asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the decision of the House of Lords in the Zadig case, that, under the Defence of the Realm Consolidation Act, the Executive have power to make Regulations by which they can do anything they like with the lives and property of British citizens, and can proscribe whole classes and sects, he will give Parliament an early opportunity of stating more definitely and specifically the powers of the Executive for securing the public safety and the defence of the realm?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. I cannot agree that there has been any such decision as the hon. Member suggests. The case mentioned had reference to the validity of Regulation 14B of the Defence of the Realm Regulations, which gives power to intern or place under restrictions a person who, while not of enemy nationality, is of hostile origin or associations. Such action can only be taken if it appears to the Secretary of State to be expedient for securing the public safety or the defence of the realm, and is subject to a right of appeal to an Advisory Committee presided over by a judge of the High Court. The hon. Member's description of the case is, I think, quoted from a newspaper article, and does not give the effect of the decision. I do not think there is any ground for adopting the suggestion made in the last part of the question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been drawn to the prices paid by foreign buyers of cattle, sheep, and horses; whether such transactions come within the category of excess profits assessable for Income Tax; and whether, having regard to the economic and fiscal condition of the country, he will consider the question of imposing an ad valorem duty on all live-stock exports from the United Kingdom?

I am not sure if I fully understand the Hon. Member's meaning, but if he will turn to Section 39 of the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1915, he will find the scope of the Excess Profits Duty there defined.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been called to the protest forwarded by the Glenbeigh Old Age Pensions Committee against the action of the Local Government Board in overriding the decisions of the pensions officer and the local committee in granting the additional allowance to old age pensioners; and whether he will inquire into the cases with a view to the allowance being granted?

I have seen a copy of the resolution. The committee refer to only two cases which they wish to have reconsidered, but it is not open to the Local Government Board to reconsider decisions once they are definitely declared.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he will inquire into the cause of the refusal of the additional allowance to Mrs. Mary Bradley, Dromid, Waterville, an old age pensioner, in view of the fact that though granted the grass of a cow by her son she is unable to purchase a cow; and whether the allowance will now be granted?

The application was disallowed on the ground that the applicant's means exceeded 12s. 6d. a week. Her means, in addition to the old age pension of 5s. a week, consist of maintenance from a son who is living apparently in comfortable circumstances.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether any British soldiers are being employed as tram drivers or conductors at Havre?

Eight permanently unfit and thirteen permanent base men are employed as tram drivers at Havre. The Base Commandant reports that the employment of these men is necessary owing to the impossibility of the tramway company finding suitable French drivers for extra tramcars for British military requirments.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will produce copies of the agreement signed by the specially enlisted clerks in Beggars' Bush, Dublin; whether such agreement will be respected by the Government; and on what authority these men have been conscripted into Line regiments?

The only agreement signed by these men was their attestation form, which was for general service. As I have already informed the hon. Member, their transfer is made under the Army (Transfers) Act, 1915, and no question of Conscription arises.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the advertisements for motor drivers, Category A, B, or C, up to forty-five years of age, are official advertisements of his Department as appearing in the daily papers; whether the men over forty-one who join in consequence of these advertisements, but fail at certain tests, are forthwith drafted into the Infantry, the pay being 1s. 2d. against 2s. 4d.; and, if so, whether he will say why this method of recruiting men over forty-one has been adopted?

An over-age man accepted for the Mechanical Transport who fails in his test is sent to the Mechanical Transport School for training and is not transferred to the Infantry. If my hon. Friend has some instance to the contrary in mind, I should be obliged if he will give me details.

asked the Under-Secretray of State for War whether he is aware that the establishment of machine-gun companies is about 187 as compared with about 240 in an Infantry company, that they march with the Infantry, and, when the latter halt, the machine gunners invariably have cold food while the Infantry have hot food, owing to each Infantry company having its own travelling kitchens, will he say why the difficulty of supplying travelling kitchens to machine-gun companies under the circumstances should be very great either in horses, additional food, or the kitchens themselves; how many horses would be required for this work; and whether he will now take the matter up and see that machine-gun companies are treated in this matter on the same terms as those given to Infantry?

I regret I have nothing to add to the answer which I gave my hon. Friend on April 19th.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he can state the number of deaths from disease in the British forces of the Salonika Expedition?

