asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the sums, representing workmen's compensation awards, invested in War Loan, and that the persons entitled thereto, as a rule widows and children, are not subject to Income Tax, he can see his way to give instructions that that tax shall not be deducted on the interest, and so obviate a number of reclaims by very poor people?

I understand that investment of these funds by the County Court authorities is made through the medium of the Post Office Savings Bank, and that the interest is accordingly paid without deduction of Income Tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that disappointment and dissatisfaction is being expressed by Colonists who came to this country to engage in the War that the money issue of their country is not accepted in payment for goods except at a discount, namely, 1s. 8d. for the 2s. piece; and, having regard to the patriotism shown by the Colonies, will he issue an order that all Colonial money shall be accepted in this country on its face value?

Australian silver brought to this country by persons such as those alluded to in the question can be exchanged by the original owners at its face value through the office of the High Commissioner or the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether banks and brokers are receiving the customary commission on British Treasury Bills and War Saving Certificates operations which are effected through their agency; whether the latter security is free from any liability to Income Tax now, at maturity, and during the intervening period; and, if the answer be in the negative as regards commission in the case of brokers, whether commission is being paid to banks on War Saving Certificates, or Treasury Bills, or on both classes of securities?

No commission is paid in any circumstances on Treasury Bills. A commission is paid to bankers who act as agents for the Post Office in receiving subscriptions for War Savings Certificates. War Savings Certi- ficates are not negotiable and are not capable of being dealt in on the Stock Exchange, and though brokers occasionally apply for such certificates on behalf of their clients it is not possible to make use of the services of brokers as part of the regular machinery of issue. As regards the exemption of interest on War Savings Certificates from Income Tax, I would refer the hon. Member to Section 42 of the Finance Act, 1916.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the number of soiled Treasury notes in circulation in Ireland; and if he will take steps to have them replaced by new ones?

Arrangements are already in existence under which soiled currency notes may be withdrawn from circulation by banks in Ireland and forwarded to the Bank of Ireland for cancellation.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty when he proposes to issue any further Reports of the work of the Royal Naval Air Service, especially in view of the part its aviators are taking in the military operations?

I assume that by "reports" my hon. Friend has in mind, the dispatches received from time to time from senior naval officers afloat and ashore, and published by the Admiralty. These reports cover the whole, area of operations which are the subject of the dispatch, and, as in the case of Admiral Bacon's dispatch published last week, include the work of the Royal Naval Air Service. It is the intention as well as the practice of the Admiralty to continue the publication of such dispatches. In addition to these formal reports the Air Board also issue from time to time communiqués regarding the day to day work of the Royal Naval Air Service based upon material supplied to the Air Board by the Admiralty.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the widows of non-commissioned officers killed in action, or who die from wounds received in action, receive pensions at the rate applicable to the temporary rank their husbands occupied at the time, as is done in the case of commissioned officers; and, if not, whether he will consider the advisability of making the rule apply uniformly to all ranks?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the written answer which I gave on the 31st July to the hon. Member for the Westhoughton Division of Lancashire.

asked whether civil practitioners who were appointed examining medical officers and have been so occupied under strain for a long period are entitled to a holiday; and, if so, if any and what difference in pay and holiday leave there is between practitioners engaged on a whole-time or permanent basis and others whose duties are partial and temporary although remunerated at a fixed daily rate?

Yes, Sir, a holiday might be arranged if the work would be carried on in their absence. I am not aware that there is any difference such as that mentioned in the second part of the question, but perhaps my hon. Friend would let me know more precisely to what different classes of practitioners he refers.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office why, when civil practitioners who are appointed examining medical officers are allowed 40s. a day for a full day's work and lesser amounts for part of a day, there are practitioners in London doing duty from 9.30 to 5 who are still receiving only 24s. a day, being the same rate of pay as that formerly allowed to them when they were doing only four hours daily; and will he take steps to secure more equitable treatment?

The rate of 40s. is a maximum, the actual payments depending upon the number of recruits examined. The 24s. rate is for a period of regular employment. It covers whole-time service. It is not proposed to make any change.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether the bonus given to time-expired soldiers continuing with the Colours is applicable also to Territorials; and, if so, whether he will see that there is no undue delay in granting the bonus to Territorials now serving in India?

Yes, Sir. A communication is being addressed to the India Office.

asked whether any steps have yet been taken to liberate Mr. Walter Robinson from military control, in view of the fact that the Middlesbrough Local Tribunal granted him exemption from military service on condition that he became engaged in work of national importance?

