asked the Prime Minister whether a meeting called in Belfast for 20th June to protest against the exclusion of any part of Ulster from the Home Rule Act has been prohibited by the military authorities; and, if so, whether this has been done with the sanction of the Government?

I have received the following information from General Sir John Maxwell on this subject. The Commissioner of Police, Belfast, refused a request for a meeting of Irish Nationalists on the grounds that it was really a Sinn Fein meeting. I have told him, on the advice of the Attorney-General, that he should not have done so. All meetings called for a perfectly legitimate constitutional purpose are not to be prohibited, but that all necessary steps should be taken to prevent interference with those attending such meetings or with the meeting itself.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number of weekly wage-earners and the total amount received for Income Tax collectible under Sub-section (3) of Section 28 of the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1915?

The provision under which weekly wage-earners subject to quarterly assessment are assessable to Income Tax on the basis of their actual earnings each quarter only comes into operation for the quarter concluding 5th July, 1916, before which date the statutory returns by employers obviously cannot even begin to reach the Revenue authorities. I will endeavour to give some information before the House rises on the subject of the number of weekly wage-earners who are found to have been in receipt for that quarter of wages exceeding £2 10s. a week.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he can now state the result of his inquiries into the allegations that at Chelmsford Barracks Mr. Harold Reuthe, a conscientious objector to military service, was struck, knocked down, kicked, and otherwise maltreated; and whether he can also state whether any general measures are being taken by the War Office to prevent this method of treatment of men who, by Act of Parliament, are deemed to be enlisted?

Yes, Sir, I have now received a report. Harold Reuthe was not cuffed, kicked, or punched. There are no dark cells at this detention barrack. The man has made no complaint at any time of ill-treatment, and is behaving well and doing his drills, etc., in a satisfactory manner. He made no complaints to his sister at her visit. I will read to the House a letter written by Reuthe to the Commandant at Chelmsford:"Sir,—I respectfully beg to state that there must have been some little misunderstanding between the conversation between my sister and myself. Beyond the inconveniences and natural irksomeness of confinement, I am well and as happy as can be under the circumstances.I am, Sir,Your obedient servant.(Signed) HAROLD REUTHK."The allegations made in this case are so far from being true that I think my hon. Friend would have been wise to have hesitated before basing on them such a generalisation as is contained in the last part of the question.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War (1) whether, in view of the fact that there is evidence to show that the military authorities in many instances are testing the bona fides of the conscientious objector by subjecting "him to physical violence, he will take steps either to prohibit this procedure or to promote legislation to provide a scale of punishments to test conscientious objection and so secure uniformity of treatment; and (2) whether his attention has been called to the fact that some officers appear to consider that they are entitled to test the bona fides of a conscientious objector by subjecting him to treatment of the nature of torture; and can he say whether any steps have been taken to correct this impression?

The bona or the mala fides of an insubordinate soldier does not concern the officer whose duty it may be to punish him under the Army Act or "Rules for Detention Barracks and Military Prisons." The latter part of the question, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Under-Sec-retary of State for War whether, when the parents, wife, or near relative of a conscientious objector has reason to believe that he has been subjected to physical violence, he will permit an examination of the man to be made by a doctor instructed by the person so informed in order that the truth as to grave allegations of ill-treatment may be established?

No, Sir. Such an examination cannot be permitted a soldier possesses a statutory remedy under Section 43 of the Army Act for bringing to light any grievance under which he deems himself to be suffering.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, when telegraphing to France to inquire as to the position of the Non-Combatant Corps there, he also has inquired as to the position of those members of the corps who have been sent from detention to England while still refusing to obey military orders; how many of these men are still in detention in France; how many have been court-martialled; and what sentences have been passed upon them?

No, Sir, my inquiry was limited to the proportion of men who were unavailable for duty by reason of their refusal to undertake any duties or to obey any military order. The answer is 6.1 per cent.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War what action has been taken upon the conduct of the captain at Richmond Castle, Yorkshire, in the case of Andrews Britain, an assistant schoolmaster of York, who was arrested on Monday, 12th June, forcibly dressed in khaki, handcuffed, and taken to Richmond, where on arrival he refused to obey an order, and was assaulted by a corporal, bruised and cut about the face, and next day, on refusing to parade, was knocked down by another non-commissioned officer, and forcibly carried to the parade ground, and when he quietly tried to explain his position to the captain, this officer ordered him to be stripped naked except his shirt, and placed him against the wall in a public square, and if a civilian who raised his cap to Britain and spoke respectfully to him was arrested; if the officer who committed these outrages has been courtmartialled; and, if so, what punishment has been inflicted?

