asked the Secretary to the Admiralty when the prize bounty due to officers and men who took part in the naval action off the Falkland Islands will be paid; and if he can explain the delay of payment, considering the action took place in December, 1914?

The bulk of the prize bounty for the Falkland Islands action has been paid, distribution having commenced on the 14th March last, as formally notified in the "London Gazette" of the preceding day. Payment of the balance is proceeding as claimants apply or are traced. The award was made by the prize Court on 22nd August last to the officers and crews of His Majesty's ships "Invincible," "Inflexible," "Carnarvon," "Cornwall," "Kent," and "Glasgow"; but an additional claim put before the Court on behalf of His Majesty's ship "Canopus," and finally dismissed on 21st December last, held up the distribution for some time. While, however, the claim was being disposed of, the money was invested and the award became augmented by £164 interest.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that difficulty has been experienced at the front in obtaining supplies of ammunition both for service revolvers and for Colt's automatic revolvers; and whether, in view of the fact that numbers of officers use Colt's automatic revolvers, he will take steps to send a supply of both these kinds of ammunition to the front so that officers using the latter revolvers may be able to purchase suitable ammunition, instead of having to trust to the uncertainties of the post?

Officers are warned by paragraph 1699 of the King's Regulations that their pistols must be suitable for Government ammunition. It is not possible to carry in the field every kind of ammunition which may be asked for by individual officers, but they should find no difficulty in obtaining supplies of ammunition suitable for service revolvers.

asked the Under Secretary of State for War what means are employed to inform soldiers' relatives as to the use and existence of record offices and how to get in touch with them?

Lists of record offices and Territorial Force Associations are sent to all Post Offices, to enable them to answer inquiries. The enormous volume of correspondence from soldiers' relatives which is received by record offices does not seem to point to any difficulty being experienced.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the feeling existing in Liverpool with respect to the treatment of some of the battalions that were raised in that city, and of the complaint that so many of the men have had no leave whatever since they went to France in November, 1915; and, if so, whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 2nd April to the hon. Member for North Salford.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he has com- pleted his inquiries into the wages paid to the men and women employed at Aldershot and Weedon; and whether he has decided to grant increase proportionate to those paid to workers in other Government Departments?

An increase of 3s. a week has been granted to men at Weedon. The other inquiries are not yet complete.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the Government has set up any and, if so, what organisation for helping to find employment for officers of His Majesty's Forces who have been discharged from the Army and Navy by reason of wounds or illness contracted during service?

My hon. Friend has asked me to take this question. The Professional and Business Register, which is a section of the Employment Department of the Ministry of Labour, is charged with the duty of finding employment for officers discharged from the Army and Navy, who are referred to it by the War Pensions Statutory Committee. This Register is in touch with Government Departments and business houses throughout the country, and immediately discharged officers are available their particulars are submitted to possible employers.

asked the Pensions Minister on what grounds was the total disablement pension of Thomas M`Guinness, late private Royal Scots Fusiliers (identity No. S. A. J. 407), reduced from 25s. a week to 3s. 7d., in view of the fact that he was certified on M 461 as totally disabled, and that there is no improvement in his condition?

Thomas M`Guinness has been awarded a pension of 27s. 6d. for a further thirty weeks, and he was so notified on the 10th instant. The 3s. 7d. quoted by the hon. Member was the balance of one day's pension at the former rate of 25s.

asked the Pensions Minister whether his attention has been called to the hardship inflicted on poor people by being required to pay for medical certificates in connection with the receipt of pensions; whether he is aware that in many cases a medical examination has to take place every three months, and that in remote districts the pensioner has to travel by train or hired vehicle considerable distances to undergo examination, and that the cost of travelling, in addition to the cost of the medical certificate, substantially reduces the amount of the pension; and whether, under these circumstances, he will authorise local committees to refund at their discretion the expenses incurred in obtaining medical certificates?

For the State pension, as, of course, the hon. Member knows, no expenditure by the pensioner on medical certificates is required. It is necessary to obtain certificates in the case of disabled persons who require treatment and, in order to assess earning capacity, in the case of applicants for supplementary pensions. As a general rule, the certificates of the panel or hospital doctors are sufficient. I am not aware of any cases of hardship inflicted on poor people by their being required to pay for certificates or by their having to incur travelling expenses, but if the hon. Member will give me particulars of the cases which he has in mind I will have them investigated.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will give a list of the contracts issued by his Department to enemy-owned or controlled businesses since the beginning of the War, with the names of the officials sanctioning same?

The Board of Education have issued no contracts since the beginning of the War to enemy-owned or controlled businesses.

asked the First Commissioner of Works if he will give a list of the contracts issued by his Department to enemy-owned or controlled businesses since the beginning of the War, with the names of the officials sanctioning same?

