asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the effect of paragraph 14 of Form R48 (Instructions to tribunals as to voluntarily attested men) is that in cases where an employer makes an application for exemption of an employé on the ground of indispensability, the employé is thereby precluded from making an application on personal grounds to the tribunal of the area in which he resides?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the oral answer which I gave to-day in reply to the hon. Member for the College Division of Glasgow.

asked the President of the Board of Education, whether any fresh Regulations have been issued by the Board with regard to the position of teachers who are liable to be called up under the Military Service Act; whether any arrangements are now made to enable those teachers who have voluntarily enlisted in the Army to resume their posts at the end of the War; and whether such arrangements will be modified under the new Act?

No Regulations have been issued by the Board with regard to the position either of teachers who have voluntarily attested or of those who are liable to be called up under the Military Service Act. The arrangements for enabling teachers to resume their posts at the end of the War are in the hands of the local education authorities who have, with few exceptions, shown generosity, both in keeping places open and in paying the salaries of the teachers while on military service. I have no reason to suppose that the existing arrangements will be altered.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if, in the opinion of the Government, Irish agricultural labourers working on English farms, although of military age, will be exempt from military service under the Military Service Act, 1916; and whether English farmers can with certainty offer them seasonable or other employment on this understanding?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer I gave to his rather similar question on the 26th January last.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether a recruit under the Derby scheme who has a reserved occupation will be allowed the opportunity of appealing on other grounds in the event of the removal of his trade from the list of reserved trades, as suggested in the new instructions, taking place after the ten days' period from the calling up of his group, or will it be necessary for him to appeal on other grounds whilst he is still exempt under that head?

In such a case as that mentioned by my hon. Friend an application made on good grounds may be entertained by a local tribunal, provided that it is made immediately after the previous exemption ceases to be in force.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that discontent among our soldiers in France at the absence of leave is still very rife, especially in the Sherwood Foresters; and whether his recent communication with the Commander-in-Chief on this question is likely to result in facilities being granted for a periodical leave of absence for all soldiers serving with the Expeditionary Force?

My hon. Friend can hardly expect me to be aware of what may or may not be thought on the question of leave in particular units such as the Sherwood Foresters. I am not aware that there is any general discontent such as the question indicates, though, no doubt, there is a general interest in the matter. It must be obvious that it is impossible to grant regular periodical leave of absence to all soldiers, and I can only repeat what I have said previously, namely, that the Commander-in-Chief is fully aware of all the aspects of this question to a far greater extent than anyone in this House can be, and that all possible leave which the military exigencies at the moment and administrative conditions permit is being given.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he can state the number of soldiers up to the present time who have entirely lost their sight in the War, indicating the number in each rank of the service; and whether he can give any estimate of the proportion that will be self-supporting with or without the State pension?

The number of noncommissioned officers and men rendered totally blind in the present War and discharged between the outbreak of War and the 31st January, 1916, is sixty-five, distributed as follows:— Privates 59 Corporals 4 Sergeants 1 Company sergeant-majors 1 This information is derived from the Chelsea pension roll. All these will receive pensions or are now in receipt of them.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will state approximately how many men were discharged from the Army in 1915 because they were suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis?

The total number of cases of soldiers invalided for tuberculosis which were dealt with by the Chelsea Boards in 1915 was 2,770. The cases of pulmonary tuberculosis are not recorded separately.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the 5½d. cash allowance made daily to the soldier is in lieu of a portion of the daily messing drawn by the soldier; and whether, consequently, the whole of that sum should be expended in food by the commanding officer solely on the soldier's messing?

Yes, Sir, the 5½d. is in lieu of a portion of the daily ration. It should not be spent on anything but messing.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many dockers have been sent to France to discharge ships in the ports of France; and if he can state the numbers from each port in the United Kingdom who have gone since the beginning of the War, and the numbers sent within the last month?

I presume my hon. Friend must be referring to the naval labour companies. The strength of these is about 1,050, and about 220 have been sent within the last month. I cannot state from what ports they were recruited.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he is aware that paper pulp has been manufactured from Irish peat, and that some time since the National Peat Industry Company made successful experiments in that direction; whether a German syndicate made an offer to purchase the company; and whether the Department will inquire into this matter and report upon it?

The Department are aware that two attempts have been made in Ireland in recent years to manufacture paper pulp from peat, with unsuccessful results. A factory for making millboard from peat was erected about ten years ago by the National Peat Industry, at Umeras,

Year. Source of Income. Total Income. Parliamentary Votes, including Science and Art Grants to Schools and Classes.* General Cattle Diseases Fund: Assessments and Fines. Endowment Fund, including Interest on Securities, Loans, etc. (1) (2) (3) (4) £ £ £ £ 1910–11 … … 208,538 15,232 206,279║ 430,049 1911–12 … … 232,315 16,111 206,213║ 454,639 1912–13 … … 292,250† 17,270 197,976║ 507,496 1913–14 … … 289,219‡ 16,799 196,677║ 502,695 1914–15 … … 340,507§ 16,109 195,518║ 552,134 * The Annual Provision of £37,000 which is made in the Parliamentary Vote (Class II. Vote 36) in respect of the Department's Endowment Fund is not included in this column, but in column 3. † Includes £38,000 in respect of expenditure in connection with Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreaks. ‡ Includes £8,000 in respect of expenditure in connection with Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreaks. § Includes £41,000 in respect of expenditure in connection with Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreaks. ║ Includes a sum of £19,000 provided under Section 49 of the Irish Land Act, 1909, to be paid to the Department in respect of agricultural schemes in Congested Districts.

