asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that the revenue of ecclesiastical corporations, such as capitular bodies, is disbursed in the form of stipends to holders of offices attached to the corporations, and that such stipends are treated as earned income, he will arrange that the payment of Income Tax on their revenue may be paid in two instalments under Section 33 of the Finance Act, 1915, so that the receivers of the official stipends should not have to pay Income Tax six months earlier than other taxpayers in like circumstances?

The holders of offices attached to the corporations in question, who receive stipends out of income which is taxed at the source, bear the Income Tax appropriate to their stipends periodically by deduction from the payments which they receive. There is, therefore, no ground for an extension of the provisions of Section 33 of the Finance Act, 1915, to include these cases.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the hardship caused by the limitation of the relief given by Section 33 of the Finance Act (No. 2), 1915, to Schedules B, D, and E, with reference to the payment of Income Tax in two instalments; whether he is aware that the exclusion of Schedule A from this relief presses specially hardly on all the beneficed clergy with regard to tithe-rent charge and also with regard to their official residences, although these residences form part of their official emoluments and are charged for Income Tax at the earned rate; and whether he can hold out any hope of remedying this grievance?

For reasons which I have indicated in Debate, I am unable at present to propose any extension of the statutory provisions governing the payment of Income Tax in two instalments. With regard to the particular case of clergymen whose income is mainly derived from tithe, the Board of Inland Revenue are always ready—in accordance with a long-standing practice—to consider applications for a reasonable extension of the time for payment where it is found difficult to pay the Income Tax at the time prescribed by law.

asked the Secretary of State for War when the pension officers of their respective districts investigated the cases of Private J. Clarke, 14th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, Private Martin Jordan, No. 6257, B Company. 4th Battalion Connaught Rangers, and Private Drummer Michael Moloney, No. 43223, Royal Field Artillery, with a view to their dependants in Ireland receiving the separation allowance, to which they are entitled; have the dependants of these soldiers yet received any separation allowances; and, if not, who is responsible for the delay; and is he aware that Drummer M. Moloney, on 24th March, 1916, made an allotment of 6d. per day to his mother which has not yet reached her?

In the case of Private Clarke, the local pension authorities disagreed as to the degree of dependence. The matter was accordingly referred to the Appeals Committee for decision, and meanwhile payment of the allowance is being made at the lower rate. Into the cases of Privates Jordan and Moloney, inquiries are being made, and I will let the hon. Member know of their result.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether Irishmen on joining the Army in England are informed that it is necessary to make claims in writing on a prescribed form and within a prescribed time for separation allowances for their dependants; and, if not, will he have an order issued that recruits shall be so informed in future and that, in the cases of those who have already enlisted and who, through ignorance of the Regulations, have not complied with them, the claims of dependants will be received and considered after the prescribed time?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, but I may say that in any case where it appears that a claim was not made within the prescribed time owing to a genuine misunderstanding or for some special reason it is the practice of the War Office to admit a claim for investigation.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware of the delay in the issue of many separation allowances owing to the impossibility which some of the paymasters find of coping with the number of enlistments; and whether he can see his way to take steps to improve the organisation so as to facilitate the payment of separation allowances with greater promptitude?

I have heard of delay in some cases, but it has been due to delay in furnishing the pay offices with the necessary particulars, not to their inability to cope with the work. I am afraid it is impossible to entirely avoid occasional delays at the time of large influxes, but steps are being taken which it is hoped will reduce them to a minimum.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the pay of Major Sir Francis Vane for April and May has been withheld in spite of his dangerous service in the rebellion?

This has now been adjusted. A small sum is for the present withheld in connection with a claim against this officer, which is still under consideration.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that Messrs. Nutting and Company, contractors, who are doing work for the War Office, refuse to pay the men in their employment at the proper rate for the overtime they work, the overtime worked being three hours per day; and whether he will take steps to compel this firm to pay for overtime worked at the proper rate, and also arrears of pay for all overtime worked for which the overtime rate has not been paid?

No complaint of the character referred to has been received by the War Office. Inquiry is being made into the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for War why farmers who had no hay on their own land and had to buy meadowing to cut and save for the purpose of having hay to feed their cattle in the winter will not be allowed by the military authorities to remove it from the land when it is suitable for military purposes; if he is aware that the result will be that they will have no hay for their cattle in the winter; and if he will take steps to see that farmers will be allowed to keep hay for their own requirements?

The farmers referred to in this question are in the same category as producers, and the hay they make will be treated in exactly the same way as the hay made by the farmer who has hay on his own land—that is to say, hay required by them for the use of their own stock will not be taken from them for the use of the War Department.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether Irish migratory labourers or other Irishmen who enlist in England are allowed to join Irish regiments if they so desire?

