asked the Home Secretary whether any improvement has yet been made in the supply and quality of food to the prisoners at Frongoch internment camp; and whether parcels of food are being allowed to be delivered to them as was the case when they were confined in prisoners in England?

The food supplied to the prisoners at Frongoch internment camp is reported to me to be excellent. The rations are the same as those supplied to military and naval prisoners of war. Parcels of food addressed to prisoners are delivered after examination.

asked whether the case of Patrick Hegarty, of 3, Westland Avenue, Londonderry, now interned by operation of the Order under the Defence of the Realm Regulations, has been considered by the Advisory Committee; and whether his release can soon be granted?

This case, along with others, is now under the consideration of the Advisory Committee, who are dealing with them as quickly as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequr whether stockbrokers have received instructions from the Treasury or the Inland Revenue to change their principals with Stamp Duty on sales of American securities direct to the Government; and, if so, whether this is in accordance with the promise given by the Government that the sales made at their request should take place free of any expense whatever to the vendor?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to a question in the same terms on the 10th July. I am sending him a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the widow of Corporal P. M'Grath, 4th Leinster Regiment, recently deceased in Longford, who had fourteen years' service in the Army, had been deprived of her pension, which was the only support she had for four children, who, with her, are now wholly destitute; and whether he will represent her case to the Army Council or Royal Patriotic Fund for such grant as may enable her to support these orphans?

I wrote to my hon. Friend about this case on the 16th June, explaining that as the disease from which Corporal M'Grath died had no connection with his war service his widow was not entitled to a pension. I do not know why this woman is said to be wholly destitute, as she is entitled to separation allowance till nearly the end of September. If it appears that her husband's disability was aggravated by his war service her case will be considered before separation; allowance ceases.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he will have inquiries made into the case of William Forbes, 44, Cleaver Street, Burnley, late private, No. 2848, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, and particularly if he will ascertain whether this man first enlisted in 1895 and served through the South African War; whether he afterwards served nine years in the Army Reserve and reenlisted on the 19th August, 1914; whether he was discharged on account of wounds on the 10th September, 1915, with a pension of 12s. 6d. a week for six months; whether he was placed in a military hospital on the 2nd February, 1916, for an operation and discharged from there in a condition that left him totally unfit for work; whether he has lately received notice to the effect that his pension has expired, so that he is now without any means of support; and whether the Government will take any steps in the matter?

The man's service is as stated, and he was discharged on 10th September, 1915, with a pension of 12s. 6d. a week for six months. While in the military hospital his pension was 25s., less 1s. a day for each day actually in hospital in part payment of the cost involved. He was not totally unfit to work when he left hospital, the Medical Board assessing his impairment as one-half. Nor has he lately received notice that his pension has expired; it has, on the contrary, been renewed for six months at 12s. 6d. a week.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that the local London authority have made a claim for the handing over to them of the money to the credit of a soldier named John O'Reilly, who is at present an inmate of Banstead Lunatic Asylum, where he was sent after recovering from a gas attack in Flanders; whether he is aware that this man has dependants in Ireland; and whether he will explain why a man's credit is paid over to a local authority in whose jurisdiction he was only a short time resident?

Inquiry is being made into this case, and my hon. Friend will be informed of the result in due course.

asked whether the provisions of the Military Service Act as regards time-expired Reservists include men who have made their homes in Canada and who are still paying rates and taxes there; whether, if such is the ease, these men will be allowed to proceed to Canada to join the contingents there; and whether he is aware that Canadian Reservists who have completed thirteen years' service and are being retained by the Imperial Government are receiving pay at the rate of 2s. 10½d. a day less than that which they would receive if they were allowed to re-enlist or transfer to the Canadian Army?