Careful inquiries have been made into this case, and the War Office is informed that no notice was received by the military representative or by the recruiting officer that an application for the variation of Mr. Robinson's non-combatant certificate had been made nor was any notice received that the case would be considered by the tribunal on the 30th June. Mr. Walter Robinson's only effective certificate is therefore a certificate of exemption from combatant service, and he is not entitled to be released from military control. It has, however, been decided, purely as a concession, to release Mr. Walter Robinson from military service conditionally upon his being engaged in work of national importance to the satisfaction of the Committee on Work of National Importance.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he can state the number of persons in holy orders in the United Kingdom who are of military age?

I have no precise information; but according to the Census of 1911 the number of clergymen, priests, and ministers of all denominations under forty-five years of age was 22,320—of these some 17,500 may be estimated to have been between eighteen and forty-one.

asked the Minister of Munitions whether his attention has been called to a statement made by Sir William Clegg at the Sheffield Munitions Court recently that one of his gardeners, who had never seen a shell and had lived in a village all his life, went straight away and got an appointment as a shell inspector; and if he will state what are the grounds for appointing inspectors in this way?

There seems to be a good deal of misunderstanding regarding the denominations of "inspector" and "examiner," it would perhaps be well if a fairly full explanation was given. The staff of the Inspection Department is roughly divided into inspectors and assistant-inspectors in the superior grades and four classes of examiners in the subordinate ones. The subordinate grades might be again sub-divided into upper and lower subordinate, the examiners 1st and 2nd class being in the former, and the 3rd and 4th class and labourers being in the latter grade. Inspectors are made from assistant-inspectors after qualified and good service. Assistant-inspectors are all (with very few exceptions for special work) engineers with good and long experience, and are only appointed after being seen personally, their qualifications very fully considered and their references carefully taken up. The upper subordinates, or 1st and 2nd class examiners, are all skilled mechanics, who are interviewed and their qualification and references looked into. These men pass through a practical test before being engaged; if a man cannot pass the test he is not engaged in either of these two classes. The lower subordinates, or 3rd or 4th class examiners, are all engaged from the Labour Exchanges, and unless they show some knowledge of mechanics' work are started as labourers at 31s. per week of forty-eight hours. This labour may be taken as unskilled when started. After having received some training they are examined, and if considered suitable are turned into 4th class examiners at 34s. per week, and eventually, after further training, if found suitable become 3rd class examiners at 38s. per week. A large number of 4th class examiners are women. From this it will be seen that even though a man be a gardener or anything else there is no good reason why, after training, he should not do exceed- ingly useful and good work, much of which is practically repetition work, more especially when carefully supervised.

asked the Home Secretary why Mrs. Burnyeat, the German-born wife of the late Mr. W. J. D. Burnyeat, formerly Member of Parliament for Whitehaven, has been released from the internment camp at Aylesbury; whether Mrs. Burnyeat is now residing at Harrogate; and whether he is aware that tome of the inhabitants of Harrogate are indignant at the release of this woman of German sentiments and sympathies from internment, seeing that she acted as hostess to a German woman spy, who is now serving a sentence of penal servitude for life?

Mrs. Burnyeat was released temporarily at the end of April when her husband was gravely ill. After his death, in view of the medical evidence as to the state of her health, I decided, with the concurrence of the competent military authority, on whose recommendation she was interned, to allow her to reside at Harrogate under very stringent restrictions. No representations to the effect of the last part of the question have reached me. I am satisfied that the restrictions under which this lady now lives adequately meet the present needs of the case.

asked whether William O'Neill, B/3/37, Irish prisoner at Knutsford, has been released?

Two Irish prisoners of this name were interned. William O'Neill, of Upper Mayor Street, Dublin, was released on the 15th July. The Advisory Committee have recommended to me that William O'Neill, of Great Georges Street, Dublin, should remain interned. '

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the advance in prices of shipping shares on the Stock Exchange; whether he is aware that Furness, Withy shares have advanced from a pre-war price of 25s. 6d. to 54s. at the present time, and that the Prince Line shares have advanced similarly from 21s. to 120s.; and whether, in the public interest and with a view to avoiding speculative financial transactions at the present time, he will say what action he proposes to take?

