asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has received a letter from the Secretary of the Irish Trades Union Congress and Labour Party dealing with the appointment of the Committee to investigate the working of the Naional Health Insurance Act; if the Irish Trades Union Congress has claimed direct the representation of organised labour on the Committee, and if they have alleged that no such representation has been accorded them; and if he will take the necessary steps to accede to the request for direct representation made by the Irish Trades Union Congress and Labour Party?

I have received the representations referred to, but, having regard to the large size of the Committee as at present constituted, I fear I am unable to add to its numbers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the amount and value of the imports into this country from Switzerland of chocolate and other cocoa preparations in each of the periods of six months ending 30th June, 1913; 30th June, 1914, and 30th June, 1915, respectively; whether these imports contained a very large amount of sugar imported into Switzerland from Germany and Austria; and whether, with a view to lessening the import into this country of foreign-manufactured articles of the nature of luxuries, and to prevent the exportation into this country from Germany and Austria of sugar of enemy origin, he will take steps either entirely to prohibit the importation from Switzerland of chocolate and other cocoa preparations or to place a substantial Import Duty thereon?

The following statement shows the quantity and value of "preparations of cocoa" consigned from Switzerland into the United Kingdom during the period of six months ended 30th June in each of the years 1913–14–15:

Quantity. Value. Cwts. £ January to June, 1913 … 41,512 341,619 January to June, 1914 … 52,355 434,704 January to June, 1915 … 96,564 811,362

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will give the House the text of the Instruction issued to merchant shippers with respect to arming and their use of arms?

The hon. Member's suggestion will be very carefully considered.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware that the men working for contractors in His Majesty's dockyards are not in receipt of war bonus; and if it is proposed to grant these men a war bonus from Admiralty funds or in some other way satisfy the men?

The Admiralty is directly responsible for the payments made to its own employés only, which payments do include a war bonus. So far as the employés of contractors are concerned, the duty of the Admiralty is to see that wages are paid in accordance with the contract. If my hon. Friend can call my attention to any specific case of failure in this respect, I will have the matter inquired into.

also asked the Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware that the widows of officers and men of His Majesty's ship "Princess Irene" are not being paid on the killed-in-action scale; if there is any difference between the case of the "Princess Irene" and the case of the "Bulwark"; and if he will see that these widows are pensioned on the more generous scale?

The widows of all officers, Royal Navy, who lost their lives in His Majesty's ship "Princess Irene," have been pensioned on the "killed-in-action" scale, and the widows of naval ratings have been pensioned on the War scale. There were a certain number of mercantile ranks and ratings on board, and pensions to their widows have been awarded under the Injuries in War Compensation Scheme, a copy of which I will hand to my hon. Friend.

asked the Under-Secretary for War whether he is aware that men rejected since 14th August, 1915, are experiencing considerable difficulty in securing an armlet unless they submit to a further medical examination, and as a result of this they are in many cases refused employment; and whether therefore he will arrange to issue an armlet to all men rejected since the above-mentioned date?

The conditions under which armlets can be obtained by men rejected at a recruiting office were published in the Press of 27th December last. These conditions are as follows:—(a) Men who have been rejected on account of organic disease are given an armlet, and their names are registered. (b) Men who have been rejected on account of eyesight or some slight physical defect are also given an armlet on condition that they will attest and be passed to the Army Reserve. In both cases if the men can produce Army Form B.2505A &/or Army Form B.2512A showing date and cause of rejection, no further examination is necessary, but if the cause of rejection is not stated on the certificate it is necessary to re - examine the man to decide whether he belongs to category ( a ) or category ( b ). There is no obligation on any man to submit to a second medical examination unless he is desirous of obtaining an armlet, but to obtain the armlet he must be medically examined unless his rejection certificate shows the cause of his rejection.

asked if the Government will consider the desirability of publishing periodically the totals in detail of the casualty lists published in Germany as at the end of every month?

This matter is under consideration.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if the younger children in soldiers' families only receive a separation allowance of 2s. per week as provided by Army Order 367/15; if, in the case of such children whose mothers are in prison and the fathers on active service, it has been found impossible to board the said children out (unless the whole family can be received into the same home) owing to the amount received; if, in consequence, these children have to be sent to the workhouse; and if he proposes to take any action to prevent injustice in this regard to the fathers on active service?

No, Sir. In the circumstances mentioned by my hon. and gallant Friend—that is, where the mother is in prison and the father on active service—the children are entitled to separation allowance at what is called the "motherless rate" of 5s. each per week.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Munitions if he will state who were the witnesses from the borough of Salford who were invited to give evidence at the Control Board Conference in Manchester on 23rd November last; which of them actually attended and gave evidence; and whether such evidence was for or against the making of any Control Board Order?

