodging and attendance, i.e., a separate bed for each soldier, washing facilities, and light, but the use of a fire for hot water and drying; and if with the present higher and still rising prices of coal and other necessaries of life, the Government still consider that 4d. a night is a sufficient sum to pay the small householder for these services which, as a rule, he is only too willing to supply provided that he is not compelled to shoulder the burden of a financial loss which he is not in a position to bear; and (4) whether, as the old billeting rates in force previous to 1st September last were admittedly too high and the new billeting rates since that date are in certain cases unduly oppressive, he will take steps to have the present Billeting Order revised, so that the small householder may be placed in a position to provide the necessary meals required under the Regulations for subsisted billets without actual financial loss, and, in the case of non-subsisted billets, so that the small householder with limited means shall receive a fair payment for the extra expenditure he is called upon to bear, even if he receives nothing for the additional household labour entailed by compulsory billeting?

All relevant considerations were very carefully weighed before the new rates were fixed, and I am satisfied that they are not inadequate. The present cost to Government of the field-service ration is about 1s. 4½d.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that the firm of Brown and Green, Rosaman Street, Clerkenwell, who recently secured a contract for the supply of grates and stoves to the War Office, are not manufacturers of these articles but only merchants or agents; that they are subletting the fitting of these grates and stoves to firms that are paying 45 per cent. below the standard rate of wage to their workmen; and whether he will remove this firm from the list of those invited to tender for work for the War Office?

The firm referred to are not on the War Office list of contractors, and no orders can be traced as having been placed with them for the Department.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many men in receipt of scholarships, or other allowances, from the Board of Education, engaged in artistic studies at the Royal College of Art, are of military age?

Thirty-three students who would normally have held scholarships or other allowances at the college this session are on military service, and have been allowed to defer their awards. At the beginning of the session there remained forty-three male students of military age holding scholarships or allowances at the college. Of these, three have already joined the Forces and twelve are stated to have been rejected as medically unfit. These figures do not include certain students who receive no allowances but are exempt from payment of fees; these number sixteen.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is in a position to make a further statement with reference to the paragraph in the "Russkoe Slovo" of the 17–30th October last, as to the effect created abroad by articles in English newspapers relating to the conduct of the War?

Yes, Sir, I should be glad to make a further statement. As I cannot make it within the compass of an answer to a question, and as I have no desire to shut out comment on what I say, I propose, with the Prime Minister's concurrence, to move the Adjournment after to-day's financial business has been taken, and before the other Orders of the Day are reached.

asked the President of the Local Government Board, whether Ireland is to be omitted from the Bill to prevent rent raising and arbitrary eviction; and whether, if there are any technical difficulties, they will be arranged so as to have equal protection afforded to all short period and tenement tenants within the United Kingdom?

The Bill dealing with the increase of rents will apply to Ireland.

asked the President of the Local Government Board how many men of military age are employed in the offices of the Local Government Board?

The number of men of military age in the service of the Local Government Board at the outbreak of War was 340. Of these, 157 have already joined the Forces, and 121 more have expressed their readiness to join, subject to consent being given. Of the balance, thirty-one have presented themselves before the recruiting authorities and have been rejected on medical grounds. I may mention that in addition to the men of military age who have joined or are ready to do so, some forty members of the staff outside military age limits have undertaken military duties.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if his attention has been drawn to the action of a firm of land and estate agents of Leeds in giving notice to quit to the tenant of a cottage at Thorpe, near Leeds, because he had written to them on behalf of himself and other tenants concerned asking for the name of the owner of the property with the object of arranging for a deputation to see the owner regarding their rents, which were about to be raised, and to the subsequent further action of this firm in giving notice to quit to three other tenants who visited them with the object of remonstrating with them in regard to their action; and if he will inquire into the matter with a view to giving some protection or support to the tenants concerned?