I am aware that Fur-ness. Withy and Company's ordinary-shares have risen as stated, and that there has been an increase of price of Prince Line shares approximately as stated in the question. I do not consider that I can usefully take action with the object of preventing a rise of price in shipping companies' shares.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the inconvenience which passengers between Bradford and Dewsbury are now suffering owing to the withdrawal of some of their most important train journeys between the two towns mentioned by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company; if he is also aware that the Lancashire and Yorkshire passengers who hold passes and use workmen's and weekly tickets have (in consequence of the changes referred to) frequently to pay full fare to the Great Northern Railway Company in order to travel by their trains and thus avoid unreasonable delay; and if, in these circumstances, he will arrange with the two companies concerned to make the tickets issued to passengers between Bradford and Dewsbury available by either route?

I have asked the railway companies concerned for their observations on this matter, and I will communicate with my hon. Friend upon receipt of their replies.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the scarcity of household coal in Ireland is due to the large export to neutral countries; and, if so, whether, in view of the price and shortage of output, means can and will be adopted to restrict the foreign export and give Ireland the benefit of a supply at a reasonable figure?

Shipments of coal to Ireland appear to have been fairly well maintained as a whole, but local shortages may occur owing to special circumstances. The pithead price should be in accordance with the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act. The export of coal to foreign countries has been restricted, except under licence, for the last twelve months.

asked the President of the I Board of Trade whether the Government are subsidising Dutch butter manufacturers and, if so, to what amount per hundredweight; whether he is aware that dissatisfaction exists amongst Irish butter producers who believe that their contributions in taxes to the British Exchequer are employed to subsidise Dutch trade opponents; and whether he can give an assurance that these subsidies, if existent, will be discontinued?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply returned to the hon. Member for West Cavan on the 12th July.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland), whether he will state the names of the Irish Advisory Committee who supported and endorsed the opinion that Irish hay contains more moisture than English, and in consequence of whose advice the War Office pays a reduced price for Irish hay as compared to English?

The following are the names of the Advisory Committee in connection with the purchase of hay, but I am not aware to what extent they support or endorse the opinion that Irish hay contains more moisture than English. It is a well-known fact that Irish hay cannot be compressed to the same bulk as English hay, and therefore takes up more room in the ship's hold, and is more costly to carry overseas:

• Mr. John Bolger, Ferns.
• Mr. H. T. Barrie, Coleraine.
• Mr. Josiah Cunningham, Belfast.
• Mr. Crichton, Sligo.
• Mr. J. R. Campbell, Department of Agriculture.
• Sir N. T. Everard, H.M.L., Navan.
• Alderman Flanagan, Dublin.
• Mr. Win. McDonald, Cork.
• Mr. Ronaldson, Kildare.
• Mr. J. Willington, Birr.

asked the Home Secretary if his attention has been called to the case of John William Rackley, a boy who has been three times before the magistrates for theft and being beyond control; if he is aware that this boy has been recently detained in a remand home for two weeks and is now back home with his mother; that the mother is a deserted wife who has to work long hours away from home to maintain her children; and that the boy John William is quite beyond her control; and can he take steps to have this boy sent to an industrial school in the interests of both the boy and the State?

I understand that this boy was charged under the Children Act, at the instance of the London County Council, but that the magistrate, in the exercise of his discretion, did not consider that the circumstances warranted committal of this child of eight years old to an industrial school. A child cannot be committed to an industrial school except by order of a magistrate; and the magistrate having decided not to send the child I can take no action in the matter.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he is aware that two steamers from Drogheda laden with live stock on the 15th instant were held up at Birkenhead because of one lamb affected with scab; whether any of the Board's veterin- ary officers were summoned to inspect the lamb; and, if so, did they confirm the report of the English officer?

A communication has been received from the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries to the effect that on the 16th ultimo one sheep was found affected with scab at Birkenhead among a cargo of other sheep which arrived upon that day from Drogheda. The Department are not aware what action the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries took with regard to the incontact sheep, but in accordance with the Order of the Board, it would appear competent for the Board's inspector at the landing place, Birkenhead, to prevent the movement except under licence of such other sheep, as, in his opinion, had been exposed to infection by contact with the diseased or suspected animal or otherwise. The Department's officers were not asked to inspect the sheep at Birkenhead and did not do so.

asked the Comptroller of the Household, as representing the National Health Insurance Commissioners, whether his attention has been directed to the serious dangers to be apprehended from the refusal of sickness benefit to persons suffering from venereal disease; and whether he is prepared to make any recommendation on the subject to approved societies?

I beg to refer the hon. Member to the reply given by me to the hon. Member for Oldham on the 31st July.