asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, seeing that aircraft is established as an essential arm, he will consider some method of relieving pioneer aircraft firms (i.e., firms building before the War) from the payment of the Excess Profits Tax under the Munitions and Finance Acts?

I can add nothing to the reply I gave on 24th April to a question asked by the hon. Member for North Kensington, of which I am sending the hon. Baronet a copy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that married Civil servants serving with the Forces are deterred from accepting commissions because by so doing their families would be left without adequate means of support, he will give an undertaking that, in the event of separation allowances being granted to junior officers, such allowances will not, in the case of Civil servants, be deducted from their civil pay?

I cannot undertake to answer a purely hypothetical question.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Musician A. Child, of the West Kent Regiment, now in Wandsworth Prison, enlisted on the 18th March, 1904, for twelve years, to be extended to thirteen years in the event of war, which period expired on the 18th March, 1917; whether Child asked then for his discharge and was refused; whether he is aware that Child became a conscientious objector to killing his fellow men in 1908, but felt his oath of allegiance was binding in the sight of God until he had fulfilled his period of enlistment; whether he is aware that Child refused to obey orders on the 18th March, when his time had expired and was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment, one year remitted, by district court-martial for insubordination; and whether, in the circumstances, he will direct the Central Tribunal to examine into the case of this man, with a view to his release to work under the Home Office Committee?

No record of any court-martial on this man has been received. The case would appear to be one which has been dealt with under the Army Order of 25th May last year, and his appearance before the Central Tribunal would therefore be a matter of routine.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he has received several representations from and on behalf of country blacksmiths who are being called up for military service, but whose retention in agricultural districts for the shoeing of horses and the repair of agricultural implements is desired in the interest of food production; and what action he has taken or proposes to take in the matter?

Yes, Sir. Representations have been received by the Board on this subject, and they have taken the action described in the circular letter, of which I am sending you a copy

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Rene Keller, of 12, Little Goodge Street, London, W. 1, has been in this country for years before August, 1914, that he holds Identity Book 178,547 that he offered to serve in the British Army and was accepted for possible service in the Army Service Corps, and that on 21st April he received a letter from Major T. Daw, of the Central London Recruiting Depot, stating curtly that he could not be accepted in the British Army; and whether, in view of the desirability of enlisting friendly aliens to fight in our ranks, he will give instructions that such treatment towards friendly aliens shall cease?

Rene Keller is an "insomnia" from the French Army, and as representations had been made by the French military authorities for his return to France in order that he might fulfil his military obligations in that country, the recruiting officer at the Central London Depot was informed that this man could not be accepted for service in the British Army.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the restrictions on the output of beer, wines, and spirits, and the fact that existing rents are based on pre-war conditions, the Government proposes to give to the lessee or tenant of premises licensed for the sale of intoxicants the right to determine his lease or tenancy by two months' or some other reasonable notice from any date?

I would refer the hon. Member to Clause 2 of the Courts (Emergency Powers) Bill which has recently passed this House. I am afraid that I cannot hold out any hope of further legislation of the kind suggested.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to a discrepancy between the terms of the Prohibition of Import (No. 14) Proclamation, 1917, dated 23rd February, 1917, and the revised Regulations of the Royal Commission on Paper, dated 21st February, 1917; whether the Proclamation prohibiting the import of books printed, and other printed matter, etc., was only intended to have the effect of prohibiting the import of paper as had reading matter or pictorial matter already thereon; whether the Regulations prohibiting the import of printed and coated paper were intended to include what is known in the paper trade as printed and or coated paper, i.e., paper without any reading or pictorial matter thereon, but intended solely for being printed upon in this country; and whether the Regulations were issued with the authority of the Board of Trade, and has their interpretation by the Commission been sanctioned by the Board of Trade so as to entirely exclude this imprinted paper?

The hon. Member is under a misapprehension as to the existence of any discrepancy between the terms of the Proclamation and the Regulations of the Royal Commission. The Proclamation prohibits the importation of paper of all kinds except under licence, and the decision that no licences should be issued for the importation of any printed or coated papers was arrived at by his Majesty's Government on the recommendation of an Interdepartmental Committee, which fixed the quantity of paper of various descriptions to be imported during the current year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to a memorial, dated 29th March, 1917, by certain paper importers, presented to the Royal Commission on paper, praying, inter alia, that certain coated paper with a prepared surface, but not printed upon, should in future be classified as wrapping or packing paper (which it essentially is), and not as printed paper; and whether the Government will grant an inquiry into this question of classification?

The fact that a coated paper can be used for wrapping or packing does not remove it from the category of coated papers, for the importation of which no licences are at present being issued. In the circumstances there appears no occasion for the holding of an inquiry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to a request presented by certain importers of so-called printed and coated paper, praying for an extension of time within which to import about 3,500 tons of paper ordered by them from mills in Sweden and Belgium under licences granted by the Royal Commission on Paper prior to the issue of the revised Regulations of the Commission dated 21st February, 1917, which Regulations have been interpreted as prohibiting such import; whether he is aware that the prohibition, unless relaxed, will cause such loss to these importers as will lead to claims on their part for a return o'a sum of approximately £300,000 already paid by them as excess profits under the provisions of the Finance Acts, 1915 and 1916; whether he is aware that such interpretation appears chiefly to arise from a mistake in classification of goods; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. I understand that the Royal Commission on Paper have found it necessary to refuse all applications for extending the period of such licences for the importation of paper as expired on the 28th February, being the end of the Commission's year. This course has been adopted in order to reduce imports within the limits determined by His Majesty's Government, and the loss caused to importers, though regrettable, is unavoidable. The question of classification is dealt with in reply to the preceding question.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of National Service whether the Director of National Service is now advertising for la,000 women for employment as Red Cross workers; if so, what Department of the State have asked him to supply these workers; and what are the terms of service and wages offered to the various classes of women workers under these proposals?

