asked the Secretary to the Treasury what is the position of the fund for insurance against damage from aircraft; and if its position will allow a reduction or the remission of premiums for the next twelve months?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. The aircraft insurance scheme, which came into operation in July last, has at present money in hand, but that position may change at any moment. I do not propose to increase the rates, but it would not be wise to reduce them.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether there are any ships in the West Atlantic Squadron which have not returned to England since the outbreak of the War; and whether he is aware that there are men serving in the West Atlantic Squadron who have not had an opportunity of seeing their families since the outbreak of war, owing to their not getting leave to come home?

I have more than once stated that, so far as the exigencies of the Service permit, arrangements are being made to bring home in turn all men who have been away from home on foreign service, for lengthy periods, but those longest from home have the first claim, and no guarantee can be given for any specific man or ship.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty when the full dispatches with the names of the ships and of the naval officers and men who took a conspicuous part in the quelling of the rebellion in Dublin may be expected?

It is not proposed to publish in the "Gazette" any Naval Report dealing with the events referred to.

asked on what charge Mr. Louis Smyth, of Magherafelt, one of the few surviving founders of the Land League in 1879, was arrested and deported to England; was it the fact that Mr. Smyth, who is long past the age for bearing arms, had no connection with the Irish Volunteers and that no disturbance of the peace of any kind occurred in the county in which he lived; and whether inquiry would be made into the allegation generally credited in Magherafelt that his arrest was due to certain local machinations owing to his independence in matters of constitutional Irish politics?

I am informed that the person referred to, though incapable of bearing arms, was President of the Irish Volunteers at Magherafelt. I am aware that there was no disturbance in that locality.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, having regard to the pecuniary sacrifice which must ensue upon the calling up of married men who have attested, he will consider the possibility of allowing such of them who have applied to the Commission appointed to consider the grant of financial assistance to remain in civil employment or in possession of their businesses until their application has been determined?

It would be impossible to give any such general undertaking as the hon. Member suggests. It is hoped that the Commissioners concerned with the grants of financial assistance will work, as far as possible, in conjunction with the tribunals.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether time-expired men who voluntarily agreed to continue in the Service before 20th February, 1916, will get neither the bounty promised in the order relating to men who so agreed after that date nor the bounty now promised to men to be compulsorily continued in the Service under the Military Service Bill?

The facts are as stated by my hon. Friend.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he will bring before the Army Council for consideration the question of the enlistment of married men, whether voluntary or compulsory, who are the sole proprietors of businesses or may be otherwise so situated that the business would have to be closed down were they wholly withdrawn for military purposes; and whether an Army Order or other instructions can be issued providing for the transfer of these men to the Reserve under conditions which will permit of their continuing to give limited supervision to their business and yet ensure such a measure of military training as would prepare them and thus shorten the period of the final training which would be necessary for employment with the Expeditionary Forces overseas?

The Army Council are fully alive to the need for giving special consideration to the cases of married men, and none who are not required with the Colours will be called to them.

The deciding factor will be the national need, and the whole future of the calling up of married men must depend upon the numbers of unskilled or part skilled single men who can be combed out of reserved occupations and munitions factories, and if is hoped that all who have the interests of the married men at heart will assist in this process.

asked the President of the Board of Education if his Department has approved the action of the Manchester Education Committee in informing Mr. Woolfe Rayman, a scholar of Brasenose College, Oxford, in reply to his request that he might be allowed to take up his scholarship after the War, that his course of studies have been terminated by the military authorities; that as he has refused to accept either combatant or non-combatant military service he will not be allowed to take up his scholarship after the War; and that the chairman of the committee further pointed out to him that this was a merciful punishment, as in other days he would have been burnt as a heretic?

I have no information as to this case. If the hon. Member refers to a scholarship provided by the local education authority, the Board have no power to approve or disapprove any action by the authority affecting its tenure.

asked the Secretary to the War Office what graduated pension is granted per week to soldiers and sailors of different ranks who have lost either an arm or a leg during the present War; for what length of time such pensions are granted; and if he is aware that cases have occurred where such pensions are irregularly paid and not paid in full?

