asked the Minister of Labour whether he has received any information from the Labour Exchanges throughout the country to the effect that partially-disabled men have in any large numbers refused offers of employment in the belief that the amount of the wages earned by such employment would be deducted from their pensions; and whether he will instruct the managers of Labour Exchanges to explain to all disabled men who seek employment what is their true position with regard to their pensions and any wages they may earn?

A few cases of the kind described have been brought to the notice of my right hon. Friend, but he has no reason to believe that any considerable number of discharged men are refusing offers of employment in the belief that by accepting employment their pensions will be reduced. My right hon. Friend is consulting the Minister of Pensions with regard to the possibility of issuing a leaflet which could be distributed at Employment Exchanges to disabled men.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he is aware that the decision of the Government to impose Summer Time on Ireland this year is regarded as a serious handicap to agriculturists and is causing resentment in Irish rural areas; and if he proposes to take any steps to meet the views of those opposed to the measure?

This matter was dealt with in answer to the hon. Member for East Mayo on the 30th ultimo.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will now state the result of his promised inquiries into the case of Francis Albert John Liverton?

The inquiries are not yet complete. I will communicate with my hon. Friend later.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will reconsider the position of members of the Volunteer Force throughout the country who are requested to undergo seven days' bombing or fourteen days' musketry training at stated centres; and whether, seeing that the only allowances are a free railway pass and billeting, imposing hardship on these men who are anxious to do their duty by their country, that these men are not granted the ordinary Army pay or separation allowances, while both these allowances were granted to the old Volunteers and Territorials in their annual training, that these men, who have provided their own uniforms, do not get any kit allowance to make up for wear and tear while undergoing this special instruction, and that these men are called up under Section A of the Volunteer Act of 1916, and may be mobilised at any moment if the Government considers invasion imminent, this force will receive special consideration?

I assume that my hon. Friend refers to invitations, extended from time to time, to members of Volunteer Corps to undergo special courses of training. Arrangements are made to secure that Volunteers attending such courses are not put to any out-of-pocket expenses, but I am afraid that I cannot guarantee anything further at present. I would remind my hon. Friend that the attendance of Volunteers at these courses is voluntary, whereas in the case of the Territorial Force the attendance was a definite obligation. It has also been arranged that, where Volunteers have provided serviceable uniform clothing at their own personal expense, a certain sum shall be payable to the Volunteer in return for which the uniform will become public property.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the advance of 5s. recently conceded by the Committee on Production covering all workers in engineering works is to be extended to Government employes at Weedon and Aldershot?

This was an award to certain trades, and will be given to those trades at the stations mentioned.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether the question will now be considered of the grant of some maintenance allowance by the Military Service (Civil Liabilities) Committee to wives and dependent mothers of officers who were in receipt of allowances while their husbands and sons were in the ranks and before they were promoted to be officers?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him on the 13th ultimo. The officers referred to are eligible for grants from the Military Service (Civil Liabilities) Committee under the conditions stated in Special Army Order of the 14th March.

asked the Minister of Munitions whether he is aware that, in connection with the repair of property damaged by the recent explosion, local builders engaged on the work are hampered by the fact that they have not yet been paid for work already executed; and whether he will have these claims met promptly or otherwise advance sufficient money to enable the builders to carry on the work?

The Ministry of Munitions are not employing any direct contractors in connection with the repair of property damaged by the recent explosion, and no claims from builders engaged on the work have been brought to my notice. If my hon. Friend will let me have details-of any cases that have been brought to his notice, I will have inquiries made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the statistics-of the German Imperial Patent Office-giving the number of applications for German patents received from Great Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, and Russia in 1915 and 1916; and if he can give the number of applications received from Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Russia, and America for British patents in 1915 and 1916?

I have seen in the Press the statistics to which the hon. Baronet refers The numbers of applications for patents in the United Kingdom received from Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Russia, and the United States of America in 1915 and 1916 were as follows:

	1915.		1916.
Germany	539	…	234
France	471	…	501
Italy	136	…	141
Belgium	41	…	45
Russia	56	…	65
United States of America	1,847	…	2,043

Applications by enemy subjects are allowed to proceed in the usual way down to acceptance, but no patent has been or will be sealed to an enemy subject during the continuance of the War.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he has received the protest of the Carnarvonshire War Executive Committee against the limited powers granted under the Pheasants Order, 1917, to destroy pheasants; and whether, in view of the fact that pheasants destroy the seed immediately it is sown, he can see his way to extend the Order to the end of April and otherwise increase the powers of the tenant in the interest of food production?

The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The President is not at present satisfied that the proposed extension of the Order is necessary in the interest of food production.

asked whether it is proposed to penalise those farmers who have promised to cultivate land and so avoided compulsory orders, but who do not cultivate land in accordance with their undertaking?

The answer is in the-negative, but the Executive Committee can take action to secure the cultivation required.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many ships loaded with fodder and fertilisers have been permitted to proceed to Denmark since the 1st February; how many tons of fodder and fertilisers these ships carried; and how many ships and how many tons of foodstuffs arrived in British ports from Denmark during the same period?

Since 1st February about fifty-six vessels with fodder and four vessels with fertilisers have been granted clearance from Halifax and United Kingdom ports for Denmark; the approximate carrying capacity of the former was 160,000 tons, and of the latter 25,000 tons. Eighteen vessels with foodstuffs have arrived from Denmark with an approximate carrying; capacity of 24,000 tons.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that at least forty persons in county Longford who had been enjoying the old age pension from the start have had questions raised since Christmas by the pensions officers and their pensions struck off by the Local Government Board; whether this activity by the local pensions officers is being exhibited at the instance of the Irish Government or on their own responsibility; and whether he proposes in order to obviate hardship and a sense of injustice by these old people and their friends, he will inform the Local Government Board that they are not to order the pensions to be withdrawn until their own. inspectors inquire into and report upon each case?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. Inquiry is being made into the matter but has not yet been completed. I will acquaint the hon. Member with the facts-as soon as the necessary information has been obtained.