asked the Prime Minister whether, in regard to promotion in? the Civil Service, the claims of senior and meritorious men who, through physical disability or age, are unable to undertake military service or who are serving at home are to be ignored in favour of those Civil servants who are on active service abroad?

The answer is in the negative. On the other hand, the claims to promotion of those serving in the Army or Navy are not to be prejudiced by their absence from their Departments.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if arrangements will be made by which people with small means who are subscribers for war savings certificates can arrange when the books with twelve certificates are filled to have the twelve certificates turned into one certificate, in order to prevent the books with twelve certificates being repayable on twelve separate dates?

The answer is in the negative. I doubt if the suggestion would meet with favour among the holders of war savings certificates, as the convenience of being able at any time to cash one out of a holding of several certificates is greatly appreciated. I would further point out that as certificates are always encashable, the holder can, if he so wishes, cash all the certificates at the same time, although the full five years may not have been completed in the case of all of them, though, of course, in so doing he foregoes some part of the interest.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether it was the intention of the- Government in levying excess profits taxation upon working-class members of co-operative societies that the taxation payable should increase directly as the prices of commodities increase and with the result that the workers are doubly taxed, that is to say, both on the increased cost of living and also on the saving effected by their particular trading method, and that the incidence thereof should fall in such a manner as to make societies liable for taxation even in the event of the rate of dividend distributed being 40 per cent, lower than that paid before the War; whether, having regard to the hardships thus occasioned to the working classes of the country, he will give instructions that the Excess Profits Tax shall not be levied in such cases; and (2) whether he is aware that the Plymouth Co-operative Society, with a membership of 50,000, mainly composed of the working classes, has made great efforts to reduce the price of commodities to their members in order that the increase in the cost of living should be minimised; that they have now received a demand for £14,000 excess war profits for the year ending June, 1915, and appear on this basis to be liable for a further demand of £20,000 for the period ending June, 1916, and that for the year ending June, 1917, upon the distribution of a dividend less than that paid previous to the War this tax will amount to £40,000; and, having regard to the statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer that dividends paid by co-operative societies were of the nature of savings and not profits, he will take the necessary steps to see that the Treasury withdraws this demand?

I am aware that the society mentioned has received a demand as stated for Excess Profits Duty for the year ended 30th June, 1915, and that a liability for the year next ensuing will shortly mature. There is no necessary connection between the prices of commodities and the margin of profit or discount which alone comes within the scope of the Excess Profits Duty. The duty in its application to co-operative societies attaches to the increase in the surplus per member, and that increase, which is not necessarily proportionate to any change in the rate of dividends, affords the truest index of the capacity of a society to make a special contribution to the revenue such as the exigencies of the present time demand.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state for each month since August, 1914, inclusive, the net amounts lent to the Government by

Month.	Post Office Savings Bank Excess of deposits over withdrawals (+) or vice versa (-).		Trustee Savings Banks. Excess of deposits over withdrawals (+) or vice versa (-).		4 Per Cent. Wr Loan (Post Office issue).		Post Office Exchequer Bonds.	War Savings Certificates,	Total for month.
1914.	£		£		£		£	£	£
August	-	3,110,000	-	1,307,000	—		—	—	-	4,417,000
September	+	67,000	+	69,000	—		—	—	-	2,000
October	+	676,000	+	155,000	—		—	—	+	831,000
November	+	445,000	+	792,000	—		—	—	+	1,237,000
December	-	561,000	-	436,000	—		—	—	-	997,000
Add Interest credited to Depositors for year 1914	4,500,000		—		—		—	—	+	4,500,000
1915.
January	+	1,876,000	+	288,000	—		—	—	+	2,164,000
February	+	1,234,000	+	215,000	—		—	—	+	1,449,000
March	+	1,369,000	+	278,000	—		—	—	+	1,647,000
April	+	1,635,000	+	250,000	—		—	—	+	1,885,000
May	+	99,000	+	706,000	—		—	—	+	1,105,000
June	-	1,074,000	-	183,000	4,318,000		—	—	+	3,061,000
July	-	17,335,000	-	1,111,000	30,875,000		—	—	+	11,929,000
August	-	114,000	-	3,923,000	1,87,000		—	—	-	2,167,000
September	+	638,000	+	167,000	1,490,000		—	—	+	2,295,000
October	+	1,245,000	+	255,000	1,169,000		—	—	+	2,669,000
November	+	695,000	+	872,000	622,000		—	—	+	2,189,000
December	+	792,000	-	130,000	117,000		—	—	+	779,000
Add Interest credited to Depositors for year 1915	4,500,000		—		—		—	—	+	4,500,000
1916.
January	-	250,000	+	117,000	-	29,000*	6,100,000	—	+	5,938,000
February	-	231,000	+	22,000	-	22,000*	5,200,000	306,000	+	5,275,000
March	+	228,000	-	26,000	-	25,000*	4,400,000	1,074,000	+	5,651,000
April	+	1,093,000	+	79,000	-	15,000*	3,000,000	725,000	+	4,882,000
May	+	606,000	+	758,000	—		3,400,000	916,000	+	5,680,000
June	+	1,229,000	+	269,000	—		3,100,000	2,691,000†	+	7,289,000†
July	+	530,000	+	94,000	—		2,800,000	9,843,000†	+	13,267,000†
Aggregate	+	1,082,000	-	1,868,000	39,870,000		28,000,000	15,555,000†	£82,639,000†
* Excess of Vouchers cashed.
† If purchases of Certificates of the denomination of £500 are excluded, amounting to £1,194,000 in June, 1916, and £4,300,000 in July, 1916, on the ground that these purchases ought not to be credited to the small investor, the figures would be —

