asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will give the dietaries in use for persons subject to the Naval Discipline Act who are sentenced by court-martial to imprisonment or to imprisonment with hard labour?

The dietaries are those, of the particular penal establishment in which the men undergo their sentences. There are no special dietaries for court-martial prisoners as such. Details of the dietaries in force in Bodmin Naval Prison are set forth in Volume IX. of the Statutory Rules and Orders (No. 339 of 1900), pages 65–69. Prisoners not sentenced to hard labour would be placed on No. 4 diet therein.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War what are the dietaries in use for persons subject to miiltary law who are sentenced by court-martial to imprisonment or to imprisonment with hard labour?

The information required will be found in the "Rules for Military Detention Barracks and Military Prisons."

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will state what number of hours have on the average elapsed between the confirmation of a sentence of death passed by a court-martial held outside the United Kingdom on a person subject to military law, other than a spy, and the execution of the sentence?

This information is not available, and I do not think it is necessary to obtain it specially.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War (1) whether W. A. Cooper and R. E. Pond, masters at Tettenhall College, Staffordshire, were fined and handed over to the military authorities at Wolver-hampton; where they now are; what course it is intended to pursue in their case; (2) whether he can give any information about E. G. Collinson, of Tonbridge, who was tried at Tonbridge on 18th April as a conscientious objector; where this man now is; whether he is awaiting or has undergone court-martial; if so, with what result; and (3) whether J. Tremewan, of Perran-porth, who was tried on 5th April, at Truro, as a conscientious objector, was sent to Bodmin and then to Rochester; whether he has since been sentenced to two years' penal servitude; if so, for what offence; where this man now is; what has been the cost of transferring him under escort to the different places where he has been since he was conscripted; what the cost of this man will have been to the taxpayer when he has served his sentence of two years; and what military advantage will have accrued to the nation from the expenditure?

I am obtaining information to enable me to answer these questions.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he can now give any further information about J. Scott Duckers, who was fined on the 18th April at the Marlborough Police Court as a conscientious objector; where he is now; and what use will the Army make of his abilities?

I cannot at present add anything to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend yesterday.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he has inquired into the cases of R. W. Forrester, P. H. P. Lackman, A. E. Jones, H. W. Jones, L. E. Ebeling, and C. Templeman, who were sentenced to twenty-eight days' confinement to barracks at Hounslow, on 20th April; for what offence were these men sentenced; whether they received, or asked for, trial by court-martial; were the proceedings regular; and whether these men can now be set free from the un-expired portion of their sentences?

My inquiries are not yet quite complete. Perhaps my hon. Friend will repeat his question.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware that in August, 1914, three dockyard apprentices, who had previously joined the Royal Engineers (Territorial) with the sanction of the dockyard authorities, were called up for service within one week of the expiration of their apprentice time; if he can say if these men have remained apprentices ever since and drawn apprentice pay; if they are to remain apprentices until they can return to the dockyard and serve one week more; and if he will induce the Treasury to remedy this state of things and place these men in their proper position as shipwrights?

The facts are substantially as stated. The position of apprentices who have joined the Colours has been the subject of careful and repeated consideration, and the rules applicable to them are common to the whole body of Government employés. It is not proposed to reopen the question as to the amount of civil emoluments payable to them whilst they continue to serve in the Army. I may perhaps add that on return to their dockyard duties at the close of the War these apprentices will be dealt with as if the time served with the Colours had been served in the dockyards.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether any agreement exists between his office and the Board of Agriculture to exempt all county agricultural organisers from military service and, if so, what were the reasons for exempting the whole class irrespective of local necessity?

I understand that many of the agricultural organisers are engaged on important work in connection with county war agricultural committees. The arrangement referred to was made at the request of the Board of Agriculture, and that Department is being asked to reconsider its request. The total number of men involved is thirty-five.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether if the Military Service Act, 1916, is amended so as to include youths who have attained the age of eighteen since August last, an opportunity will be given them to enlist voluntarily before they are compulsorily called up?

