asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food when the limitation of prices of butcher's meat will be definitely fixed; and whether these prices will be made effective so as to control the profits to be taken by the producer as well as all persons handling the goods, including the retail butcher?

A scheme for the purpose mentioned in the question is now under the consideration of the Food Controller.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Shipping whether during the month of May any ships bringing food to this country were sunk after arriving at one port and before reaching another; and, if so, why he cannot arrange for ships to discharge their cargoes at the first port they reach?

There were two cases during the month of May in which ships which were bringing food to this country were sunk after arriving at one port in this country and before reaching another. One ease is that which was referred to in my answer to the right hon. Baronet the Member for Hartlepool on the 16th May, and the other occurred since that date. It is impossible to explain in public the true nature of these cases, but I shall be glad to give my hon. Friend further information about them privately. I may add that it is quite impossible in all cases to discharge ships at the first port they reach; whenever practicable this is done, and similarly every effort is made to arrange that a vessel shall discharge and load at one and the same port in this country. The hon. Member may rest assured that a departure from this rule is allowed only where the circumstances of a particular case unquestionably demand it.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he has received the resolution passed by the Monaghan Urban District Council in reference to the threatened shortage of milk in urban areas in Ireland, and whether the Government have taken any steps to give effect to the proposal outlined in this resolution for the purpose of accommodation land adjacent to urban districts; and, if not, whether he will state what steps the Irish Government proposes to take in order to obviate the injury to health which will follow from any shortage in the milk supply consequent on the reduction in the number of cattle in Ireland?

I have received the resolution referred to. As to the alleged shortage of milk, I would refer to an answer I gave on the 12th June to the hon. Member for the Harbour Division of Dublin. As to the suggestion of the urban district council that cow pasturage should be provided, I will repeat what I told the hon. Member for North-West Meath some time since, namely, thatI should be glad if the land available for cow pasture were increased. I doubt whether the ratepayers would be ready to accept the responsibility of the cost. If there were such readiness generally evidenced, I would have a Bill drafted for the purpose.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what provision, if any, has been made to secure a sufficient supply of scythes for use in Ireland for the present hay crop; and will he say if most of the large suppliers are unable to supply any scythes at all?

The Department of Agriculture made inquiries some time ago and were satisfied that Irish orders for scythes could be met by manufacturing firms, and unless farmers failed to place their orders early with local merchants there was little likelihood of a shortage in Ireland during the present season. A Press notice was therefore issued, urging farmers to give their orders without delay.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the four tins of petrol which were on the 9th instant delivered to the district inspector of police in Bantry by one of the Admiralty boats were by way of a gift from the Admiralty; and if not how can he account for the transaction?

Nothing is known of this matter at the Admiralty.

asked the Secretary to the Board of Trade whether the district inspector of police in Bantry has a licence for the use of petrol; whether there is any restriction on the quantity he may use per month on his own car or on the car frequently lent to him by a local tradesman; whether this local tradesman is restricted in the quantity of petrol he may use in his private car; and whether he can account for the fact that this latter car is taken daily for long joy-runs while owners of cars in the district having public duties to perform are much handicapped through the shortage of petrol?

I am not, aware of the circumstances referred to in the question, but users of petrol are not entitled to be supplied with a larger amount of petrol than that in respect of which licences have been issued to them by the Petrol Control Committee, and licences for pleasure riding are not now being issued.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War why the Royal Army Medical Corps School of Instruction at Aldershot is not made available for qualified medical officers attached to the Volunteer Training Force?

