asked the Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware that their pensions are being withheld from naval pensioners serving in the Royal Air Service; and if he will give the reason for this procedure and, if possible, remedy it?

Pensioners who are called up for naval service are entitled to receive the pay of their former naval rating, together with their pension. Those who have joined the Air Service have been required to enter into a new engagement. Under this they receive the special rates of pay payable in that Service for their new ratings. They thus cease to be pensioners called up for naval service. These rates of pay are higher than the pay and pension combined to which they would be entitled as naval ratings proper.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether any charge has been made against Thomas M'Taggart and Thomas M'Grave, both of Dundalk, county Louth, detained at Wandsworth Detention Barracks; and, if not, whether their cases will be inquired into without delay, with a view to their immediate release?

After investigation, if no hostile association detrimental to Defence of the Realm is apparent, the military authorities will order release.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War on what definite charge Daniel Lordon, of Bandon, county Cork, was arrested and deported to Wakefield Detention Barracks; whether the mere fact that he was a member of the Irish Volunteers, although in possession of neither arms or ammunition, was sufficient grounds for his arrest and imprisonment; and, if not, will he see that this young man will be immediately released?

Daniel Lordon was arrested in consequence of his hostile association, and in the interest of the public safety, and of the defence of the realm. His case will be investigated.

asked why Cornelius O'Mahony, R.D.C., of Ahiohil, Ballineen, county Cork, was arrested on 7th May; where he is detained at present; when and where he will be brought to trial; and if he can consult and engage a solicitor for his defence?

This man was arrested owing to his hostile association and in interest of the public safety and of the defence of the realm. He is now in Richmond Barracks, Dublin. It is not proposed to try him by court-martial.

asked where the following prisoners are: Patrick Hyde and Michael Hyde, Ballinhassig; William and Robert Hales, Ballinadee, Bandon; Daniel Lordon, Farnalough, Newcestown; Patrick Dwyer, Hill Terrace, Bandon; Joseph Hyde, Gurteen, Bandon; —Twomey, Bally-mountain, Bandon; Mathew Healy, Rough-grove, Bandon; John O'Leary, Ballinhassig; —Reardon, Ballinaboy, Ballinhassig, all of the county Cork; on what charge they were arrested, and if their cases will be immediately investigated?

All these men are at Wakefield Detention Barracks. They were all arrested in connection with the recent rebellion, and their cases will be investigated with the least possible delay.

asked whether William Crowley and Patrick Crowley, Gurteen, Bandon, who were arrested on the 8th May, are now in Wakefield Prison, there being no charge against them; why are they detained; and will their case be immediately investigated, so that innocent men shall not continue to be subjected to the indignity reserved for criminals?

The cases of both these men have already been investigated, and orders for their release have been sent.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he is aware that J. B. O'Driscoll, a member of the Skibbereen Rural District Council, was arrested at Bantry on 12th May; where is he detained at present; when and where is he to be tried, and on what charge; and can he consult a solicitor to appear on his behalf?

He is now detained at Richmond Barracks, Dublin. It is not proposed to try him by court-martial.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if Robert Walsh, Killmore, Bandon, county Cork, was arrested on 8th May and is now in Wakefield Prison; what are the charges against him, if any, is he aware that he is the only son left to work the farm, as his father is in a dying condition, and that this young man had no part in any illegality; and if he will be released at once?

I am informed that there is no trace of any man of this name and address among the prisoners in connection with the rebellion.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War why no X-rays apparatus was provided at No. 17 Stationary Hospital at Helles during the Gallipoli campaign, although serious operations were performed there; if lives that might have been saved were lost by reason of this omission; and, if he will take the sworn testimony of hon. Members of this House who took part in this campaign and are still on service as to the general medical arrangements made, and order an inquiry into the facts?