As I have previously stated, between 300 and 400 persons of public standing were invited to attend the conference mentioned in the question. I fear I cannot undertake to identify the Parliamentary constituency from which each of such persons came.

asked the Home Secretary the number of taxi-cabs now plying in London as compared with the number plying before the War; and the number of licences of different kinds upon which payment is now being made as compared with the number before the War?

The number of licences issued during the two years mentioned is as follows:— January. 1916. July, 1914. Motor cabs 5,813 7,746 Horsed cabs 946 1,666 Omnibuses 2,707 3,876 Tramcars 2,733 2,850 Hackney drivers 9,164 11,935 Stage drivers and composite 10,082 11,581 Assistant conductors 12 25 Conductors 10,290 12,553

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether in 1915, although no Revision Courts were held, the overseers' lists connected with the preparation of the register of electors were printed and remunerations were paid to the revising barristers; and, if so, will he state the approximate total cost incurred?

The Elections and Registration Act, 1915, provided for payment being made in respect of work done before the 1st August, 1915, for the purpose of the preparation of the registers in that year, and also made provision for the certification of expenditure thus incurred. Figures showing the approximate total cost of the work are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) what steps His Majesty's Government are taking, in view of the Brazilian Presidential Decree published on 12th January, 1916, renewing the preferential Customs treatment accorded by the Brazilian Government to certain articles of United States origin, in order to secure for British goods the same rates of duty as are conceded to United States goods; and (2) what is the character and extent of the differentiation against British as compared with United States goods in the Brazilian Customs Tariff as the result of the new Proclamation of the Brazilian President?

I will answer both of my hon. Friend's questions together. As regards the first, His Majesty's Government do not at present propose to adopt any change of attitude towards the policy of the Brazilian Government. The reply to the second is as follows: By Brazilian Presidential Decree of the 12th January, 1916, it is provided that, in virtue of the Budget Law for 1916, the articles specified below, the produce of the United States of America, shall enjoy, during the current year, on importation into Brazil, a reduction of the Customs import duties as shown below:

A reduction of— Wheat flour 30 per cent. Condensed milk 20 per cent. Rubber manufactures coming under No. 1033 of the Brazilian Customs Tariff 20 per cent. Clocks and watches 20 per cent. Colours and Inks coming under No. 173 of the Brazilian Customs Tariff (except writing inks) 20 per cent. Varnishes 20 per cent. Typewriters 20 per cent. Refrigerators 20 per cent. Pianos 20 per cent. Weighing Machines 20 per cent. Windmills 20 per cent. Cement 20 per cent. Corsets 20 per cent. Dried Fruits 20 per cent. School Furniture 20 per cent. Writing Desks 20 per cent.

This list of goods is the same as that in respect of which the United States has enjoyed the preference for some years past, i.e., there is no addition this year to the list of privileged goods.

also asked the Comptroller of the Household, as representing the National Health Insurance Commissioners, in what way it is proposed to deal with insurance arrears of British civilians who were in Germany at the outbreak of the War, but have since been allowed to return home, in respect of the period for which they were interned in Germany, having regard to the hardship which would be involved in holding them responsible for the arrears?

In the case of insured civilians who have been interned abroad the period of internment is to be treated as a period of temporary unemployment for the purposes of the National Insurance Acts, and on return to the United Kingdom such persons are allowed a special period of grace in which they may pay off their arrears in respect of the period of internment by paying such part only of the contributions as would not have been payable in the ordinary course by the employer. So far as the arrears relate to a period before 4th July, 1915, societies may give assistance out of the Arrears Benevolent Fund towards the payment of the arrears.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether beasts sent k Belfast are frequently detained; are the owners of beasts so detained advised of the fact promptly; and has he recently received complaints of neglect of such detained beasts, for whose keep ample charges are made?

Cattle intended for shipment may be detained at Belfast or other port if in the opinion of the Department's inspectors they present symptoms indicative of certain diseases, or are unfit to travel owing to injury, fatigue or other cause; or if visibly or obviously in calf. Detention may also occur through delays in the sailings of vessels or the insufficiency of accommodation on vessels. The Department have no information as to the practice of the carrying companies with regard to acquainting owners when cattle are so detained. They have had no recent complaints of neglect of detained animals.

also asked whether any regulation is in force preventing the shipping of beef beasts suffering from blind spore alone; and will he have inquiries made as to whether this slight defect has been the cause of loss of markets in the North of Ireland?

The reference is assumed to be to the condition known as "blind spins," a defective condition of udders or teats of cattle. Under the only provision of the Tuberculosis (Ireland) Order now continuing in operation, cattle suffering or appearing to suffer from tuberculosis of the udder, indurated udder, or other chronic disease of the udder, may not be shipped from Ireland to Great Britain. An animal suffering from the condition above named would probably be subject to this provision. I shall have inquiries made, as suggested in the latter part of the question.