Yes, Sir. Instructions have been issued that any man of Irish nationality who wishes to join an Irish regiment is to be sent, if passed fit for general service, to Ireland to the depot of the regiment he wishes to join.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that Private Neil M'Millan, No. 3785, No. 7 Platoon, B Company, of the Glasgow Highlanders, is only 16¾ years of age, yet has been in the trenches in France; that the birth certificate of this boy was sent in a registered letter on 12th July to the officer commanding; that a further registered letter was sent on 27th July, and that the return of this soldier is still delayed or refused; and, if so, will he see that promises made in the House regarding such lads are adhered to by his Departments?

Orders were issued on the 8th instant to the division to which this man belongs to send him to the base for return to England.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been directed to the case of Private Evan Morgan Jones, No. 4442, 3/7th Battalion, B Company, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who was given non-combatant service by the Festiniog Local Tribunal; whether he is aware that the military representative raised no objection to this course being followed and did not appeal from the decision, but that the recruiting officers, ignoring the decision of the tribunal, have sent Private Jones to combatant service; and whether they were authorised in setting aside and ignoring the decision of the tribunal?

My right hon. Friend, the President of the Local Government Board has asked me to answer this question. I can only say to-day that inquiry is being made. When the result is received, a statement will be sent, with my hon. Friend's permission, to him by letter.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that the Irish Censor failed to notify newspaper proprietors of the decision to prevent newspapers being sent to America, and that in consequence considerable loss was sustained in newspapers and stamps; whether compensation will be given for such losses; and whether the British Censor has decided to prevent British newspapers from being sent to the United States?

Newspaper proprietors in Ireland were notified in the same manner as newspaper proprietors in the rest of the United Kingdom of the intention to exercise stricter control over the dispatch of printed matter to certain parts of America. The notification was made through the Press Bureau, which is the best medium available for such announcements. Neither the published notice nor any individual communication from this Department contains anything to justify the assumption that it has been decided to prevent newspapers being sent to America, either from Ireland or from Great Britain. Whenever it is decided to stop the export of any particular periodical, wherever published, the proprietors are informed by letter of the decision.

asked the Home Secretary what are the recommendations of the Advisory Committee with reference to J. E. Lyons, of Portland Place, Dublin; if he is aware that the only charge that could be made against this man was that he was secretary of the Irish financial relations committee; if he is aware that this committee was formed for the purpose of safeguarding Ireland from over-taxation; if he will say whether it is a crime to be a member of the said committee; if he will say what were the other charges against J. E. Lyons; when he is likely to be released; and if he will be allowed a civil trial?

The Advisory Committee, after personally examining J. E. Lyons, have recommended his continued detention. The order for his internment was made on the ground that he is of hostile associations and a member of an organisation called the Irish Volunteers or of an organisation called the Citizen Army, which have promoted armed insurrection against His Majesty, and is reasonably suspected of having favoured, promoted or assisted in an armed insurrection against His Majesty. As regards the last part of the question I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member on the 2nd of August.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the decision of the Advisory Committee is final in the cases of Irish prisoners; if he will say to what tribunal fresh evidence in support of the release of the prisoners should be presented; and if he will cause a new Committee to be set up to hear appeals and consider new evidence on their behalf?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. The Committee is advisory, and the responsibility for the decision is mine. The Committee, however, made their recommendations after carefully considering all the evidence in each ease, and I cannot undertake to reopen any of the cases at the present time. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will call for and cause to be published a full report into and how Constable Frith met his death in Dublin in Easter week; if a court-martial will be held into the conduct of the officer in charge of the district during the rising in which Shore Street station is situate; and if he will cause the Report to be attached to the one made by Sir John Maxwell on the Dublin disturbances?

My reply to the hon. Member's question of Wednesday last contains all that can definitely be concluded as to the circumstances attending the death of Constable Frith. I am informed that although the military were firing at Store Street barracks at the time there were also rebel snipers in the vicinity. It does not appear that the case is one capable of useful investigation by court-martial.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will state the name, salary, and emoluments of the King's High Planner; whether his services have been applied for in connection with the rebuilding of the ruined area in Dublin, and by whom; if he is to cross to Dublin to advise; and by whose authority?

