asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state the number of British male subjects of military age now in Italy; and whether they are being asked for in order that they may serve in the British Army?

The answer to both parts of the question is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Italians of military age are in this country; and whether these Italians are being sent back to Italy for military service?

The figures asked for in the first part of the question are not available. The answer to the second part is in the negative.

Why are the figures not available if a census has been taken in London of aliens of military age? Why cannot it be communicated to the House?

I can only say that we have not got it at the Home Department.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that a strong feeling exists in this country because these men of military age are taking the positions of Britishers who are sent to the front?

That does not arise.

May I ask whether some steps will be taken to obtain the information referred to in the first part of my question, as there is a great deal of public interest taken in the matter?

I shall be ready to give the matter further consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that in July, 1916, M. Montet, a French deputy and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, came to London to make known to the Home Secretary the conclusions which the French Government and Parliament had reached concerning friendly aliens; and whether any record of M. Montet's interview with the Home Secretary is available for consideration at the present time?

I understand that the late Home Secretary saw Monsieur Montet when he was in London last summer, but I have no record of what passed at the interview.

Will the hon. Gentleman take the opportunity to consult the late Home Secretary, and ask him to furnish some account of this very important interview?

I will bring my hon. Friend's desire before my right hon. Friend.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that a number of Russians, having applied some months ago for naturalisation, and being refused or delayed a response to their desire to become British subjects, have, as a result, hesitated to join the British Army; whether all applications for British citizenship from friendly aliens of military age will now be considered, with a view to early naturalisation whenever the legal conditions permit; and whether for poor aliens a reduction of the naturalisation fee or deferred or instalment payments will be favourably considered?

I have no information to the effect of the first part of the question. As regards the rest of the question, I can only say that the special arrangements, including the remission of the naturalisation fee, made by the late Home Secretary in favour of friendly aliens who joined the British Forces, are still open to those who are disposed to avail themselves of them.

Will the £5, I think it is, required for the naturalisation fee be entirely remitted to those men who join the British Army?

I think that is so.

asked the Home Secretary if he can give precise information as to the future use of Dartmoor Prison; and whether it is intended that conscientious objectors now in the work centre will be transferred to Dartmoor, or whether the men known as absolutists now in His Majesty's prisons are to be transferred?

The arrangement applies only to men who have been offered work under civilian control in lieu of military service, and have accepted it. Men who have refused the offer do not come within the scheme.

What is proposed to be done with the men who refuse to offer?

Are further alterations and requirements necessary before those proposals are put into operation?

That is anew question.

asked the Home Secretary if he will state the regulations respecting letters to prisoners undergoing sentence of imprisonment in. His Majesty's gaols; whether there is any difference with regard to long-sentence men as compared with those serving shorter sentences; whether, in cases where friends are unable to visit prisoners, there is any latitude with regard to correspondence; and are the same rules applicable in these respects to conscientious objecttors as applied to other prisoners?

Subject to industry and good conduct in prison, prisoners serving ordinary sentences of imprisonment, with or without hard labour, are allowed a letter and a visit at the end of two months from conviction, and monthly thereafter. When a visit cannot take place, an additional letter is allowed instead. The same rules apply to those prisoners who claim to be conscientious objectors as apply to other convicted prisoners.

asked the Home Secretary what is the scale of rations to be supplied to the conscientious objectors at Princetown, Devon?

The Home Office Committee is in communication with the Food Controller in this matter, but the scale is not yet finally settled.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the scale which has been foreshadowed is above that which the general public are expected to use, and while there is no desire to penalise these men, we object to them being treated differently from the general public?

They will not have any treatment better than the general public, my hon. Friend may rest assured of that.

asked the President of the Board of Education if, in view of the situation caused by the shortage of teachers, he will endeavour to secure the return to their profession of fully qualified teachers, many of them university men, who have been declared by the central tribunal to be genuine conscientious objectors, who are now uselessly employed under the Home Office scheme or kept in prison?

I do not think it would be in the interests of education that I should act on the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the President of the Board of Education if, in view of the fact that teachers in the Army classified in categories below B 1 are to be returned to their professional work, he will stop the calling into the Army of D. F. Griffiths, of Llanelly, who is classed C 3, and whose services the education committee are willing to retain?

I have no power to prevent the calling up of this man, and in view of the decision of the Central Tribunal in the case, it would not be proper for me to intervene.