Inquiry is being made, but in the meantime I must not be understood as accepting the allegations made as correct.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether a man of eighteen years of age and under the age of nineteen, who enlists under the Military Service Act, 1916, and the Proclamation of 16th April, 1916, is enlisted under the general attestation form applicable to the rest of the Army; whether this form contains nothing to show that the man is enlisted for training and service at home and is ineligible for foreign service till he attains the age of nineteen; and whether it is the intention of the War Office to provide special attestation forms for this class of enlisted men?

No special attestation form is contemplated. If the recruit comes up under the group system he is attested on a duration of war attestation form, or if under the Military Service Act a form of enrolment is filled in. Instructions have been issued which provide for no recruit being sent overseas for active service before he is nineteen years of age.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether a man who has been transferred from an English unit to an Irish unit, and has been discharged for sickness or wounds, must go to Ireland in order to receive his discharge from the depot of the Irish regiment to which he has been transferred?

No, Sir. The discharge of a soldier who is no longer physically fit for war service is not carried out at his depot, but by the officer in charge of records. He does not attend the Record Office for this purpose. Once his discharge is approved, he is sent direct to his home, irrespective of where he happens to be serving.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, under the French Military Code, soldiers can be subjected to any punishment of the nature of Field Punishment No. 1, commonly known as "crucifixion"?

I am not aware whether under the French Military Code there is any punishment similar to the nature of Field Punishment No. 1. The expression "crucifixion" is one not known to military law, and is one which I have not heard except in questions put by hon. Members.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Sergeant Dornan, No. 11,565, Army Service Corps, was invalided from Salonika with mental breakdown, presumably attributable to seventeen months' service in all at the front; that he was transferred from Netley Hospital to the Hampshire County Asylum on 18th April, where he is apparently detained as a pauper patient; that his wife and two boys had been left by the military authorities from that date to the present time entirely without funds, although repeated applications have been made on their behalf; and whether arrangements will be made to prevent the discharge of patients suffering from mental breakdown attributable to service to pauper asylums, and that the sum of £l a week, according to the Army Order of 6th May, usually payable to the men when separation allowance has been paid on their behalf, will be paid in such cases to the wife pending a decision about the man's pension in order to avoid the necessity of the man's family having to apply for parish relief?

I am making inquiries, and will let my hon. and gallant Friend know the result in due course.

asked how many of the 15,000 men and 800 widows who were receiving no pension on 9th March are now receiving a pension?

The work of dealing with current claims is so heavy, and the difficulty of providing additional trained staff is so great, that I fear I cannot give my hon. Friend the statistical information for which he asks. In all cases in which there is ground for thinking that a pension is issuable under the revised conditions, application for reconsideration should be made by the applicant to the Secretary, Royal Hospital, Chelsea.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether the objection of the War Office to grant separation allowance outside of the one month limit or on the death of a first son where the second serving son applies for it on the death of his brother is a financial or administrative one?

The reasons which make it necessary to apply a time limit for dependants' claims were stated in reply to questions put by the hon. Member for the County of Anglesey on 31st May a soldier who did not claim on enlistment because the full rate of separation allowance was already being issued in respect of a brother is not debarred from making a claim on the death of the brother.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if a soldier who previous to his enlistment has supported his mother in his own home along with his wife and two children is entitled to claim separation allowance for his wife and all three of his dependants; and, if not, will he say why this is not allowed?

No, Sir. Separation allowance is not issuable for the mother in the circumstances mentioned, because in the case of dependants other than wives and children the Government scheme restricted the issue of separation allowance to the dependant of unmarried soldiers. Under the Regulations issued by the Statutory Committee it is competent for local committees to grant a special allowance in respect of a married soldier's dependants who are ineligible for separation allowance from Army funds.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he can state, on the occasion of the War Office loaning a number of lorries to the Canadian Expeditionary Force, whether the War Office invoiced the lorries at the advanced price; whether the Canadian Government at once refused, and whether they have still refused, to pay such extra" prices on the ground of their being unjustified and excessive; and, if so, can he say to what account the disputed overcharge will be debited?

The hon. Member is misinformed. The Canadian Government have not refused to pay any charge raised by the War Department for lorries supplied to Canadian troops. The claims presented have been met by the Canadians without question.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he can explain why the War Office, when purchasing about 11,000 motor-transport lorries of American make, compelled the British taxpayer to pay an average of £300 per complete lorry more than was paid by either the Canadian or French Governments for identically the same article; if he can say whether the War Office made their purchases through a firm of agents, whilst the French and Canadian Governments purchased direct from the manufacturers; whether the firm of agents through whom the War Office purchased these lorries were in business before the War or whether they came into existence merely to obtain Government contracts; whether the War Office had been previously informed of the standard prices for these lorries, as well as the prices at which the Canadian and French Governments afterwards purchased; and if he can say whether such information was officially acknowledged and afterwards ignored or forgotten?