The Prime Minister has requested me to reply to this question. I have been asked whether the services of Mr. Raymond Unwin, the Chief Town Planning Inspector of my Department, could be lent for the purpose of advising the Dublin Corporation in connection with the rebuilding of parts of the city, and I stated that I would gladly comply with a request of this nature. Mr. Unwin's salary is £900 per annum, and he is repaid the actual cost of locomotion. He also receives £1 a night when absent from home on duty. If Mr. Unwin is to advise he will, of course, have to go to Dublin, and he will do so by my authority and at the request of the Dublin Corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the captain of the Dublin Fire Brigade having been induced to state that the fire brigade were shot at by the rebels when trying to subdue conflagration, the military refused to allow a denial of this allegation to be published by the lieutenant of the fire brigade which was in print in the "Dublin Evening Herald"; and whether, as histories of the rebellion are now appearing, the Censor's objection to the contradiction will be with drawn?

I am informed that no applications for publication of any statement relative to the matter referred to has reached the military authorities, and that no order against publication has been issued.

asked the Secretary of State for War what provision is made for medical attendance to the workers in munitions factories and industrial establishments in connection therewith; and whether this service is prejudiced by the demands now made upon the Royal Army Medical Corps in connection with the recent heavy casualties on the Continent?

Every effort is made to provide suitable medical and nursing services in munition factories, so far as may be necessary. Special arrangements are made with regard to workers in explosive and filling factories and for those engaged in other dangerous occupations. In connection with these, further steps are at present under consideration. It is obvious that the means for obtaining these services are affected by the demands for medical services on the part of the military and naval authorities and of the civilian population.

asked the Home Secretary whether annual leave will be granted to the members of the Metropolitan Police who have rejoined the force and have now completed two years of service?

The answer is in the affirmative.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to the evidence given by Mr. A. A. Cowan before the Committee on edible and oil-producing nuts and seeds to the effect that the volume of trade in palm kernels would suffer very seriously if the duty on spirits were made prohibitive or the sale of spirits prevented altogether; and what steps the Government are prepared to take to encourage the production of palm kernels by steps less questionable than the exchange of that article for gin and other strong spirits?

Yes, Sir. I have seen Mr. Cowan's evidence, which can only be regarded as giving his personal opinion, and is by no means shared by every merchant trading in West Africa. The Government does not propose to take any special steps in the matter, but I would call the hon. Member's attention to the fact that the duties on trade spirits in Nigeria have within the last few years been raised successively from 5s. 6d. to 6s. 3d., 7s. 6d., and now to 8s. 9d. per gallon.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will state what was the average amount earned per week by bricklayers' assistants in the London district, the Glasgow district, and the Manchester district, respectively, during the past month; and (2) if he will state the rate of wages paid during the past month to bricklayers' assistants in the London district, the Glasgow district, and the Manchester district, respectively; how many hours per day and per week was the normal number of hours worked by them; what was the rate of wages paid for overtime; were a large number of such bricklayers' assistants youths under twenty years of age; and will he say whether a bricklayers' assistant who does temporarily the work of a bricklayer gets any and, if so, what increased rate of wages?

The Board of Trade do not obtain monthly information as to the average earnings of bricklayers' assistants. So far as the information is available, the ordinary hourly rates of wages, the overtime rates, and the number of hours constituting a full ordinary day or week in summer (exclusive of mealtimes and overtime) appear to be those given in the accompanying table for the districts referred to. No information is available as to the numbers of such men who are under twenty years of age at the present time, or as to the rates of pay of assistants who may be temporarily employed as bricklayers.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the total import of embroideries from all sources to this country was in 1913, approximately, £3,250,000; in 1914, £2,500,000; and in 1915, £3,000,000, and that 95 per cent, at least of each of these totals was exported from the contiguous districts of the Voralberg, Austria; St. Gall, Switzerland; Plauen, Germany, which three districts have in all 30,000 embroidery machines; and, if so, what encouragement, if any, he is prepared to offer to English manufacturers, who, in the Nottingham districts, possess only 300 machines, to put down the plants of machinery necessary to produce this embroidery at home; and whether he is aware that the establishment of this industry in the United Kingdom would enable the lace and embroidery trades to absorb at the end of hostilities the large number of lace workers now serving with the Colours, or otherwise rendering service to the State, many of whom will be without employment?

I am aware that the values of imported embroidery were substantially as stated in the question, but I have no information as to the comparative number of embroidering machines in the United Kingdom and on the Continent. As regards the remaining part of the question, I cannot make any statement as to the course to be followed in regard to a particular industry pending consideration of the general policy to be adopted by His Majesty's Government after the War.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider the advisability of having a fixed premium covering all risk from hostile attack, whether from the sea or air, so that owners of property on the East Coast may no longer be compelled, merely in consequence of their geographical position, to pay an extra premium as compared with owners of other property; whether the present rate of insurance against damage from the air is ample to cover all war risks; and whether arrangements can be made for these policies to be renewable quarterly at a proportionate premium, failing which will he announce that in the event of the risk ceasing during the currency of a yearly premium a proportionate return of premium will be made?