If the hon. Member will give me the numbers and the regiments of Major and Curtiss, and, if possible, their present whereabouts, I will have inquiries made, and inform him of the result.

asked the Under-Secretary for War whether he will consider the advisability of advising the Central Tribunal to consider as an alternative to prison for conscientious objectors deemed to be genuine those who express willingness to serve with the Friends' ambulance unit, and who are acceptable to that organisation; and whether he will take steps to make use of the willing services of these men rather than send them to prison when not prepared to undertake work under the Home Office scheme?

I should be glad if my hon. Friend would postpone this question until next week, as there are other Departments concerned in the matter.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Shipping Controller whether, in view of the proposal to transport or deport Russian subjects of military age now in this country and in France to Russia, he has made an estimate of the tonnage and cost involved in shipping 40,000 men from this country and France to Archangel; if so, whether he can state the requisite shipping and cost; and whether shipping is being held in readiness for this purpose immediately on the occasion arising?

The hon. Gentleman's question is a hypothetical one, and I do not propose to employ time, therefore, in framing the estimates for which he asks.

Does that mean that the Government never make any estimate for events which will probably arise at an early date?

It does not mean that; it merely means that this is not a time to employ the time of overworked officials in framing replies to hypothetical questions.

asked the Prime Minister what guarantee is now being given to Irish workers, skilled and unskilled, respectively, induced by the offer of high wages to come to this country, that they will not be forced into the Army when here; through what channel is the guarantee conveyed to the men; whether it is retrospective; and why it does not extend to the case of James Bray, an Irish carpenter, so induced to come to this country, who worked at military buildings while here, and yet has been forced into the Army and is now, as No. 8384, Reserve Battalion, 18th County of London Regiment, undergoing punishment for refusing to obey military orders?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. I would refer the hon. Member to the answers given on February 14th and yesterday to the hon. Member for Dublin Harbour. The hon. Member was informed on the 22nd February that Bray was arrested by the civil police on their own initiative and was found to be liable for military service by a Civil Court. An invitation has already been given to both hon. Members to supply further particulars of this case, when further inquiries will be made.

The hon. Gentleman has omitted to answer the earlier part of the question, namely, what guarantee is now being given to Irish workers, skilled and unskilled, respectively, to induce them to come to this country, that they will not be forced into the Army when they come?

I do not know of any such guarantee being given to anybody. If an Irishman conies across to this country he may be arrested by the military if it is assumed that he is ordinarily resident in this country.

The hon. Gentleman very courteously gave me notice of this case the other day. [HON. MEMBERS: "Speak up!"] Will he kindly tell me what has become of Mr. Bray?

I cannot answer offhand. I gave a very full answer to the hon. Member for the Dublin Harbour Division (Mr. Byrne) yesterday.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware of the effect which the answer he has just given will have upon the demands which are now being made for Irish labourers to come to this country to engage in war work; and is it not a fact that the present Secretary of State for the Colonies, in reply to a question put by me to him, said that if they came to this country for such service they need not fear being compelled to undertake military service?

That is perfectly true. The War Office acts entirely in accordance with the Act.

Are we in Ireland to take it that men induced by the Government to come to this country to work in any capacity, skilled or unskilled, are not safe from Conscription?

The hon. Member has me at a disadvantage. I know of no such guarantee having been given by the Government.

Then, if they come, they must come at their own risk?

Was the answer given a minute ago on the question of Irish labourers quite a settled answer, or is there not some confusion which perhaps might be cleared up before the House meets again? I would ask the Under-Secretary for War to consider the matter between now and Monday.

I am grateful to my hon. and learned Friend for giving me the opportunity of making clear what is the exact position. Men who come from Ireland for national service are afforded protection from the Military Service Acts, and this protection will be accorded to them.

Through what channel is this information conveyed to the people in Ireland?

Are we to understand that the statement of my hon. Friend is a pledge?

It is a pledge.

Of the same value as the rest?

Through what channel is that information conveyed to the people in Ireland?

That guarantee is given by those who recruit them.

Is the hon. Gentleman not aware that a number of guarantees have been given by people who recruited which were disregarded? What guarantee have these people that the guarantees will be observed?

Is not this the position, that if men are sent from Ireland through Labour Exchanges to this country to work in a munitions factory or at work of national importance they are guaranteed that they will not be called up under the Military Service Acts as long as they remain in that employment, but if that employment ceases and they are transferred to other work of national importance by a Labour Exchange that guarantee still holds good?

I think that my hon. Friend is correct in his statement.

Are we to understand that if men are induced to come from Ireland to this country to one particular work they are safe while there, but if transferred to any other work they are conscripted?

No. The hon. Member is quite wrong in his assumption. So long as they perform work of national importance they are exempted.

Was not the work of a carpenter engaged on a munitions building a work of National Service, and, that being so, will he explain why James Bray is now being punished for refusing to become a soldier?