The hon. Member is misinformed as to the number of motor lorries of American make purchased by the War Office. I am not aware of the prices at which such lorries were purchased by the Canadian or French Government, but in the case of the War Office the conditions of purchase were entirely different, the vehicles having to be delivered in this country and handed over in good running order; and I have no reason to suppose that, taking this fact into account, the prices paid by us for any vehicles obtained in the United States compare unfavourably with those paid by other Governments for the same types. The Department had full knowledge of the standard prices at factory for the vehicles purchased. Purchases, when not made direct from the factory, a course which was often impracticable owing to the existence of options on output or exclusive agency rights in Great Britain, have been made through various channels according to the circumstance: of each case. The firm to which the hon. Member presumably refers was registered as a limited company in this country after the outbreak of war, but I cannot say how long the present business in America had been in existence.

asked the Minister of Munitions if he can state the number of men who have been discharged from the Woolwich Arsenal during the last four weeks and the number of women who have been taken on in their stead, and the rates of pay that the women are receiving for the work formerly done by the men?

During the last four weeks 1,111 men (including lads under twenty-one years of age released for service in the Army) have been discharged from Woolwich, apart from men discharged from the Building Works Department on termination of temporary engagement. During the same period in various departments 1,523 women have been engaged, but not necessarily to take the place of the men above referred to. The women receive the same piece-work rate as the men, but the day rates are not identical.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether any proposals for raising a second-line Army on the model of the Imperial Service troops of the ruling chiefs have been laid before the Governor-General in Council; and, if so, whether the project is sufficiently matured to allow of any information on the statement being given to the House?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether any information has reached him to the effect that Indian Mahomedans at Nejef, Kazimein, and Kerbela have been cruelly treated by the Turkish authorities or populace?

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether there is any proof that the unrest recently reported to exist among the Oraons of Chota Nagpur originated in, and was fostered by, the teaching of German in mission schools?

No direct evidence has been found, so far as I am aware, to connect with the unrest German missionaries or the teaching given in their schools. I may add that German missionaries have since been removed from the district.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that there were 200 innocent persons, non-combatants, killed during the rising in Ireland; and if the Government intends to make any provision for their dependants?

Apart from 116 soldiers, sailors, and policemen killed on duty, it appears from cemetery records that 224 civilians were buried whose deaths were due to wounds received during the recent outbreak in Dublin, but there is no evidence to show whether these persons were innocent or not. The reply to the concluding part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that certain Civil servants who were arrested on suspicion of being implicated in the recent insurrection in Ireland, and against whom no evidence could be produced, were consequently released, and that some of these men have been deprived of salary and refused reinstatement in their positions; and whether he can state what it is proposed to do in such cases?

Arrangements have been made by which the cases of Civil servants suspended owing to suspicion of complicity in the recent outbreak will come under review at an early date, and an opportunity afforded them to take steps to establish their innocence.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will say what the reason is for the continuance of martial law in Ireland; and when it will be withdrawn?

I can only refer my hon. Friend to the statements which have been made on this point by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the increase in the Swiss export of lace and embroidery, exceeding the whole German export to this country for 1914, he is now prepared to take effective measures for preventing lace and embroidery of enemy origin or part origin from reaching this country?

The increase in the value of imports from Switzerland to which the hon. Member directs attention is no doubt due to increase in prices as well as to the absence of competition from Germany. Imports from Switzerland are only permitted if they are accompanied by certificates of origin issued by British consular officers. The question of the conditions on which these certificates should be issued is at present under consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he is aware that the usual tonnage space allotment is 40 cubic feet per ton, and that the imports of lace and embroidery occupy on an average 257 cubic feet per ton; whether the Restriction of Imports Committee have considered the saving in tonnage space which would be effected by the prohibition of lace and embroidery; (2) whether he is aware that, by reasons connected with the War, the Nottingham, Long Eaton, and district lace trade has lost 54 per cent, of its twisthands, and 80 per cent, of its threaders, replacing the latter by women, and has, despite this loss in labour, maintained an export of £2,852,854 in 1915, and for the five months ended 31st May, 1916, had exported £1,794,145, at the rate of £4,250,000 per annum; whether he will say on what grounds, and for how long, he proposes to permit the import of lace and embroidery, which in 1915 amounted to £3,922,104, to be continued; (3) whether he is aware that the new list of prohibitions of imports forbids the entry of many articles of cotton piece goods necessary for the embroidery trade and for the clothing of the masses, but permits the import of lace and embroidery (which are classified by his Department as luxuries) to the average annual value of £4,000,000; whether he proposes to take any action in the matter; and (4) whether he is aware that the Swiss export of cotton, silk, and part-silk lace to the United Kingdom did not for the five years prior to the War exceed £20,935, and that in 1915 the value of the Swiss export in the same articles amounted to £227,022; and whether, in view of the decision of the Reserved Occupations Committee not to reserve lace workers on the ground that the product is a luxury, he proposes to take any action in the matter?