Under the recommendation of the Select Committee of this House, a soldier who has lost an arm or a leg gets a pension varying from 10s. 6d. to 25s. a week, which is assessed upon his earning capacity, but in no case less than 10s. 6d. a week. Such pensions are liable to reassessment from time to time as earning capacity changes. If the hon. Member will communicate to me particulars of any cases in which he has reason to think there is irregularity, I will have inquiry made.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he is able to give any information concerning the League for the Defence of the Holy Places, which was formed by Muslims to support the pledge that the Allies would respect the holy places of Mahomedans; whether this league has represented to the Government that Bagdad is a holy city; and, if so, what answer was returned to such representations?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the statements of Professor Kenwood, when lecturing recently in London on war economy, to the effect that if whole-wheat flour were used instead of white flour for making bread 15 per cent. more loaves would be produced out of the same weight of wheat, and also that the bread would be of a more wholesome quality; whether he has any official information showing that only whole-wheat flour is milled in Paris and the sale of whole-wheat bread is compulsory in France; and will he consider the desirability of applying compulsory powers to cause an increase in the supply of whole-wheat flour in the United Kingdom and for the sale of whole-wheat bread, with the object of reducing the imports of wheat and flour and to promote health and economy?

At the moment I am not in a position to say more than that the matters dealt with in the question are at present under careful consideration in consultation with experts.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the maximum allowance under the Government scheme to the dependants in this country of our merchant captains, officers, and seamen who, for nearly two years, have been interned in enemy countries, still remains at £1 per week; if so, will he now consider the justice of substantially increasing these allowances, seeing that the cost of living has increased by at least 35 per cent., and that the House of Lords has decided that these interned seafarers are not legally entitled to their pay whilst interned, and that the Government are providing relief up to £104 per annum appart from pay and separation allowance in justifiable cases where married men have joined the Colours?

The maximum allowance payable to the dependants of masters, officers or seamen of British ships interned in Germany under the dependants' scheme is £1 per week. The scheme is a purely voluntary one, promoted in connection with the Government Insurance Scheme, and I regret that it is not possible to increase the amount of the allowance.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the prohibition of the use of private motor carriages for what are known as joy-rides on Saturday or Sunday is under contemplation; and, if so, whether any decision arrived at will be made public before the extra Licence Duties for motor carriages have to be discussed in this House?

As the hon. and gallant Gentleman is no doubt aware, the whole matter of the supply and distribution of petrol is being considered by a Committee. Any decision on the point named in the first part of the question which may be arrived at by the Government will be made public as soon as possible.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the Croydon tramway employøs have been out on strike for the past five weeks; if he is aware that the employøs have agreed to submit their case to an arbiter for settlement; if he is aware that the mayor and a number of aldermen and councillors have agreed to arbitration, but, in consequence of the tramway committee refusing arbitration, the strike is still going on; if he is aware that the majority of trade unions have agreed to have all their disputes settled by arbitration during the war period; and will he insist upon the Croydon tramways committee having the dispute settled by arbitration?

The Chief Industrial Commissioner has been in communication with the parties to this dispute both before and after the stoppage of work occurred. I understand that the men intimated their willingness to agree to the reference of the matter to arbitration, but that the committee of the corporation dealing with the matter was not prepared to advise the town council to concur in the matter being so determined. I would remind my hon. Friend that the Department has no authority to insist on arbitration in this case. The Chief Industrial Commissioner is communicating further with the corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the fact that the steamship "Appam" arrived in Hampton Roads as far back as 17th January in charge of a German prize crew, whether he can make any statement on the subject, and whether any decision has been reached by the United States Courts?

A suit brought by the owners to recover possession of the vessel is now before the United States Courts, and a decision is, I believe, expected in a few days.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether the Scottish Board of Agriculture is taking any steps to secure that adequate estimates of the probable fruit crop in Scotland, and of the seasons at which it will be ready for preserving will be laid before the Sugar Commission, in order that the undertaking of the Chancellor of the Exchequer that sufficient sugar would be supplied to preserve the total fruit crop may be fulfilled?

The matter referred to by my hon. Friend is receiving attention.

asked whether attention has been called to the action of the Irish Local Government Board in the face of the King's Bench Division's decision pronounced on the 10th April, 1916, in the case of Nicholas A. Brophy versus the Technical Education Committee of Limerick and the Borough Council of Limerick, and in the face of the unanimous wishes of the Technical Education Committee and of the Mayor and Corporation of Limerick, and of the approval of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland), in forcing the Technical Education Committee of Limerick by threats to appeal against the said decision of the King's Bench Division, and thereby increase law costs and expenses and disturb public feeling in Limerick; and whether the Irish Local Government Board will refrain from forcing the Technical Education Committee to proceed with this appeal?

It is not correct to state that the Local Government Board forced the Technical Education Committee of Limerick by threats to appeal against the decision of the King's Bench Division in the case referred to. The question at issue is one of general interest and not confined to Limerick. and the Law Officers of the Crown in Ireland were of opinion that there should be an appeal. The Board were advised that an appeal by the Limerick Corporation would be the most economical and speedy method of securing the review of the judgment.