I have already answered that question very fully.

Do these men from Ireland, who are working for a Department in this country, require a domicile or residence? HON. MEMBERS: "No!"] If that is not so, what time will they have during which they will be allowed to move about this country before they can return to Ireland and become free from Conscription?

They would not be liable in any case.

asked the Under-Secretary for War whether any members of the Staff serving at home have not yet seen active service in this War; if so, how many of these are so placed; will he say that such men are more able and suited for Staff work than men who have been engaged for months or years at any of the fronts; and see that some other plan is followed in future?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister when he was Secretary of State, on 27th November, to the hon. Member for Derby. It would entail much work to give any accurate information on this point. Some members of the Staff at home have not seen active service, through no fault of their own. Others are not physically fit for active service; others have seen active service. But I would remind my hon. Friend that it is not always the case that mere experience of active service fits an officer for Staff work.

asked the Under-Secretary for War whether he is aware that the 30th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, is made up of sons of Germans and Austrian parents, naturalised and unnaturalised, to whom the assurances were given that this battalion should be retained for Home defence, and that these men would not be brought into the field abroad where they would have to fight their own kith and kin; and whether he can assure the House that men of this battalion have not been, and will not be, sent abroad?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Blackburn on the 5th instant. This unit is not a combatant unit. I know of no promise that it should not be employed for labour in France.

Is it a fact that it is under orders to go to the front?

I believe it is not under orders as a battalion.

Will the hon. Gentleman inquire whether the men of the regiment were under the strong impression that they would not go to France, and whether they are under a correspondingly strong sense of injustice that they are being sent to France?

asked the Under-Secretary for War whether majors in the reserve of officers appointed tempoary lieutenant-colonels to command Service battalions in August, 1915, have been, as a class, made junior in rank to all substantive lieutenant-colonels who have been appointed to command Regular battalions several months afterwards; and, if so, will he give the date and substance of that Order?

My hon. Friend is under a misapprehension. Early in the War an Army Order was published laying down that temporary rank below that of colonel took the same precedence as corresponding substantive rank, so that the officers from the reserve of officers to whom my hon. Friend refers are senior to any officers appointed lieutenant-colonels after them.

asked the Under-Secretary for War if he is aware that when commissioned officers in the Territorial Force on returning from the front on sick leave report themselves off the sick list, and if the War Office cannot find them a post, they receive no pay, whereas commissioned officers of the Regular Army reporting themselves under exactly the same conditions receive half-pay; and whether he will take measures for placing both classes of officers on the same footing?

The question is under consideration.

asked the Under-Secretary for War it his attention has been called to the case of R. L. Stevenson, of Thorp Farm, Hawksworth, a dairy farm of 137 acres, 10 of which are arable, who has been called up for military service and ordered to join on 9th March; is he aware that Stevenson's brother is in the Army and that his father has been certified by the doctor to be unfit to manage a small farm some miles distant from the one in the occupation of R. L. Stevenson; and that the only help on the farm, which carries 45 head of cattle and 59 sheep and produces 100 gallons of milk per day, is given by the sister of the tenant and two youths of seventeen and fifteen years of age; and will immediate consideration be given so that this farm will not have to be given up?

asked the Under-Secretary for War if he is aware that Private W. H. Ingram, No. 13627, who joined the Army in September, 1914, as a volunteer, is the secretary of Strabane Union and secretary of Strabane District Council and No. 2 District Council of Donegal; that, on representation being made to the War Office, this man was transferred to the reserve battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, at Finner Camp, from which he was enabled to attend periodically to his duties as clerk, but that lately he has been ordered to rejoin his battalion at a time when these public bodies have food schemes on hand at the request of the Department of Agriculture in connection with their small holdings and labourers cottages, necessitating the spending of large sums of money in the distribution of seeds and manures which no other person can understand or attend to but their clerk; and, under these circumstances, will the War Office order the return of this man to his duties as clerk, his only other available brother being in the Army also?

Inquiries are being made, and my hon. Friends will be informed of the result as soon as possible.

(by Private Notice) asked the Minister of Munitions whether he is aware that, in consequence of blast furnace men working at the Stanton Ironworks, Bulwell, and at other blast furnaces in the Nottingham and district area, not being in possession of badges or other certificates of exemption from military service, the military authorities are threatening to call them up for military service; and whether ho intends taking any action in the matter?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. The Ministry of Munitions has received no information bearing out the suggestion contained in my hon. Friend's question, but immediate inquiries are being made. Under the present arrangement with the War Office, blast furnace men are not to be recruited for military service.