I think it is undesirable to publish these figures, but I shall be happy to let any hon. Member know privately.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if skilled artisans in the Army Ordnance Corps, who are employed as second-class fitters and turners in the Army workshops in France, are paid at the rate of 1s. 5d. per day; and whether, having regard to the fact that these men are engaged on work similar to that on which they were engaged before enlistment and for which they were paid at the rate of 48s. per week with an additional bonus on their output, he will endeavour to remove the feeling among these men that they are being treated unfairly by increasing their pay to a more reasonable amount?

The hon. Member is not comparing like with like. Army pay is in addition to food, clothing, accommodation and separation allowance. Moreover, a soldier of any kind has no claim to be paid what he earned before enlistment.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he has received any report with reference to the case of Private W. Murphy, No. 51,905, 3rd Reserve Garrison Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers?

This man, on rejoining from the Army Reserve, was entitled to Class II. Service pay only. He does not appear to have qualified for the higher rate since rejoining. His other claims have been dealt with, and he is now free from debt.

asked (1) the Secretary of State for India whether, in the case of soldiers wounded or falling sick in Mesopotamia and removed to hospital in India, adequate arrangements have been made for the forwarding to them in India of letters and parcels addressed to them in Mesopotamia; and whether he is aware that in many cases parcels are never delivered; and (2) the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, in the case of soldiers wounded or falling sick in Mesopotamia and removed to hospital in India, adequate arrangements are made for the re-addressing and forwarding of letters and parcels addressed to them in Mesopotamia?

I will answer at the same time the question addressed to the Under-Secretary of State for War. I have reason to believe that during the last six months the postal service in Mesopotamia has been greatly improved, and that the arrangements now made for the return to India of letters and parcels addressed to men who have been invalided from the Mesopotamian force and for their transmission to the addressees are now fairly adequate. The Director-General of Indian Posts and Telegraphs has personally inquired into the matter and is giving it his close attention.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now prepared to arrange that the Interdepartmental Committee, on whose recommendation His Majesty's Government decided that no licences should be issued for the importation of any printed or coated papers, should now receive a deputation from the memorialists, with a view of giving the said memorialists an opportunity of laying before the Interdepartmental Committee their case that printed and/or coated paper should be treated for purposes of tonnage on the same basis as packing or wrapping paper?

If the hon. Member will forward to me a detailed statement in writing of the views of the memorialists I will see that it has careful consideration.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, by a recent change of policy, students of wireless telegraphy schools are now being excluded from further education; and, if so, what are the reasons for this change of policy?

The only students excluded from tuition at wireless telegraphy schools are those of undesirable character or antecedents. There has been no recent change of policy in this respect.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any and, if so, what steps have been taken to make widely known in neutral and also in the Islamic countries the circumstances relating to the capture of Baghdad by the British forces and the proclamation of Sir Stanley Maude to the Arabs, as well as to emphasise the historic character of that important event by descriptive articles and other means; and will he use every possible opportunity to publish the fullest information on the subject as a means of restoring the prestige of the British name throughout the Near and Middle East?

All possible steps were taken to make this great event and Sir Stanley Maude's proclamation as widely known as possible in all neutral and Eastern countries, both telegraphically and by other means, and great emphasis has been laid on the historic character of the event. The answer to the last part of the question is in the affirmative.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether an opportunity will be given for the discussion of the Report of the Dominions Royal Commission, more particularly with reference to the proposal to establish an Imperial development board?

In view of the pressure of other important business, it will not be possible for the Government to give special facilities for the discussion of this question which can, I understand, be raised on the Colonial Office Vote.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland how did the purchasers of the Coastguards' station and house at Cahirciveen, from the Congested Districts Board, become aware that they were for sale and enjoy a knowledge not open to other inhabitants; was the decision not to put the premises to auction taken by the Board and minuted; if so, what are the terms and the date of the minute, and who were present; was the Board made aware by its officer, Mr. McLean, of Tralee, that inquiries had been made as to how the buildings would be disposed of, and did Mr. Agnew, an official of the Board, state that no decision would be arrived at until May; was the sale to Messrs. Shiel and Sheehan effected on the 12th March; was it secretly carried through without the knowledge of the public that a sale was taking place; how was the price arrived at by Mr. McLean; is there any correspondence between him and the purchasers; and, if so, is it open to the perusal of Members of this House?