The Prime Minister has asked me to answer this question. I fear it would not be possible to abolish the distinction between the two kinds of policies provided by the Government scheme, or to say with any confidence at this stage whether a lower rate would or would not cover all risks. I am advised that the issue of quarterly policies, except as provided in the scheme, would be open to serious practical objections, and that it would not be possible now to give any undertaking as to return of premium.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any ships are being built in this country for Sweden; and, if so, how many?

The Board of Trade have no record of any ship being built in the United Kingdom at the present time for Swedish owners.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state what was, during the past month, the rate of wages paid to colliers in the South Wales steam coalfields, the average amount earned by such colliers per week, and the average number of hours worked by such colliers per diem?

The Board of Trade do not obtain monthly returns of the earnings of colliers. The Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1908, provided that a workman shall not be below ground for the purpose of his work, and of going to and from his work, for more than eight hours during any consecutive twenty-four hours. By an agreement between the employers and workpeople, the hours of labour authorised by this Act were adopted in the South Wales and Monmouthshire pits from 1st July, 1909.

asked the Secretary to the Board of Trade what were the exact quantities of wool shipped from Australia and South America, respectively, to Italian ports in 1912, 1913, 1914 and 1915; has any portion of the shipments of wool to Italy in 1914 and 1915 found its way to Germany through Switzerland; and, if so, what steps are being taken by the Allied Governments, including Italy, to prevent Germany from obtaining wool in this manner?

With regard to the first part of the question, the following is a summary statement of the information at present available:

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether or not the Prize Courts have condemned goods on the sole ground that they are enemy property?

I am informed that about £3,000,000 or £4,000,000 worth of enemy goods were condemned soon after the outbreak of war.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state in how many cases mails on board neutral vessels have been destroyed by German naval operations; and, in view of the neutarl protests which have been made against our operations in delaying the delivery of mails, whether he can acquaint the House of any protests against the enemy's destruction of mails?

A list of thirteen mail-boats destroyed by the German was given in the Allied Note to neutral Governments presented and published early this year. I will have this list inserted in the OFFICIAL REPORT. Since then several more steamers, such as the "Tubantia," the "Berkel-stroom" (both Dutch), the "Hudiksvall" (Swedish), and others with mails on board, have been torpedoed by German submarines. I cannot say what protests have been made by neutral Governments to the German Government on this subject, but the Norwegian Government certainly protested to them on one occasion in regard to seizures of mail. The German Govern- ment replied to this protest by a statement that the 11th Hague Convention of 1907 was not binding on the belligerents in the present War.The list referred to is as follows:

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state the amount of money in the Irish Post Office Savings Bank and the rate of interest paid thereon?

It is estimated that the balance due to depositors in the Post Office Savings Banks in Ireland on the 30th June, 1916, was £11,500,000. The rate of interest is 2½ per cent.

asked the, Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) when he will distribute the residue of the loan funds which is now lying on deposit to the investors who may be entitled to the same?

It is presumed that this question refers to the cases of those loan fund societies in Ireland which have for some time been in the hands of receivers. In the case of five of these societies steps are being taken by the Department to wind them up, and as soon as the amount of the, costs of so doing has been ascer-

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that the Steyning Guardians have been detaining in the workhouse for several months a married woman, who is able to earn her own living and is desirous of being discharged, because her husband is an inmate of the workhouse infirmary, and that the married woman complained to the Local Government Board of her detention and received the reply that the question of her detention was in the discretion of the guardians; if he will say whether before the letter was written the Local Government Board had consulted their legal adviser; and, if not, will the Local Government Board consult him?

There has been some misunderstanding with regard to this case which I am taking steps to correct. Where any member of a family requires relief on account of sickness, accident, or bodily or mental infirmity, the form of relief is with- in the discretion of the guardians, but I am advised that, except perhaps in some exceptional cases, the guardians are not empowered to prevent a woman taking her discharge from the workhouse without her husband or even, as in this case, against his wish.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the morning Irish mail is sent direct from Euston Station to the south-western district post-office; and whether correspondence for the House of Commons can be specially labelled so that it could be dealt with by the House of Commons post office staff direct, as is done in the case of the evening Irish mail?

Arrangements have been made which will meet the suggestions of the hon. Member.