The Bill which I have introduced is intended to deal in a general way with the grievance which has been caused in certain areas by the raising of rents of small property. I greatly regret the occurrence of such cases in war time, but I am afraid I cannot undertake to intervene to settle individual cases of disagreement between landlords and tenants.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he is aware that for nearly two months a dispute has been in progress at Letchworth owing to the Garden City Tenants, Limited, having; increased the rents of about 150 of their tenants; whether he is aware that at Letchworth two munitions workers have been served with ejectment notices and many others have received notices to quit; and if, having regard to the fact that three large building societies operating in and about Letchworth have not at present raised their rents, he will press forward his proposals in regard to rent-raising in war time before the practice spreads further and the action of property owners at Letchworth produces a situation similar to the one now existing in the Clyde munitions area?

I am aware that there has been a dispute between the Garden City Tenants, Limited, and their tenants and that some ejectment notices were served. I am informed that practically the whole of the increases in rent were either 3d. or 6d. a week, and that as a result of a conference between representatives of the tenants and of the society, the increases were accepted by the tenants. As no doubt the hon. Member is aware, the Second Reading of the Government Bill on the subject will be taken to-morrow.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he will publish a list of the housing schemes that have been sanctioned since the outbreak of war and of those that have been refused?

I am afraid that any such list would be misleading and would scarcely repay the trouble of preparation. Speaking generally, the Department have since March last been forced, owing to the restrictions on expenditure, to take the line that loans for housing and other purposes cannot be sanctioned at the present time. An exception has been made in the case of munition areas where further accommodation is urgently required for the workers, and in some half-dozen cases terms have been arranged under which housing schemes will, I am glad to say, shortly be put in hand.

also asked the President of the Local Government Board whether the Government Commission for obtaining employment for Belgian refugees is still in existence; whether any and, if so, how many Belgians have been found work through the agency of this Commission; whether Sir Ernest Hatch, the chairman, has been appointed a Governor Commissioner at a salary of £1,200 a year; what value, if any, the country has received from this appointment; and whether there is any necessity for the appointment being maintained?

The Government Belgian Refugee Committee and the Commission which succeeded it came to an end in July. Sir Ernest Hatch presided over both these bodies and did much valuable work. The Commission were appointed to advise and assist local committees, and not for the purpose of themselves obtaining employment for refugees. On the termination of these inquiries there were certain matters with which Sir Ernest Hatch's experience specially fitted him to deal, and, at the request of the Government, he agreed temporarily to give up his whole time to the work, with a salary at the figure named. The special matters having now been dealt with, Sir Ernest Hatch has resigned his official position, and has generously offered to return the sum of £240 which has been paid to him.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the amounts of deposits in the Post Office Savings Banks in England, Ireland, and Scotland, respectively?

The last return is, dated 31st December, 1914. The figures, are as follows:—

It is estimated that the total amount standing to the credit of depositors at the present time is about £10,000,000 less than this figure. Deposits have exceeded withdrawals during many months of the current year, but some £20,000,000 has been diverted to the War Loan.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make arrangements for the post offices of the country to receive for safe custody bearer bonds of the War Loan from small investors up to a certain amount; and if they could receive also any £1 War Loan notes if issued by the Government at any time?

Small investors who cannot provide for the safe custody of bearer bonds would be well-advised to apply for inscribed stock, and, my right hon. Friend believes, have usually done so. The deposit of bearer securities at local post offices throughout the country would involve serious difficulties. But this question will no doubt be considered by the Committee which is to be appointed to investigate the new scheme.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Committee which was appointed by His Majesty's Government to receive and consider claims made by British, Allied, or neutral third parties against ships or cargoes which have been condemned or detained by order of the Prize Court have yet met to consider in what manner and on what terms the claims which have been submitted should be met or provided out of the prize funds; whether the Committee have recommended any grant in respect of any such claims; and, if so, has such grant been actually made?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. The Prize Claims Committee has been sitting since its appointment in October, 1914. It has considered a large number of claims, and the terms upon which such claims may properly be dealt with. The Committee has not considered the manner in which, nor the funds from which, claims recommended as meritorious are to be met. These matters do not fall within their functions. No grants to applicants have yet been made or approved. The points raised in the second part of the answer are receiving the attention of the Government, and it is hoped that a decision will be announced at an early date.

asked the Secretary for Foreign Affairs under what leaders, whether Swedish, German, or other, the Persian gendarmerie are acting who have made prisoners of His Majesty's Consul and the manager of the Bank of Persia at Shiraz?