Owing to the pressure of urgent war work, I regret that it is not possible at the present moment to undertake the preparation of a list such as is suggested by the hon. and gallant Member. In considering the question of contractual relations with enemy-owned or controlled firms, the Office of Works was guided by the provisions of the Proclamations issued by His Majesty's Government as to trading with the enemy and by the advice of the Board of Trade; it was further influenced by the consideration that only British labour was employed. In February, 1916, the Board of Trade furnished the Department with a list of businesses to which a supervisor or controller had been appointed as such businesses were being carried on for the benefit of enemy subjects, and the Board forthwith, as a matter of policy, decided that no orders should be given to such firms and, further, that no tenders should be accepted from other firms in cases where it was known that enemy firms' goods would be used in connection with the contracts. In March of the present year, upon receipt from the Board of Trade of lists of enemy firms whose businesses had been sold or where the shares belonging to enemy subjects had been vested in the Public Trustee, the names of such firms were reinstated on the list of firms eligible to hold contracts with my Department. All contracts are made under the authority of the Commissioners of Works.

asked the Minister of Munitions if he will give a list of the contracts issued by his Department to enemy-owned or controlled businesses since the beginning of the War, with the names of the officials sanctioning same?

No contracts have been placed with enemy-owned or controlled firms, except when alternative sources of supply have not been available. When such contracts have been placed in the circumstances described, the business of the firm in question has been under the control of the Board of Trade. No useful purpose commensurate with the labour involved would be served by the preparation of the list suggested by the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will give a list of the contracts issued by his Department to enemy-owned or controlled businesses since the beginning of the War, with the names of the officials sanctioning same?

I am afraid I cannot undertake to order the compilation of a list such as that asked for by my hon. and gallant Friend. Practically all the names on the Admiralty list of contractors for naval supplies, except for those on foreign stations, have always been either firms domiciled in this country or companies registered under British laws. Since the beginning of the War very careful inquiries have been made, through the police authorities and otherwise, as to the nationality of the staff and workpeople of any firms suspected of enemy alien connections. The Admiralty has also kept in touch with the Board of Trade as to the shareholding in such firms. All contracts for naval supplies are made under the authority of the Board of Admiralty.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the nature of the punishments inflicted at the penal settlement of the Rupununi district of British Guiana; whether a punishment known as the figure of eight, which is in effect a form of torture, is awarded for comparatively small offences; whether this punishment is more severe than flogging and more dreaded by the natives; and whether he will take-steps to see that it is discontinued?

This punishment does not appear in the annual returns showing the nature of the punishments inflicted in the penal settlement of British Guiana. I will ask the Governor for a report.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will consider the advisability of discontinuing the arrangement at present existing in the Rupununi district of British Guiana which allows of the Commissioner having a personal economic interest as a large rancher in the area he administers; and whether the Government is satisfied that the annual Reports of the Lands and Mines Department for the years 1912–l3 and onwards give correct returns of the number of ranches in the district entailing no loss of revenue to the colony?

I will ask the Governor of British Guiana to report upon both the points raised by the hon. Member.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that, by a recent amalgamation of offices in the Rupununi district of British Guiana, the office of superintendent of the penal settlement and that of inspector of prisons are now vested in one and the same person; and whether this is intended to be a permanent arrangement?

The only penal settlement in the colony is in the Bartica district, and, assuming that this is the establshment to which the hon. Member refers, the answer to both parts of his question is in the affirmative. The penal settlement is subject to periodical visits of inspection from the Governor.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the necessity for economy of paper, he will consider the alteration of the rules whereby all margarine is enclosed in two wrappers, under Government Regulations with the description of margarine, with the name of the maker and trade details, so that in future margarine shall only be enclosed in one wrappers?

The provisions of the Margarine Act, 1887, as amended by the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1899, were enacted for the purpose of protecting the public against the sale as butter of margarine. The Acts do not requirè two wrappers, but only one, on which the word "Margarine" is printed in large letters.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any of the lives lost from the "Lusitania," "Persia," and "Falaba" were owing to mishaps in the lowering of boats; and, if so, how many lives in each case?

In the cases mentioned the boats could-not be lowered properly in the short time available, and this added to the loss of life, but it would be impossible to say exactly how many lives were lost through this cause. I am sending the hon. Gentleman copies of Lord Mersey's reports about the "Lusitania" and "Falaba," and have marked the passages dealing with the lowering of the boats.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is proposed to pay to the employés of the Dublin and Lucan Electric Railway the same war bonus as is paid to English railway workers; and whether the decision of the recent arbitration proceedings in Dublin will apply to this company?

The question of the amount of the war bonus to be paid to the employés of the Dublin and Lucan Railway Company is one to be settled between the company and their staff. This line is not under the control of the Irish Railway Executive Committee, and the recent war bonus agreement made by the Committee did not apply to it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade who are the Advisory Committee on alien businesses; how many cases have they considered; and how many they have directed to be wound up?

The Members of the Advisory Committee on enemy businesses are Mr. Ernest Moon, C.B., K.C. (Chairman), the Hon. J. D. FitzGerald, K.C., and the hon. Members for Dumbartonshire and the Wirral Division. The Committee have considered 771 cases; they have recommended that Orders should be made for winding up in 436 cases, and that in 111 cases the enemy interest should be vested in the custodian.