An X-ray apparatus was supplied to No. 17 Stationary Hospital with the rest of its equipment before it left England.

asked whether the course of staff training recently arranged by General Headquarters for officers who have done service with their battalions is available for the whole British Army; whether Territorial and Yeomanry officers who have been recommended by their commanding officers as well fitted for staff duties have been refused admission; and, if so, on what grounds?

There is no longer a course of staff training at General Headquarters. The Regulations under which officers are admitted to staff course at home are contained in a paper, of which I am sending my right hon. Friend a copy. Any officer who possesses the necessary qualifications is eligible for selection subject to what is stated in Paragraph 7 of the document.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that, whereas other units of the British Army draw increased pay allowances in India, the Royal Flying Corps stationed on the North-West Frontier since the 6th January, and who have been under the Indian Government since the 1st December, 1915, are receiving only British pay, without even those allowances which they were receiving under the English Government, and despite the fact that their expenses are nearly doubled; and whether, seeing that many of the officers there are entirely dependent on their pay, and that nothing has so far been done to relieve the officers from the embarrassment and inconvenience caused to many of them through the present condition of affairs, he proposes to take any action in the matter?

The rates of pay for officers of the Royal Flying Corps stationed on the North-West Frontier of India have recently been settled by the Government of India in communication with the War Office. They are on a scale considerably in excess of British rates of pay.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the attention of the Committee recently set up to inquire into the credentials of certain charities has been called to appeals being issued on behalf of a society called the Counties Rest Homes for British Soldiers; whether he can give any information as to the secretary of this society; and whether he can state what steps he proposes to take to protect the charitable public, by legislation or otherwise, against possible fraud?

I am informed that the attention of the War Charities Committee has been called to the proceedings of the Counties Rest Homes for British Soldiers. The Committee was appointed to consider what steps should be taken to protect the charitable public against possible fraud, and I expect to receive their report shortly. Until I receive it I am not in a position to say anything further.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can state the amount of farina imported into the United Kingdom from Germany in the year before the War; if he is able to say, approximately, how many tons of potatoes were used in its manufacture; and whether he is having any investigations made with a view of ascertaining if the necessary potatoes could be grown and the business of extracting the starch carried on in this country?

Fourteen thousand seven hundred tons of farina were imported from Germany in 1913, and this quantity would have required for its manufacture about 100,000 tons of potatoes. I understand that the Board of Agriculture have from time to time considered the possibility of making farina from British-grown potatoes, but that the difficulty is one of price.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether, in view of the refusal of the tribunals of Caithness to recognise the necessity of sufficient labour to cultivate the land being excepted from military service, he will introduce legislation relieving crofters, landholders, and statutory tenants from the consequences of non-payment of rent for any land thrown out of cultivation through this cause?

I have no evidence to show that the tribunals have refused to recognise the necessity referred to. On the contrary, I am satisfied that they have given the most painstaking consideration to applications and appeals. There is no case for the proposal for special legislation, as I may remind my hon. Friend that the Government has already taken steps to deal with the question of the civil liabilities of men undertaking military service.

asked the Secretary for Scotland if he is aware that dissatisfaction exists amongst the crofters of Caithness with the manner in which the tribunals are denuding the crofts of the labour available for their cultivation; and whether he can see his way to impress upon the tribunals the necessity for retaining all labour essential to the production of food crops and cattle?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. As my hon. Friend is aware, in the instructions issued by the Government this point has been fully dealt with. I have communicated with the tribunals. They repudiate the suggestion that they are denuding the crofts unduly, and assure me that they are fully alive to the claims of agriculture.

asked if the Home Secretary would state for each county in Ireland the total number of persons who have been added to the commission of the peace in each year since 1910; how many of these were appointed upon the recommendation of the Lords Lieutenant of