As stated in my previous reply, several persons in Cahirciveen inquired at the local office of the Congested Districts Board whether the Coastguard houses would be let or sold, and were informed that they would be sold. All persons who expressed a desire to purchase were asked for quotations. This occurred in February. The local inspector had previously been directed to prepare a map showing the premises to be sold either in one lot or separate lots and to obtain quotations. The Board did not decide whether the premises would be offered by auction or not, but when it was ascertained that the amount of public money agreed to be paid for the premises would be recovered on sale at the tenders submitted it was decided to dispose of the houses privately. Mr. M'Lean and Mr. Agnew informed the Board that inquiries had been made as to how the buildings would be disposed of, and they were instructed to request intending purchasers to lodge tenders setting out the price they were prepared to give. The Board did not issue instructions to them that the premises would not be disposed of until May. The sales to Messrs. Shiel and Sheehan were effected by agreements dated 12th March and were not carried out secretly. The purchase price was regulated by the amounts offered in the tenders received and the prices accepted were in excess of the sum paid by the Congested Districts Board for the premises. Mr. M'Lean had no correspondence with the purchasers or intending purchasers.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will state the number of trained teachers produced, the total cost to the State, including establishment cost, and the average cost to the State per trained teacher in Marlborough Street Training College and in St. Patrick's Training College, Drumcondra, respectively, in the last year for which the particulars are available?

The number of King's scholars who completed their training in Marlborough Street Training College, Dublin, in July, 1916, was 132 (41 men and 91 women). The grants for maintenance and tuition in the Marlborough Street Training College are the same as those for St. Patrick's Training College, and all other Irish Training Colleges. £50 per session is paid for each male student and £35 per session for each female student, and a bonus of £10 per session in the case of men and £7 per session for women is subsequently payable in the case of students who are found to have given satisfactory service in public elementary schools for two years after the completion of the course of training. It is not practicable to establish a comparison between the cost of providing lecture rooms and residential establishments for Marlborough Street and St. Patrick's Training Colleges chargeable to the State. In the case of Marlborough Street the premises were provided almost wholly from State funds. The training college has been in operation for a long period, and, owing to the absence of complete information as to expenditure on buildings in the earlier years, an accurate return of the total expenditure on the premises cannot now be compiled. An annuity of £1,407 3s. 6d. for a period of thirty-five years, commencing with the year 1892-3, has been provided from State funds to recoup the authorities of St. Patrick's Training College for the value of the college buildings based on a valuation of the premises made in the year 1891.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, having regard to the greater cost of primary education in the model schools in Ireland than in the other classes of national schools in addition to the provision of school-houses for the former and only assisting in the provision of them for the latter, can he illustrate, as the result of similar examinations or other test, how the quality of the teaching in the model schools compares with that of ordinary national schools and with that of Christian Brothers' national schools, respectively?

No test of the quality of the teaching in model schools, ordinary national schools, and Monastery national schools, has been applied or is proposed by the Commissioners of National Educa- tion for the purposes of comparison of the relative merit of the teaching in these three classes of schools. The Commissioners are satisfied that the general efficiency of the teaching in the model schools is of a very high standard.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he will state the wages paid to Board of Works employés in Ireland and the wages paid to employés engaged in similar work in Great Britain; whether he can explain this differential treatment; and whether he will arrange that similar wages be paid to all employés engaged in the same sort of labour under Boards of Works in the three Kingdoms?

I have been asked to answer this question. For information as to the wages paid I would refer the hon. Member to the Civil Service Estimates. With reference to the second and third parts of the question, I can add nothing to the reply given to the hon. Member for Dublin Harbour Division on the 4th inst., of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether each unit of average attendance in public elementary schools given in Cd. 8514 includes children under five years?

The words "each unit of average attendance at public elementary schools" in Cd. 8514 cover the average attendance at those schools of children over three and under five years of age.

asked the Home Secretary if he will state the actual dimensions of the exercise grounds available for marching exercise for the forty-nine male prisoners and the thirteen female prisoners for whom accommodation is provided in Carnarvon Prison; and can steps be taken to provide more adequate space?

The accommodation in this prison for ordinary exercise consists of two exercise rings for males, one of 66½ yards' and one of 53½ yards' circumference, and one of 36 yards' circumference for females. This is considered adequate, and it would be out of the question at the present time to incur the heavy expenditure that would be necessary to provide more ground for the purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to whom are police magistrates in Ceylon responsible for their conduct, and what defence or explanation did Mr. Luddington offer, and to whom, of the conduct for which the Supreme Court of Ceylon rebuked him on the 22nd May, 1915, namely, having ruled that, in a case between a Sinhalese and a European, every point should be strained in favour of the European; and, if that be not the policy of the Colonial Office, what action did it take?

Police magistrates in Ceylon are responsible to the Governor. I have already informed the hon. Member that I have no information as to the subject-matter of the remainder of this question.