				War Savings Certificates.	Total for Month.
June, 1916	…	…	…	£1,497,000	+£6,095,000
July, 1916	…	…	…	£5,543,000	+£8,976,000
Aggregate	…	…	…	£10,061,000	£77,145,000

The figures asked for are approximately as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he, when collecting Income Tax from the wage earners, is making any allowance for the expenditure on tools that many of these men have to provide themselves with; and, if so, will he state upon what basis the allowance is made?

A deduction is allowed for any payments on account of tools, explosives, and similar expenses incurred exclusively for the purposes of the employment. This is explained on the form which is sent to every wage-earner, and the form included a space in which the wage-earner may give the necessary particulars.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can give any return of the number of weekly wage-earners who have paid, and the total amount received for, Income Tax collectable under Sub-section (3) of Section 28 of the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1915, and the proportion to the total number and amount of the Budget estimate?

I promised my hon. Friend, in reply to his question of 26th June last, to obtain the number of weekly wage-earners who during the quarter con- cluded 5th July, 1916, were in receipt of wages exceeding £2 10s. a week. The Commissioners of Inland Revenue have summarised the statistics available in the various tax districts throughout the country, and these indicate an approximate figure of 1,150,000 such wage-earners in receipt of some £48,000,000 for the quarter, or an average per head of £3 3s. a week. It is, of course, too early to state the amount of Income Tax which will be found to be due for the quarter or the number of wage-earners who will be liable. My hon. Friend will not forget that, in common with other tax payers, the weekly wage-earners are entitled to claim abatement, children's allowance, life insurance, etc.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury when he expects to give a decision on the question of the war bonus for Civil Service assistant clerks; if in making the award the Treasury will take into consideration the varying conditions as regards overtime in the various offices in which assistant clerks are employed?

I am afraid that I cannot name a date when a decision on this question will be announced. The suggestion in the latter part of the question will be borne in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his proposals as regards the withdrawal of the Criminal Law and Procedure (Ireland) Act and martial law in Ireland?[

asked what steps, if any, the Government will take to meet the wishes of the Irish people in their demand for compensation for the dependants of the innocent victims of the shootings during the rising in Ireland?

The applicants for compensation out of public funds to whose appeals the question relates are of large number, and the circumstances of the applications vary considerably. In some instances the facts are known or capable of easy ascertainment; in others, inquiry in Ireland is necessary. I have directed that the necessary inquiries shall be made without delay. Each case will be dealt with upon its own facts. As to the general principle involved, I cannot at present say more than that in every case where there is reasonable ground for payment out of public funds I trust it will be made.

asked the Secretary for the Homo Department whether he can give any reason for the arrest and the deportment to Frongoch of Dr. M'Enright; if he will state the nature of the charge against him; and when he is likely to be released?

The ground for Dr. M'Enright's arrest and internment was that he is of hostile associations and is reasonably suspected of having favoured, promoted or assisted an armed insurrection against His Majesty. As the arrest took place at a comparatively recent date the Advisory Committee have not yet fully dealt with the case, and have not yet made any recommendation. I understand that they intend to consider the case further at a meeting which is likely to be held in about a week.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Advisory Committee has investigated the cases of John Hails and Edward Barrett, both of Ballinadee, county Cork; and, if so, will he say what they have been found guilty of to warrant their further detention?