I am unable to add anything to the communication which was issued to the Press on the 24th instant, as I have received no further details on the subject, except that the Persian Government have recalled the foreign instructor who was in command of the gendarmerie in Fars. I should add that the Swedish Government have always shown readiness in meeting any wishes expressed to them in regard to any Swedish instructors of gendarmerie when it was in their power, and there can be no question of the Swedish Government being in any way responsible for the conduct of the gendarmes, or for anything the officers of the gendarmerie may or may not have done. The officers are, of course, not Swedish officers in the sense of being under the orders of the Swedish Government at all. The more correct description would be Persian gendarmerie instructors of Swedish nationality.

asked the Chancellor how it is that the replies to letters on the subject of provisional valuations are so long delayed by the Land Valuation Department, as in the cases of properties belonging to Messrs. Soulby, Sons, and Winch, in the county of Lincoln; and whether he can give instructions that the business of this Department shall be expedited?

In connection with the properties to which the hon. Member would appear to allude, notice of objection has been given on behalf of the owner to the provisional valuation in every case in which service has not been suspended by reason of judicial decisions. Where objection is taken to a provisional valuation, delay is necessarily caused; but the hon. Member may rest assured that there is no disposition on the part of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue to defer settlement so far as it rests with them.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will extend the period within which occupiers of land for husbandry may elect to be charged to Income Tax for the current financial year under Schedule B or Schedule D in respect of the land which they occupy; and, if so, to what date?

It is proposed to extend the period in question to the 7th February, 1916.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he has read the declaration proposed by the parish priest as chairman, seconded by the Protestant rector, and adopted by the Coole old age pensions sub-committee, that to their knowledge James Reilly, junior, of Fermore, Street, has for thirty years worked the farm nominally held by his father, who is permanently incapacitated; that the transfer in view of marriage was only formal recognition of a pre-existing fact; and that James Reilly the elder and his wife Anne are entitled by age and circumstances to pensions of 5s. a week each; and, having regard to these facts, if the pensions are not given now, will he explain the principle on which they are withheld?

I have received the resolution referred to in the question containing the statements mentioned. Fresh claims are at present before the Local Government Board but the claimants' circumstances have not changed in any way since their last claims were disallowed by the Board in July last. Having regard to the high prices now ruling for agricultural produce the estimate of means in these cases is very moderate, and so far from these people being poor they are in comfortable circumstances. With regard to the suggestion that the agreement was made in view of the eon's marriage, I am informed that the son is not yet married, and the agreement was made on the 26th March, 1914. I would also refer the hon. Member to the replies given to his previous questions respecting these cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the number of off-licences at Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and Hull, and the number of transfers in 1914?

The following table gives the number of off-licences for the cities named, as shown in the licensing statistics, and the number of transfers of such licences, as supplied by the justices' clerks in response to my inquiry:—

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether, in the case of an insured person residing within the district of one insurance committee consulting a physician in the district of another insurance committee and being found by him to be suffering from tuberculosis, it is the duty of that consulting physician to notify the existence of the disease in that person to any, and what, authority or person; and, in particular, is it the duty of such physician to notify the tuberculosis officer of the district in which the insured person resides or that of the district wherein the physician saw the insured person or to notify the panel doctor of the insured person if he knows that he is an insured person?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. It is the duty of every medical practitioner attending on or called in to visit any person whom he finds to be suffering from tuberculosis, to notify the case to the medical officer of health for the district within which the place of residence of the person is situate at the date of notification, unless he has reasonable grounds for believing that the case has already been so notified. The reply to the last part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the unpunctual running of trains on the Burtonport Extension Railway during the past five weeks, and particularly to the late arrival of the mail trains timed to leave Londonderry at 5.50 a.m. and 11.50 a.m., and to arrive in Burtonport at 10.3 a.m. and 4.45 p.m., respectively; and whether his Department are taking any steps in the matter?

My right hon. Friend is aware that certain trains on the Burtonport Extension Railway have recently been unpunctual, but he has no control over their working.