NUMBERS OF MAGISTRATES APPOINTED IN THE SEVERAL COUNTIES IN IRELAND IN EACH YEAR SINCE 1910. County. 1911. 1912. 1913. 1914. 1915. 1916. Total. Antrim … 26 7 22 — — — 55 Armagh … 2 3 — — 23 — 28 Carlow … 5 4 2 3 — — 14 Cavan … 6 11 16 13 — — 46 Clare … 9 3 3 7 — 1 23 Cork … 18 25 2 39 40 — 124 Donegal … 15 12 12 46 — 32 117 Down … 18 15 — 16 10 — 59 Dublin … 5 19 18 24 1 — 67 Fermanagh … 7 5 11 9 — — 32 Galway … 7 13 8 17 17 — 62 Kerry … 10 15 — 11 — 6 42 Kildare … 8 2 3 7 8 — 28 Kilkenny … 13 4 — 17 14 1 49 King's … 3 8 6 — 2 — 19 Leitrim … 3 7 — 4 8 — 22 Limerick … 14 9 6 9 1 — 39 Londonderry … 30 14 5 9 23 4 85 Longford … 2 8 — 9 — — 19 Louth … — 15 9 15 — — 39 Mayo … 4 3 16 16 9 — 48 Meath … 8 8 5 — 6 — 27 Monaghan … 20 5 3 — 12 — 40 Queen's … 11 7 — 8 12 8 46 Roscommon … 3 1 2 6 1 — 13 Sligo … 8 5 1 16 — — 30 Tipperary … 15 18 10 16 2 1 62 Tyrone … 10 15 20 24 10 — 79 Waterford … 2 9 15 11 1 4 42 Westmeath … 6 8 2 12 — 8 36 Wexford … 7 2 5 7 — — 21 Wicklow … 15 5 2 15 — — 37 Totals … 310 285 204 386 200 65 1,450 Number of ex-officio Magistrates sworn in in each of above years— 57 26 26 44 19 3 175

the respective counties; how many were appointed without such a recommendation, and how many were appointed virtute officii?

The appended table shows the number of magistrates appointed by the Lord Chancellor for each county in Ireland in each year since 1910; also the number in Ireland who have taken the oaths and become magistrates virtute officii. It is not possible to state with any certainty upon whose recommendation these gentlemen have been appointed to the Commission of the Peace by the respective Lord Chancellors during the period 1910–1916, but during the tenure of office of the present Lord Chancellor the co-operation and consent of nearly all the Lieutenants of counties have been obtained, especially in the counties where the number of appointments is in any way considerable.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he will state how many cases of small-pox were notified for the month of April and for the month of May?

In the four weeks ended 29th April thirty-one cases of small-pox were notified; in the three weeks ended 20th May, forty cases.

asked the President of the Board of Trade on what occasion the Industrial Council was last called together to deal with an industrial dispute?

The Industrial Council last met in July, 1913, upon the completion of their Report on the Inquiry into Industrial Agreements which the Council commenced in 1912 at the request of His Majesty's Government.

asked the hon. Member for the Doncaster Division, as representing the Eccelesiastical Commissioners, if he will state the number of houses licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquors, other than with grocers' licences only, of which new leases have been granted or leases renewed by or on behalf of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners since the Return of 1883; the number of houses with grocers' licences only; whether the public-houses on the Metropolitan estates of the Commissioners mentioned in the Return of 1907 were all newly-licensed; will he give the total number of new licences for public-houses, inns and hotels, and grocers which have been sanctioned or permitted by the Commissioners since the Return of 1883; and whether the Commissioners will make another Return showing their position and intention as to dropping leases as and when leases fall in?

The number of licensed houses of which new leases or renewed leases have been granted by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners since 1883 is seventy-nine. I am unable to state the number of houses on the Commissioners' estates to which grocers' licences may be attached. The public-houses mentioned in the Return of 1907 were on estates developed by or under the Commissioners, and the licences were therefore new. The total number of new licences created on the Commissioners' estates for public-houses, inns, or hotels since 1883 is two. I have no record of grocers' licences allowed since that date, but the number is very small. As there has been no change in the Commissioners' policy as to the reduction of licences they would not be prepared to make a fresh Return.