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the brothers Patrick, Daniel, and Cornelius O'Donoghue, of Ballinadee, county Cork, are still detained in Frongoch; if any charge has been made against them other than that of being members of the local branch of the Irish Volunteers and, if not, why are they further detained; whether he is aware that their detention will cause loss to their mother, who is dependent on them to manage and work a large farm, and that, being also the owners of a steam thrashing machine which cannot be worked without them, the inconvenience to the farmers of the district will be serious; and if he will have these men immediately released or put on their trial before a civil tribunal?

I regret that on the subject of these five cases I have nothing to add to the answer given yesterday to the hon. Member for East Cork.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will consider the advisability of allowing the Irish prisoners a civil trial; if he is aware of the indignation in Ireland and America caused by the detention of the prisoners without trial; if he will state whether the term of imprisonment, four months, which the Irish prisoners have now completed, has been sufficient to meet the charges; and, to satisfy those who desire peace and good will in Ireland, whether he will order a new trial or the immediate release of all the prisoners, including the ladies at Aylesbury?

I regret that I have nothing to add to the answers which I have repeatedly given on this subject.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Government have reconsidered the claims of the Dublin Metropolitan Police for an increase in wages; if he will state the amount of the increase it is proposed to pay, and when it will be paid; if the increase will compare with the increased cost of living; and if it will carry with it pensionable rights?

Applications for increased pay have now been received from the Dublin Metropolitan Police and from the Royal Irish Constabulary. They are the subject of careful consideration. As soon as decisions have been arrived at they will be communicated to the applicants.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that joiners, cabinet-makers, pattern-makers, and other skilled workmen who provide their own tools and who are employed by firms in London manufacturing aeroplanes for the Government are being paid at the rate of 10d. per hour while the standard rate of wage for this class of workman is 1s. 0½d. per hour; whether he will give instructions that the standard rate of wage must be paid to these workmen; and, if not, whether he will give instructions that these workmen shall have their leaving certificates given them if applied for?

The proper procedure for dealing with the matters raised in this question is laid down in the Munitions of War Acts, and in this connection it is understood that the rate of wages of the workmen in question has recently been the subject of arbitration by the beard of Trade, who were unable to accept the contention that firms engaged upon aircraft manufacture should necessarily pay rates of wages that may be agreed upon for the building trades, where many of the conditions of employment are dissimilar, and they were of opinion that the claim for the payment of the minimum rate of wages now made by the unions has not been established.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that Timothy Brosnan, of Castle Gregory, county Kerry, was sentenced by court-martial to five years' penal servitude for merely carrying arms on the 30th April last; that before his trial his solicitor, J. D. O'Connell. Tralee, communicated with the military authorities at Cork and Tralee, requesting to be allowed to appear for him, and that an answer was received from Captain Dickie, intelligence officer, Queenstown, stating that facilities would be given for defence; whether the correspondence with his solicitor was brought before the court-martial or the military authorities in Dublin; and, if so, why the trial of the prisoner was proceeded with in the absence and without the knowledge of his solicitor; and whether, in view of the circumstances of the case, an opportunity will now be given to reopen the case with a view to having the prisoner represented?

Inquiry is being made.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that tribunals have under consideration a number of applications from taxi-cab drivers who are purchasing their cabs on the instalment plan and upon which a balance of the purchase money remains unpaid; that this is urged as a reason why these men should be exempted from military service; that tribunals feel a difficulty in accepting this plea, particularly in cases where the men have been passed for general service and no other consideration arises, but they desire before deciding such cases some indication that hardship will be avoided or mitigated as far as possible; will he say whether the position is one which can be dealt with by the Civil Liabilities Commissioners; and can he arrange for any instructions on this point to be issued for the guidance of the Commissioners and the satisfaction of the tribunals?

I understand that some cases of this kind have come before the tribunals. Assistance may be granted under the Civil Liabilities Scheme in respect of instalments payable for the purchase of taxi-cabs, and Grants have, in fact, been made for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Munitions if it is open to tinplate manufacturers to provide henceforward any tin-plates for biscuit boxes, tobacco tins, oil cans, or other like articles for civilian consumption, or whether their output will be limited to Government orders only?

Owing to the increased demands for certain kinds of munitions some limitation to the general use of tin-plates has become necessary, but it is not possible at present to state in detail what articles for civilian consumption will be affected by the restrictions proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he acknowledges full responsibility for accepting or not accepting the advice of the Advisory Committee on the internment of aliens and naturalised persons; and, seeing that the reference to Mr. Justice Younger's Committee is restricted in its scope, whether he, as Secretary of State, will take into account all the facts of any particular case and form an independent and responsible judgment?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; and the answer to the second part is also in the affirmative, but, of course, I can consider only those facts which are relevant to the question before me, namely, whether or not the particular individual ought to be interned for the purpose of securing the public safety or the defence of the realm.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will, in view of the Summer Time Act, state for public guidance the official designation of the two hours following midnight of the 30th September next?