I am afraid that my hon. Friend is under a misapprehension. There is no longer a Royal Army Medical Corps School of Instruction at Aldershot, and no applications have been received at the War Office from medical officers attached to the Volunteer Force to attend such a school.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War if he is aware that Rifleman Arthur James Hawkins, No. 1628, was finally discharged from the 2/8th Hampshire Regiment on 30th March, 1916; and that the character given him on discharge stated that he had a fair character, and during his military life has proved himself sober and honest, but appeared to have little control over himself from some mental defect; if he has since that time been for months an inmate of the Isle of Wight Union Infirmary suffering, as the medical officer certifies, with early symptoms of general paralysis and mentally weak; if he was recently re-examined by the medical board sitting at Parkhurst, Isle of Wight, and was put into category A, fit for general service, and accepted as such, and was sent by the recruiting officer to the 3rd Hants Regiment at Gosport; if he is aware that the Newport (Isle of Wight) District Pensions Committee has signed and forwarded to the proper authority Form D 2, being an application for a special temporary allowance for a disabled soldier or sailor; and whether, in the interests of economy, it is proposed to keep this man in the Army?

I have called for a report, and will write to my hon. Friend on the various points which he raises as soon as possible.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will have placed in the library or made otherwise available a copy of the instructions issued to the military and police in Ireland under Army Council Instruction of 19th May, 1917, No. 817, of 1917?

I am arranging for a few copies of the Army Council Instruction mentioned to be placed in the Library.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he can take into consideration the conditions now pressing upon retired teachers owing to the increase of prices through the War; and whether he can see his way to recommend some bonus or addition to their pensions during the War, especially in the case of the older teachers?

The Board have no funds which are applicable to the purpose, and I think the right hon. Men- ber will recognise that it is difficult to give relief to one particular class of retired public servants unless it is possible to extend such relief to other classes also.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether in view of the fact that military officers on duty at Simla have to expend sometimes as much as half their pay in house rent, the Government of India will consider the question of constructing quarters and renting them to such officers at a reasonable rent, or of giving them a lodging allowance in lieu thereof?

I cannot altogether accept my hon. and gallant Friend's statement of facts. As to policy I must defer any answer till certain questions of military administration have been settled.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the recent Note of the United States Government to the Chinese Government has been published in American and other newspapers; whether he will communicate the terms of such Note to this House or allow it to be published in British newspapers; and whether he can make a statement as to the condition of affairs in China?

I understand that a version of the Note has been published in America. My hon. Friend will see that it is for the United States Government to communicate their own Note to the Press, and not for His Majesty's Government, though the latter would of course take no steps to prevent its publication in British newspapers. The internal political situation in China varies from day to day and it would be unsafe to make a statement, professing to be authoritative, of a changing situation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state approximately the volume of export trade from this country to the United States of America in beer, spirits, and stout for the years 1914, 1915, and 1916, or if he will say, in the alternative, whether there is an increase or decrease; and, if the latter, will he say what it is?

The quantities of (1) beer and ale (including stout) and (2) spirits of British and Irish production exported from this country to the United States in the years specified were as follows:— Beer and Ale (including Stout.)Barrels of 36 galls. Spirits. (British and Irish.) Proof galls. 1914 … 60,150 … 1,217,445 1915 … 47,141 … 1,069,731 1916 … 67,100 … 1,239,750

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Committee appointed to inquire into allegations against the tobacco trust and others of profiteering consequent upon the increased prices to the consumer have yet reported; what is the need for any communication or negotiation with these people who have seized upon the imposition of an additional duty of 1s. 10d. on the pound to exploit the public to the extent of 2s. 8d., and in some cases 3s. 4d., per pound; and whether steps will be taken to examine the books of these persons and firms and compel payment over of the additional profit received to His Majesty's Treasury?

The Tobacco Control Board have not yet made their report of their inquiry into the present prices of tobacco, but they hope to do so at an early date. I am unable to reply to the latter part; of the queston until my right hon. Friend has received this report.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the exploitation of the public by profiteers, particularly in relation to food and consumable stores, he will consider the desirability of promoting legislation to make illegal all trade combinations and trusts formed for the purpose of controlling prices or whose operations do in fact produce that result?