The answer to the first and third parts of the question is in the affirmative, and to the second part in the negative. Serving soldiers in the British Army cannot re-enlist in an Overseas contingent, and I would point out that a difference exists between the pay of all British Infantry and Canadian soldiers, and that this difference is not peculiar to those members of the British Infantry who are Reservists with homes in Canada.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has made further inquiries into the case of Walter Robin son, of Middlesbrough, who was convicted and fined on 18th June for failing to report himself under the Military Service Act, although he had been given exemption conditionally upon finding work of national importance under the Pelham Committee; whether Walter Robinson has now been liberated from military custody and referred to the Pelham Committee; and whether the fine has been remitted?

I have ascertained that this man obtained a certificate of exemption from combatant service only. He disregarded the notices calling on him to report himself, and when charged as an absentee at the Middlesbrough Police Court on 19th June he had not, and he did not claim to have, such a certificate of conditional exemption as the hon. Member suggests. He was therefore rightly convicted and fined, and I see no reason for action on my part. What has happened since the conviction is a matter for the military authorities, to whom I would refer the hon. Member for any further information.

asked whether it has been decided that special constables, who are also Volunteers, must elect to which service they will continue to belong; if so, what is the ground for this decision; and whether it will be possible to allow those whose circumstances permit them to. fulfil both duties to continue to do so?

I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply which the Under-Secretary of State for War gave to the hon. Member for North-East Bethnal Green, on the 22nd June. No such decision has been given as is suggested in the question; but the whole matter is under the consideration of the War Office. I am anxious that it should be settled as soon as possible.

asked whether Irish butter manufacturers are able to keep the British market supplied with butter, etc., during the entire summer and autumn; during how many months the supply required is inadequate; are subsidies paid to any Governments in connection with butter manufacturing; and, if so, on what scale, giving the names of the Governments?

The reply to the first part of the question is in the negative. Taking the average of the past three-years, the annual export of butter from Ireland to Great Britain is only one-sixth of the total annual imports into Great Britain. The Department have no information as to the granting by any State of a subsidy for the manufacture of butter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state the number of persons arrested in Ceylon between 1st June and 1st September, 1915, detained in prison without charge, and released without trial; the number of these in respect of whom payments were made "to obtain their release; and under what law those payments for release of untried prisoners were exacted?

I cannot give the total number of persons so arrested, but I have no reason to believe that in any cases payments have been exacted from untried prisoners.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is proposed to issue licences for the importation of foreign hops purchased under current contracts which extend over a period of years; and, if so, what is the total estimated quantity likely to be imported under this head?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been called to the fact that in the three weeks ending 5th July 14,328 cwts. of foreign hops were imported into this country, notwithstanding the promise given by the Government on 29th May that all importation of foreign hops would be immediately prohibited; if he will say why this pledge has been violated; and when it is proposed to make the prohibition affective?

Some of these hops though credited to the three weeks ended 1st July were actually imported before the date (8th June) on which the prohibition came into force. The remainder had been dispatched to the United Kingdom before the date (1st June) on which the prohibition was announced, and were admitted in accordance with the usual practice.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that captains of merchant ships sunk abroad by the enemy have received demands from the Board of Trade for the payment of the cost of their passages home and subsistence; if so, whether, having regard to the nature of the work these captains are doing in the interests of the country, he will take whatever steps may be requisite in order that these charges shall be paid by either the Government or the owners of the ships; and that, as in the case of merchant vessels chartered by the Admiralty which are similarly lost, these captains shall continue to be paid until their arrival home?

There are no provisions in the Merchant Shipping Acts empowering the Board of Trade to afford relief at the expense of the State to masters whose vessels have been shipwrecked or sunk, nor is there any statutory liability on the part of owners to pay for such relief or to continue the pay of masters until their arrival home in this country, though I should hope that in most cases they would be willing to do so. I will, however, see whether any steps can be taken in the matter.

asked the Postmaster-General whether it is proposed to discontinue the mid-day postal service from Castletown to Ballyhamon; if so, whether he is aware that this will deprive a big district of a necessary accommodation; and whether he will inquire fully into the facts before cutting off this service?