The suggestion that imports of lace and embroidery should be prohibited was conveyed in a question addressed to the President of the Board of Trade by the hon. Member for East Nottingham on 12th April, and I cannot add to the reply given on that occasion, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any knowledge of the source from which Holland has obtained her goods for lace and embroidery export amounting for 1915 to the value of £29,015; whether he is aware that Holland possesses no facilities for manufacture and that prior to 1914 her mximum export of these goods was £1,475; whether he is aware that under the existing import restrictions embroidery manufacturers in Nottingham and district cannot obtain supplies of organdies (the raw material of their trade) and their machines are idle in consequence, and that Swiss organdie manufacturers are selling this product to our Swiss competitors, who have a free market here for the embroidered article?

I have no information as to the sources of the materials for the manufacture of embroidery and lace in Holland. According to the Dutch statistics, the total exports of these articles to all countries in 1913 were valued at £20,550. If the hon. Member will furnish me with particulars of any applications for licences to import organdies which have been refused I will have inquiry made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that, in the original Proclamation, dated 25th March, 1916, prohibiting the import of cotton manufactured goods of all kinds except lace and hosiery, the term lace has been defined by the Controller of the Department of Import Restrictions as not including embroidery, thereby leading the embroidery manufacturers to believe that Swiss embroideries were prohibited from import; that the Director of Import Restrictions has also informed representatives of the Nottingham trade associations that embroideries are not included in the prohibition; and whether, seeing that this later definition extends the terms of the original Proclamation, he will say by whose authority such extension was made and upon what date it was publicly notified?

The fact that embroidery was not regarded as included in the prohibition on the import of cotton manufactures was announced by the Controller of the Department of Import Restrictions on 27th March. The decision is included in the list of decisions of the Controller which forms Departmental Notification No. 1, published on the 9th June.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the hardship to the owners of patents who are engaged in war service, and owing to the conditions of war are unable to take any steps to exploit their inventions, he will introduce legislation to extend the time during which patents can be kept in force without payment of fee for the period of the duration of the War?

This question, as well as many others relating to the Amendment of the Patents and Designs Act, 1907, is at present under the consideration of the Board.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the temporary telegraphist now employed on writing duties at the northern district office was engaged three years ago to test candidates for their technical increments; and whether, having regard to the skill needed for this special work, he will consider whether he should be used as a temporary telegraphist instead of as a writer?

I am aware of the circumstances of the case. The man in question, who was an assistant superintendent before he retired, was required, as part of his duty, to test candidates, and did make a few such tests about three years ago. As I informed the hon. Member in reply to his previous question on the 31st of May, I am satisfied that he can be employed to better advantage on the writing duties which have been given to him than on ordinary counter and instrument duties, which are more suitable for a younger man.

asked the Postmaster-General why letters sent from England to Holland take between ten and fourteen days before being delivered?

I have no reason to suppose that the average time between the posting of a letter in England and its delivery in Holland approaches that suggested by the hon. Member; but letters for foreign destinations are subject to examination by the military censors, and it is, of course, possible that for some special reason particular letters may be detained longer than usual during censorship.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can now say whether the privilege of being interned in Switzerland has been extended to British civilians imprisoned in Germany; and, if not, whether he will endeavour to secure such an extension?

The answer to the first part of my hon. Friend's question is in the negative; the transfer of British civilians to Switzerland is under consideration, but presents considerable difficulties. We believe that the lot of the civilian prisoners at Ruhleben can only be effectually alleviated by adequate measures of exchange, and we have made proposals to this effect to the German Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has received from Mr. Justice Younger's Committee any reports other than that referring to Wittenberg; and, if so, whether he will consent to publish them?