It was stated by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister yesterday that in the period which will elapse before the appointed date men to whom the provisions of the Bill apply may voluntarily attest.

asked if youths who are now eighteen, or who will be eighteen before July, and who are entered and are preparing for matriculation examinations for the medical profession will be allowed to postpone joining the Colours until they have sat for their examination?

This is a case which the local tribunals can take into consideration. I do not think it is possible to give any undertaking on the matter.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War what course should be followed in cases where the names of candidates for commissions have been forwarded by commanding officers to the War Office through the different commands and, after six weeks or more have elapsed, nothing is heard of the applications?

The candidates should await instructions as to their joining officer cadet units for training. In selecting candidates for admission to such units preference is given to those who have served with the Forces in the field. The delay is caused by the fact that candidates are far more numerous than are vacancies, and in future a notification to this effect will be sent in each case.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will state the latest information in possession of the War Office as to the number of British and Colonial prisoners in the hands of the Germans, Austrians, Bulgarians, and Turks, respectively?

The totals are 26,800; 2; 449; and 9796, respectively.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he can now state the result of his promised inquiry as to the circumstances connected with the death at Blandford of Private G. Rundle, 9th Battalion Somersetshire Light Infantry?

A report has been received, but further inquiries are necessary, and I am not able to-day to state the result.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, in the case of a Line battalion belonging to the Midlands from which a number of men were transferred to the Irish Fusiliers, the documents of men so transferred would be kept in the Record Office of the men's original unit or sent to the Record Office of the Irish Fusiliers in Ireland?

The documents of men transferred from one unit to another are kept in the Record Office of the unit to which the man is transferred.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office what is the present amount allowed for billeting soldiers, and of this how much is allowed for lodging and how much for food; and whether there has been any reduction in the amount recently?

The present daily rates for lodging with attendance and full subsistence are 2s. 3d. for all soldiers billeted on keepers of victualling houses, and, for soldiers billeted on other occupiers, 2s. 6d. for one soldier and 2s. 3d. for each additional soldier. The amount included for lodging is 6d. in the first and third figures and 9d. in the second. The rates payable to occupiers other than victualling-house keepers were reduced in August last.

asked the Minister of Munitions whether he is aware that Coroner S. Ingleby Oddie at a London inquest on the body of an ex-seaman, who committed suicide in the Thames off the Victoria Embankment on Saturday, 22nd April, commented on the fact that no brandy could be obtained, either for the deceased or his rescuer, as the occurrence took place during the hours when the sale of spirits, except on the production of a medical certificate, is prohibited by the Liquor Control Board; and whether, having regard to the opinion, publicly expressed by the coroner, that a supply of brandy might have saved the deceased's life and his rescuer from the illness contracted by his immersion, he will take immediate steps to so amend the present Regulations as to prevent a repetition of such an incident?

My attention has been called to this case. There is no material difference between the position under an Order of the Control Board and the position under the general law. I agree with the coroner's view that no one would have blamed the manager of the licensed premises if he had taken personal responsibility under the exceptional circumstances. I should have thought it very improbable that the police would prosecute a licensee in such circumstances, or that, if the police did prosecute, any magistrates would convict.

asked the Minister of Munitions how many controlled establishment there are under the Department, and how many are in contemplation?

The number of controlled establishments at the present time is 3,463. It is not possible to make any estimate of the probable number likely to be controlled in future, but I may say that additions to this number are not now being made rapidly.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has made any inquiry other than what appears in the White Paper issued on 7th March, 1916, and, if so, with what result, as to the statement in the German memorandum of 10th January that the German Government find themselves obliged to take in hand the punishment of, and to apply retaliatory measures in connection with, the "Baralong" incident of Germany's submarine warfare against the peaceful commerce of the world?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will state the total cost to the State of keeping a prisoner during his serving out a sentence of two years' penal servitude?

The law does not permit of a sentence of penal servitude for less than three years. The net cost of a prisoner s supervision and maintenance in penal servitude is slightly over £30 a year. I should like to take this opportunity of correcting an answer which I gave to my hon. Friend's question on the same subject on the 19th of April. The Prison Commissioners inform me that in estimating the average annual charge per inmate the value of prison labour is deducted, so that the figure for local prisons is about 11s. 9d. per week net.