If the question refers to temporary measures for the period of the War I am disposed to think that there is already sufficient power under the Defence of the Realm Regulations to deal with any person or combination who may attempt to extort unreasonable prices for necessaries. If permanent legislation 13 intended I am bound to say that I see considerable difficulty in devising a measure which will obviate the evils to which the hon. Member refers without at the same time hindering legitimate and beneficial forms of business activity and co-operation. I am, however, fully alive to the importance of the matter, and will gladly consider any practical suggestions that the hon. Member may care to make.

asked the hon. Member for Sheffield (Central Division) whether any negotiations are in progress with Germany for the mutual sending to Switzerland of prisoners who have been in captivity for two years or more, and who were originally severely wounded?

I would refer to my reply on the 14th instant to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Chertsey and my Noble Friend the Member for South Nottingham. Our proposal for the transfer to neutral countries of prisoners of war included all combatant prisoners, wounded and unwounded, who had been over two years in captivity. I may add that the proposal was made as an addition to and not in substitution for the agreements already in existence.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the diagram of Irish land purchase, of which notice appears on the Order Paper, will be granted—[Diagram indicating up to the 31st day of March, 1917, by counties and provinces ( a ) the area of land sold, and ( b ) the estimated area of lands in respect of which proceedings had been instituted and were pending for sale under the Irish Land Purchase Acts; also the estimated area of lands in respect of which proceedings for sale had not been instituted on that date under the said Acts (in continuation of Command Paper. No. 4,412, of 1908).]

The present time is not opportune for publishing a revision of the Return as to land purchase presented to Parliament in 1913 (Cd. 6,130). The staff of the Estates Commissioners is depleted by the absence of men on war service, and exceptional economies in printing and stationery are being enforced.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will state the full amounts of the valuations arrived at by the Commissioner of Valuation, under the Finance Act of 1910, within the municipal boundary of the city of Dublin, for gross value, site value, and assessable site value, respectively; and, in the case of agricultural land within the same area, the value of the land for agricultural purposes where that value is different from site value?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. As the hon. Member is aware, the outbreak of war has delayed the work of valuation authorised under Part I. of the Finance (1909–10) Act, 1910, and has rendered its final completion impracticable until the War has terminated. In these circumstances any available figures would be merely partial and misleading.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can state the number of provinces in Canada, in which prohibition of the sale and consumption of liquor is now in operation, giving in each case the dates when the prohibition first took effect; and, in the case of the province of Quebec, if he can state the number of townships and the proportion of the population at present under the prohibition laws?

The sale and consumption of liquor are restricted on the lines of what is known as prohibition in Prince Edward Island under the Prohibition Act, 1900 (5th June, 1901), Nova Scotia under the Nova Scotia Temperance Act, 1910 (1st July, 1910), Alberta under the Liquor Act (1st July, 1916), Ontario under the Ontario Temperance Act (16th September, 1916), New Brunswick under the Intoxicating Liquor Act, 1916 (1st May, 1917). I have inserted after each Act the date of its coming into force(but for the sake of brevity I have not referred to the various subsequent amending Acts. Similar legia- lation will be in force in British Columbia (British Columbia Prohibition Act) on the 1st July next. The system in force in Quebec is that of Local Option. I am unable to give the particulars requested as to the operation of the Quebec legislation. In parts of some of the Provinces the Canada Temperance Act is in force. I have not received copies of the Acts passed by the Legislatures of Saskatchewan and Manitoba in 1915 and 1916 respectively. I have, therefore, not dealt with those Provinces in this reply.

asked the Secretary to the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to a case of baby- farming in the Carmarthen district, in which a man and his wife were sentenced to five years' penal servitude for causing the death of a nurse-child, they having previously received other illegitimate children who also died; whether he will cause inquiry to be made as to the way in which that part of the Children Act dealing with infant life protection is administered in that district; and, if there be no woman visitor, whether he will recommend to the local board of guardians that one be immediately appointed?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. The Home Office are aware of the facts of this case, and are already in correspondence with the board of guardians on the points mentioned by the Noble Lord.