The three hours following midnight (Summer Time) of the night of 30th September—1st October are included in the Summer Time period. The change does not take place until 3 a.m. Summer Time, or 2 a.m. Greenwich Time, on the 1st October. At that hour the clocks will be put back one hour, so that the period 2–3 a.m. Summer Time will be followed by a period 2–3 a.m. Greenwich Time, and they can readily be distinguished by the addition of the words "Summer Time" or "Greenwich Time," as the case may be.

asked the President of the beard of Trade if he can give an assurance to the House that no enemy alien is allowed to be in possession of a motor car or to retain one at his disposal through a nominee?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. I stated, in answer to a question on 16th March last, that since the beginning of the War no alien enemy has been allowed to be in possession of a motor car except with the written permission of the police; and the general rule, which has been very strictly applied, is that permission is not granted. While I cannot say that no permits at all have been granted by police authorities, the suggestions which have been made that there has been a recent change of practice in this respect, or that permits are freely granted, are quite unfounded. It is not possible to secure that an alien enemy shall never be a passenger in a motor car, but it will be recollected that no alien enemy can travel more than five miles from his place of residence without permission.

asked the President of the beard of Trade whether any hops are being or can be imported now or in the future which had not been paid for or which were not in course of transit before 8th June, 1916.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. and gallant Member for Maidstone on the 16th August.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can state the present prices, as compared with pre-war prices, of bread, meat, boots, clothes, and any other articles of general use and consumption in the various Allied countries and in neutral countries?

The information asked for by my hon. Friend is of a much too detailed character for an oral reply. I shall, however, have pleasure in sending him statistical tables, setting forth the facts so far as they are available.

asked the Postmaster-General if he has received complaints as to the inconvenience of the present closing hours, one to three o'clock, of the post office of Thurso; and whether he can see his way to make the closing hours two to four o'clock?

Complaint has been made from one quarter only that the present hours of closing the Thurso Post Office are inconvenient. The alternative hours suggested would be more inconvenient from the Departmental point of view, and I have reason to believe they would be less acceptable to the public generally.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the War Trade Department of the Foreign Office has made arrangements for the issue of export licences permitting Manchester fabrics, required by English embroidery manufacturers, to be exported to St. Gall, Switzerland, for manipulation and special finish, such licence to be conditional upon the finished piece-goods being returned intact to this country; that the power to refuse the reimportation of these goods rests with the Department of Import Restrictions under the beard of Trade; and whether he will explain why there has been such division of authority?

The answer to the first two paragraphs of this question is in the affirmative, and I may say that the Regulations of the War Trade Department relating to the export of these fabrics are printed on page 21 of the "beard of Trade Journal" of the 6th July. At the end of these Regulations there is a paragraph as follows:

"In the case of the re-import of articles, the import of which into the United Kingdom is prohibited, an import licence must be obtained from the Department of Import Restrictions, 22. Carlisle Piece, London, S.W., and the issue of an export licence by the War Trade Department must not necessarily be taken as an assurance that an import licence will subsequently be allowed by the Department of Import Restrictions."

The Controller of the Department of Import Restrictions stated in a letter of the 24th June last that to enforce rigorously the prohibitions in cases where fabrics are exported under the Regulations would handicap the export trade of this country, and I am informed that the present practice of that Department is to admit as a rule prohibited goods of British origin which have been sent abroad for manipulation and special finish in cases where the British origin can be proved.The division of authority is due to the fact that when it was decided to place restrictions upon the import of goods, it was judged desirable to keep the control in the hands of the beard of Trade.

asked the Comptroller of the Household, as representing the National Health Insurance Commissioners, whether he will give the number of persons receiving old age pensions in the County of Nottingham, in the borough of Nottingham, in the County of Derby, and in the borough of Derby, respectively, on 31st March, 1913, 1914, 1915, and 1916?

The number of old age pensions payable in the county boroughs and administrative counties of Nottingham and Derby on the last Friday in March, 1913, 1914, 1915, and 1916 was as follows:

	1913.	1914.	1915.	1916.
County Borough of Nottingham	4,592	4,685	4,845	4,957
Administrative County of Nottingham	6,551	6,720	6,832	6,833
County Borough of Derby	2,006	2,050	2,117	2,107
Administrative County of Derby	8,818	9,034	9,102	9,072