I will make inquiries and communicate with the hon. Member.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he can give the number of calves killed in the United Kingdom or in Great Britain in 1914, 1915, and (up to the latest date for which Returns are available) in 1916?

I regret that Returns of the total numbers of calves killed annually in this country are not available.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state, in tons, the monthly importation of lard into Belgium and Northern France by the Neutral Relief Commission?

The authorised monthly importation is 4,000 tons of bacon and lard for Belgium, and 3,200 for Northern France, estimated quarterly.

also asked for figures showing, in tons, the monthly importation of foodstuffs into Belgium and Northern France by the Neutral Relief Commission?

The following are the authorised monthly amounts in metric tons. The ration is, however, calculated quarterly: BELGIUM. Wheat 54,000 Bacon and Lard 4,000 Peas and Beans 3,000 Maize 8,000 Condensed Milk 500 Rice 5,000 Yeast Materials 1,000 NORTHERN FRANCE. Flour 19,300* Bacon and Lard 3,200 Peas and Beans 1,650 Cerealine (Maize) 2,200 Condensed Milk 1,650 Rice 4,400 Sugar 1,320 Coffee 1,100 Salt 1,320 *;Calculated as equivalent to 23,500 tons of wheat.

The peas and beans, maize and rice are interchargeable. The Commission has not recently imported the full amount of this ration.

asked the Home Secretary whether he can say if the reports "Good" and "Very Good" entitle teachers under the Irish National Board who are on the maximum salary of second grade to promotion to first grade; and whether the equivalents to those reports under the present system also entitle a teacher similarly circumstanced to promotion to first grade?

I am informed that under the former system "Very Good" reports qualified teachers on maximum salary of second grade who were otherwise eligible to promotion to first grade, but that "Good" reports merely would not do so. Under the present system, work of an efficient character must be done to secure promotion to second grade, and a higher standard is expected for promotion to first grade.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is prepared to prohibit the entry of all plumage into the United Kingdom the exportation of which is prohibited from foreign countries, the Dominions, or Crown Colonies?

I am unable to add anything to the reply which I returned yesterday to a question on this subject by the hon. Member for Roxburghshire.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been drawn to the action of the Public Trustee in giving three months' notice to Mr. L. Vaughan Evans, agent of the Llanharran Estate, Glamorgan, on 26th May; if he is aware that Mr. Vaughan Evans' father was the agent to the estate for over forty years, and that he was assisted for many years by his son; that for over seven years after his father's death Mr. Vaughan Evans was the sole agent and enjoyed the complete confidence of the owner, the late Mr. Blandy Jenkins; that under Mr. Vaughan Evans' supervision and management the estate largely increased in value; if he is aware that on 6th June the Public Trustee wrote to testify his appreciation of the services which Mr. Vaughan Evans had rendered during the many years he had been connected with the estate; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. I understand that no reflection is cast upon Mr. Vaughan Evans, but that by reason of the death of Mr. Blandy Jenkins, who himself exercised a direct control over the management of the estate, duties involving a greater responsibility were thrown upon the agent, and the Public Trustee, after the fullest consideration and investigation, felt himself obliged in the interests of the trust to employ new agents. As the matter is in the discretion of the Public Trustee, who has taken the wishes of the beneficiaries into consideration, it does not appear that the Government should take any action.

asked the hon. Member for Dumbartonshire, as representing the Charity Commissioners, if he will state what is the capital value and the income arising from the charities proposed to be dealt with under the Charities Emergency Bill introduced 9th September, 1914?

The Bill referred to in the hon. Member's question would have enabled the Commissioners to take action only as regards those charities of the prescribed class the trustees of which might consent to or apply for an Order. The Commissioners caused inquiries to be addressed to the trustees of upwards of 15,500 charities, in reply to which the trustees of 287 charities indicated their willingness to consent to the appropriation of funds amounting to £8,700. It is not possible to state the capital value of the endowments of these 287 charities as such endowments in many cases include real estate.