Two grants of £7,000 each were received into the Department's Endowment Fund from the Ireland Development Fund in the years 1910–11 and 1911–12.

Monasterevan, but the machinery has been dismantled. A company entitled "Umeras Peat, Limited," have taken over the works in question, and are at present manufacturing peat moss litter and peat dust. The Department have no information as to any offer having been made in the matter by a German syndicate.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he can arrange that further interference with the Beleek pottery industry shall be discontinued?

The Department have no official information as to any interference with the industry in question. From paragraphs which have appeared in the Press it is possible that the hon. Member refers to the relations between this industry and the Lough Erne Drainage Board, a matter which does not come within the purview of this Department.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) what was the total income of his Department for the years 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, and 1915?

The following is the information asked for:—

asked the President of the Board of Education what number of temporary female clerks are now employed in the Department upon the work of taking from the reports of teachers in elementary schools the number of hours worked in special subjects during the year 1913 or subsequently; and whether, in view of the need for retrenchment in public expenditure, he will consider the advisability of suspending all statistical report work of this kind during the War?

No temporary women or other clerks are employed in the work specified in the question. The preparation of all statistics relating to instruction in special subjects for children attending elementary schools has been suspended during the War.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will state the total number of temporary clerks or other temporary employés now in the service of the Department and the number of males and females, respectively; what are the conditions of employment as to wages and hours of labour; to what extent has the permanent staff of the Department been depleted by enlistment; and how far have the normal conditions of employment been made up by the temporary appointments?

The number of temporary clerks and employés in the service of the Board is as follows:— Male. Female. Total. Administrative staff 1 — 1 Inspectorate — 2 2 Clerks 3 67 70 Messengers, cleaners, porters, warder-cleaners, doorkeepers, labourers, and lavatory cleaners 67 2 69 71 71 142

The temporary male member of the administrative staff is paid at the rate of £400 per annum and the two temporary female members of the inspectorate are paid at the rate of £250 per annum with the same conditions of employment as to hours of labour as apply to the permanent staff. Two of the three temporary male clerks are paid at the rate of 35s. per week and one is at present receiving 31s. 6d. per week, with the same conditions as to employment with regard to hours of labour as apply to the permanent staff, except that they are required to work 48 hours per week before overtime is paid. Of the sixty-seven temporary female clerks, nine are paid at the rate of 30s. per week and the remainder at 25s. per week. The conditions of employment as to hours of labour are 42 per week with overtime at the rate of 9d. per hour in the case of those paid at 30s. per week, and at 7d. in the case of those paid at 25s. per week. The conditions of employment as to wages and hours of labour are the same as those of the permanent staff in the case of messengers, cleaners, porters, warder-cleaners, doorkeepers, labourers, and lavatory cleaners.

The number of the Board's officers actually serving in the Naval or Military Forces is as follows:— Administrative staff 22 Inspectorate 25 Clerical staff 272 Technical staff (museums) 20 Attendants, messengers, warder-cleaners, labourers, etc. 164 503

It will be seen that the number of the Board's staff who have joined the Forces is largely in excess of the number of temporary employés engaged. At the same time the Board have been able to assist other Government Departments by the loan of 135 members of their staff.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether, in view of the reduction of rates on roads and similar services, which are in fact only a postponement of expenditure, he will authorise a local authority to continue to levy rates up to the amount required to meet such postponed expenditure, the surplus proceeds of the rates being invested for the time in Government securities?

I have no power to give the suggested authority.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he can state the number of cases of foot-and-mouth disease reported from the last outbreak in England; and whether he can state the present position of safeguards to prevent infection spreading?

There has been no fresh case of foot-and-mouth disease confirmed since 11th February, the date of the outbreak at the Wells County Asylum. The restrictions upon the movement of animals in the district which were prescribed on that date are still in operation, with the exception of certain small modifications affecting those parts of the scheduled area which are at a greater distance than, approximately, ten miles from the asylum.

asked the Comptroller of the Household, as representing the National Health Insurance Commissioners, if he will state the total amount paid under the National Insurance Act in Ireland by employers, employed, and the State, respectively; the total cost of administration; and the total amount of benefits paid from the introduction of the Act to the latest date for which these figures are available?

I would refer the hon. Member to the National Health Insurance Fund Accounts for the period 15th July, 1912, to 11th January, 1914; the Appropriation Accounts for the years ending on the 31st March, 1912, 1913, and 1914; and the estimates for the current financial year, which contain such precise information as is available on the points raised in the question.