asked the President of the Board of Education whether any steps are being taken to carry out the recommendation contained in Paragraph 219 of the Final Report of the Royal Commission on Venereal Diseases?

The Board understand that the recommendation in question is now under consideration by various educational bodies; and they do not consider that any official action by them would be desirable at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that Mr. James Hogan, stationer, Tipperary, was on the 5th instant arrested by the police and handed over to the military authorities, who detained him till the 8th instant on a charge of having exhibited in his windows picture postcards bearing photographs of Sinn Fein leaders; and if he will state why Mr. Hogan was so treated and at whose instigation, in view of the fact that similar postcards have been displayed in Dublin and elsewhere throughout Ireland?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, except that the release took place on the evening of the 7th instant. The arrest was made by the police, I am informed, under the order of the Competent Military Authority, by whom the release was ordered.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if a Mr. Carl Hoesch has recently been released from internment in the Alexandra Palace; and, if so, will he state on whose authority he has been released and for what reason?

Mr. Hoesch was liberated from internment in September last by the order of my predecessor. He was released on medical grounds, the medical officer of the camp having certified that continued detention would seriously affect his health. He has been twenty years in this country and has a British wife. Two separate bonds for his good behaviour, in the sum of £1,000 each, were required and given.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the practice, hitherto respected, of appointing Egyptians as Governors of Egyptian provinces has been departed from in the case of the new Western Province created in Egypt and an Englishman made Governor?

I have no information, but I will make inquiry of His Majesty's High Commissioner for Egypt on the subject.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) whether he can state the amount of lard imported into Belgium in 1913 and the amount imported by the Neutrals' Relief Commission during the six months ending 30th June, 1916; and (2) whether he can state the monthly importations, in tons, of lard into Belgium by the Neutrals' Relief Commission up to 30th June, 1916?

The following is a statement of the monthly importation, in metric tons, of lard into Belgium by the Neutrals' Relief Commission up to 30th June, 1916: Belgium and North France (Bacon and Lard): November, 1914 … … 67 December 1914 … … 150 January 1915 … … 110 February 1915 … … 204 March 1915 … … 1,908 April 1915 … … 457 May 1915 … … 1,243 June 1915 … … 5,692 July 1915 … … 3,992 August 1915 … … 2,578 September 1915 … … 6,811 October 1915 … … 6,140 Belgium only (Lard only): November, 1915 … … 667 December 1915 … … 2,060 January, 1916 … … 1,413 February 1916 … … 2,292 March 1916 … … 1,309 April 1916 … … 1,258 May 1916 … … 1,040 June 1916 … … 3,396

The figures from November, 1914, to October, 1915, inclusive, make no distinction between bacon and lard, nor between importations into Belgium and into Northern France.

During this period the statistics were kept by weeks, the importations for any week beginning on a day of one month and ending on a day of the next month being included in the total for the latter month. Consequently, the figures for December, 1914, and for March, June, and September, 1915, included five weeks each and the rest four. From November, 1915, onwards the month is reckoned from the 26th to the 26th in each case.

Imports of lard into Belgium for 1913 were given under the general heading "Tallow and other Fats." The net import under this heading was 12,011 tons.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state the monthly importation, in tons, of foodstuffs into Belgium by the Neutrals' Relief Commission up to 30th Tune, 1916.

The following is a statement of the monthly importation, in metric tons, of foodstuffs into Belgium by the Neutrals' Relief Commission up to 30th June, 1916: Belgium and North France. November, 1914 … … 20,049 December 1914 … … 39,494 January 1915 … … 62,561 February 1915 … … 67,020 March 1915 … … 105,673 April 1915 … … 94,737 May 1915 … … 91,055 June 1915 … … 126,023 July 1915 … … 56,769 August 1915 … … 79,619 September 1915 … … 89,549 October 1915 … … 87,884 Belgium only. November, 1915 … … 85,256 December 1915 … … 67,746 January 1916 … … 82,869 February 1916 … … 77,915 March 1916 … … 47,351 April 1916 … … 44,591 May 1916 … … 77,193 June 1916 … … 70,816

See footnote to table in answer to preceding questions.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state the total amount of spirits manufactured in England, Scotland, and Ireland, respectively, for the year ending the 30th September, 1915, namely, distilleries manufacturing yeast using patent stills with or without pot stills; using pot stills only; distilleries not manufacturing yeast using patent stills with or without pot stills; using pot stills only?

The total quantity of spirits manufactured in England, Scotland, and Ireland, respectively, in the year ending 30th September, 1915, was as follows: — England. Scotland. Ireland. United Kingdom Number of Distilleries Proof Gallons. Number of Distilleries Proof Gallons. Number of Distillers Proof Gallons. Number of Distilleries Proof Gallons. Distilleries Manufacturing Yeast— Using Patent Stills, with or without Pot Stills 3 3,544,595 8 11,982,241 5 6,695,525 16 22,222,361 Using Pot Stills only — — — — — — — — Distilleries not Manufacturing Yeast— Using Patent Stills, with or without Pot Stills 5 8,493,800 3 6,790,589 2 2,915,106 126 25,393,156 Using Pot Stills only — — 102 7,193,661 14 8 12,038,395 113 25,966,491 21 9,610,631 142 47,615,517

MEALY asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the grounds on which

the Local Government Board for Ireland have overruled the local pensions committee and refused an old age pension to Mrs. Jane Twomey, of Ivale, Banteer, county Cork; whether he is aware that Mrs. Twomey is the wife of a farmer who was evicted from his holding by a creditor, but whose son returned from America and with his own money bought back the farm on which he now lives; whether he is aware that both Mrs. Twomey and her husband are now without means of any kind and absolutely dependent on their son referred to; and whether the Local Government Board hold that persons so dependent are in a similar legal position to those whose maintenance is secured to them by contract?

Mrs. Jane Twomey's claim for an old age pension was disallowed on the ground that the value of the benefits and privileges enjoyed by claimant exceeded £31 10s. In addition to the husband's earnings there was considerable stock and cattle on the holding of fifty-two acres of good land. The Local Government Board were aware of the facts mentioned in the question, but under Section 2 (1) (a) of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1911, it is immaterial whether the benefits enjoyed are secured by contract or not

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has seen the receipt, or a copy thereof, signed L. Bayly, Major, C.M.B., D. C. Ruanwella, 20th July, 1915, for the sum of 10,000 rupees, exacted from Aron Fernando, the price of discharge of himself and others from an accusation of rioting; whether this receipt is regarded as conclusive that the accusation was unfounded; if not, whether the officer has since been tried for compounding a felony; and whether this officer is now in His Majesty's service?

The sum in question was paid by way of compensation for damages caused in the riots. The system under which assessments were made for such payment is fully explained in the correspondence presented to Parliament. These assessments were voluntary, not compulsory. Major Bayly is an officer of the Ceylon Mounted Rifles; his work in connection with the riots has earned very favourable reports, and the suggestions Contained in the question are not well founded, nor is the document in question accurately described.

asked under what law the form of bond which certain villagers of Ceylon when in prison untried last year were compelled to sign, agreeing to pay a certain fine levied without trial, and hypothecating their entire property in further security for the payment; what reply did Sir Robert Chalmers, then Governor of Ceylon, now Under Secretary for Ireland, give to the petition of those villagers to be released from the bond so obtained; whether the payment has been enforced; and whether it has increased affection for British rule in Ceylon?

The hon. Member is altogether mistaken in supposing that villagers were compelled to sign bonds. Undertakings to pay were made voluntarily, as being the alternative to the levy of a rate, and the system of assessment (as I have already stated) is fully explained in the correspondence presented to Parliament.