The Director-General of National Service issued an appeal to women to offer their services for employment as Red Cross workers, stating that a deficiency in the V.A.D. service for work with the sick and wounded was anticipated in the near future. The appeal was made on behalf of the Joint War Committee of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John, with a view to supplying the needs of the military authorities. The terms of service and wages offered to the various classes of women workers concerned were made public in the newspapers on 20th April, and I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy of the notice issued.

asked the hon. Member for Worcestershire (Bewdley Division) what delays the production of the bound volume of Statutes of last Session; and when it will be supplied to Members?

The bound volume was available for Members on the 23rd instant, as stated in the Votes on that day. The volume has 1so been placed on sale.

asked the Home Secretary if he will state the names of the persons responsible for authorising the punishments at present inflicted upon prisoners who are charged with offences against discipline in English penal servitude prisons; and whether the judges of the King's Bench Division or the recorders of Quarter Sessions have had the nature of such punishments communicated to them?

Full details of the punishments which may be imposed in convict prisons will be found in the Statutory Rules for Convict Prisons. Minor offences are dealt with by the governors, more serious offences by the directors of convict prisons, and the boards of visitors. Judges and recorders are supplied by the Home Office with information as to the carrying out of sentences, and are given every facility for visiting convict prisons and studying the convict prison system.

asked the Home Secretary if he will state the last occasion on which the persons responsible for authorising the character of the punishment at present inflicted upon refractory prisoners in English penal servitude prisons reviewed those punishments; and whether he will consent to the appointment of a Commission of independent persons to investigate the punishments at present authorised to be inflicted by way of disciplinary punishment on such prisoners?

The existing Statutory Rules were made in 1899, after the Prison Act of 1898 had been fully discussed and passed by Parliament. The rules, as required by the Act, were submitted to Parliament in draft before they were made. Nothing has occurred since then to show that any fresh inquiry is needed.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the following punishments were inflicted upon prisoners at Dartmoor Convict Prison, up till February, 1917, who were guilty of alleged offences against prison discipline: placing a prisoner in irons continually for a period of six months; compelling a prisoner to wear what is known as a button suit, which is constructed in such a manner as to be a continual torture to the person wearing it; whether prisoners were ironed with what are called body-belt irons and irons that clamp the legs,- at the same time ironing the hands behind the back; whether he is aware that conscientious objectors now detained at Dartmoor have inspected these instruments, and whether he will give an undertaking that punishments of this kind shall be stopped in English penal servitude prisons?

The "irons" used are light leg-chains, which are worn by prisoners who have been guilty of violence in prison or who have attempted to escape, and the so-called "button suits" are trousers supplied for the convenience of those who have to wear the chains. They cause no pain and there has never been any complaint about them. The body belt is used on rare occasions for dangerous convicts who threaten violence; it does not permit of the hands being clamped behind the back. There are I certain obsolete chains of merely antiquarian interest in the chain-room at J Dartmoor, and the conscientious objectors j may have seen these. Chains are never used by way of punishment, but only in I cases where a convict could not be allowed to work or exercise in association without some such safeguard.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that in English convict prisons a prisoner sentenced to penal servitude who is suspected of malingering or of pretending to be insane is placed in a naked condition in a box like a sentry-box, which has a water-tank with perforated holes in it as a roof; whether hot or cold water is poured on the prisoner for a period varying from five to fifteen minutes until he is in a state of collapse; and under what powers are the governor and medical officer of a prison authorised to carry out an English equivalent to the Chinese water torture, which was abolished in Chinese prisons on the establishment of the Chinese Republic?

No such instrument as is described exists in any English prison. Probably the hon. Member has heard of the old shower bath in Dartmoor Prison, which seems to have attracted the attention of the conscientious objectors who are lodged there. It stands in the hospital and is similar to the shower baths which were at one time not uncommon in private houses. It has been disused for many years.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will state the number of times the punishment of the straight-jacket has been inflicted upon prisoners guilty of alleged offences against prison discipline in English penal servitude prisons in the last twelve months; and whether he will give an undertaking that this apparatus shall only be constructed in such a way as to restrain prisoners who are suspected of intending violence to themselves in contradistinction to its present use of torturing prisoners as well as restraining them?

The restraint jacket is never used as a punishment, but only on the recommendation of the medical officer when necessary on medical grounds. It never has been or will be used for the purpose of torturing prisoners.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will lay upon the Table of the House the instructions given to prison medical officers in relation to the practice of forcible feeding; and whether he will give an undertaking that the ore-sent practice by which prison medical officers are authorised in certain cases to administer food in such a way that the administration will be a punishment of a deterrent nature to the person being forcibly fed shall be suspended until an independent inquiry is held into the medical administration in His Majesty's penal servitude and local prisons?

The only instruction is to the effect that in the event of a prisoner persistently refusing food, the medical officer must consider the advisability of compulsory feeding at an early date, before starvation causes weakness of a serious character. No such instructions as is suggested in the question are ever given. Forcible feeding is never resorted to in prison as a moans of punishment, but only when it is necessary to preserve life or health. It is administered in such a way as to cause as little pain or discomfort as possible.