The reply to my hon. Friend's question is in the affirmative. I am in communication with the Committee with regard to the publication of further reports.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many reports have been received since 31st March from the American Embassy in Berlin dealing with British prisoner camps in Germany; and how soon he expects to be able to publish them?

Thirty-three reports on prisoners' camps in Germany have been received since the 31st March last; we propose in future to lay such reports before Parliament every three months. The next White Paper will be laid as soon as possible after the end of this quarter.

asked what are the functions of the Prisoners of War Help Committee and of the Ruhleben Committee; and whether His Majesty's Government have received from these any reports of their activities which can be made public?

The Prisoners of War Help Committee was formed by the War Office to co-ordinate the efforts of the numerous prisoners' aid societies. The Ruhleben Sub-Committee was formed to ascertain the needs of the civilians at Ruhleben and to afford them assistance. We understand that these committees have not drawn up any general reports on their activities.

asked why so few British civilian prisoners are now being repatriated from Germany; whether the exchanges represent equal proportions of the total number of prisoners interned in each country; and whether the standard of military unfitness qualifying for repatriation is identical in Germany and Great Britain?

In the absence of an official explanation from the German Government regarding their failure to repatriate the proper number of British civilians passed as unfit for military service, explanations of their action can only be a matter of conjecture. On the 7th instant we asked the United States Ambassador to draw the attention of the German Government to the fact that in the four months, February to May, we had repatriated 375 unfit German civilians and had received back twenty-two unfit British civilians. On the basis of the figures supplied to the hon. Member on 23rd March last showing the numbers of British civilians interned in Germany and of German civilians interned in the United Kingdom respectively, about 1½ per cent, of the Germans were repatriated as against about ½ per cent, of the British during the period in question. In other words, the proportion of Germans repatriated was three times greater than the proportion of British subjects repatriated.With regard to the last part of the hon. Member's question, the Agreement provides that British and German civilians who are found to be unfit for military service shall be repatriated, but no schedule of disabilities was laid down.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has any official information of an attack on an employé of the British Legation at Athens on 12th June, in which secret police and police in uniform are reported to have taken part, and of insulting behaviour of the secret police towards members of the Legation, including the military attaché and the chief of the British naval mission, on the same day at the Stadium; and if he will state what action he has taken in the matter?

Incidents of the nature referred to by the hon. Member have, I understand, taken place in Athens during the last few weeks, and serious representations were made to the Greek Government on the subject. That Government have now agreed to consult with the Allied representatives in Athens with a view to the removal of the police officers responsible for such incidents.

asked the Secretary of State for India if and when the 2nd Rajput Regiment will get the medal given to the Navy for the suppression of the gun-running in the Persian Gulf, in 1913, in which the Rajput Regiment assisted?

The troops referred to in the question are not eligible for the medal, as it is granted for naval services only.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he will inquire into the case of Mr. Vincent, 32, Salterton Road, Holloway, London, N., whose old age pension has been restricted to 3s. a week as from 5th April, notwithstanding the fact that he possesses no other means; is he aware that the full pension of 5s. is refused on the ground that Mr. Vincent has a theoretical income of £26 a year, because this is the sum (including the value of the room he occupies) which it is estimated to cost his daughter, Mrs. Fiddler, on whom he depends entirely, to keep him; that his daughter has no means beyond her separation allowance and what she can make by letting other rooms in the house; and will he say if this interpretation of what constitutes the yearly value of any benefit or privilege enjoyed by a pensioner is in accordance with the universal practice of the Board in calculating the means of applicants for old age pension purposes?

I am aware of the decision in the case referred to. Under Section 2 (1) (d) of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1911, the yearly value of any benefit or privilege enjoyed by a claimant to a pension is to be included in the calculation of the yearly means of the claimant, and the value of free board or lodging must be regarded as part of the yearly means for the purposes of the Old Age Pensions Act.

asked the President of the Local Government Board how many persons who were notified as having contracted small-pox during April and May had been vaccinated; how many had been recently revaccinated; how many had never been vaccinated; and whether any cases were fatal?

During the nine weeks ended the 27th May, 1916, seventy-nine civil cases of small-pox were notified in England and Wales. As to two of these cases I have not received information as to their vaccinal condition; of the remaining seventy-seven cases, sixty-two had been vaccinated, and fifteen were unvaccinated. No person contracted small-pox subsequent to recent revaccination, but twelve of the cases had been revaccinated after exposure to small-pox infection and during the incubation period of the disease. Seven cases are known to have been fatal, and of these three were unvaccinated and four were stated to have been vaccinated in infancy, their ages at death being twenty-seven, thirty-seven, forty-three, and sixty-three respectively.