asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his attention has been drawn to the feeling amongst the artisan and middle-class communities, more especially where there are large families, against the suggestion that 6d. seats in theatres, cinemas, and other places of amusement should be taxed 2d. instead of 1d. for each such seat; if, in this connection, he will take into consideration that thousands of the less well-to-do classes often find it desirable to sit a little apart from some of those who are forced by circumstances to use the cheaper 3d. seats; and whether, as an addition of 2d. on each 6d. seat must mean that thousands of those now paying 7d. would be obliged in future to use the 3d., now 4d., seats, thus inflicting a loss both on proprietors and to the Government through the diminution of income and other taxes, he will recon- sider the suggested increase on these particular seats in the interests of persons of limited incomes?

The Amendment to Clause 3 of the Finance Bill standing in the names of the hon. Members for Sunderland and the Westhoughton Division of Lancashire covers the point raised by my hon. Friend, and the question will no doubt be dealt with in the discussion on the Committee stage of the Bill.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture under what powers the county executive committees are acting in directing farmers and occupiers of land to plough up specified grass fields; and under what Statute or authority such directions can be enforced?

The committees are acting under the Cultivation of Lands. Order, 1917 (No. 3), which delegates to them the powers conferred on the Board by Regulation 2M of the Defence of the Realm Regulations made under the Defence of the Realm Acts.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, seeing that in order to get grass land ready to grow wheat for the 1918 harvest it is necessary or desirable that a large part of it should be ploughed and worked now, and lime and insecticides applied to it so as to have it fit for autumn sowing, and most likely to produce a substantial crop, he will use his best endeavours to expedite the introduction and passage of the Corn Production Bill, and thereby as soon as possible furnish the farmer with such inducement to immediate action, as the Bill provides the county executive committees with the necessary powers to enforce the breaking up of grass lands?

Under the Defence of the Realm Act the county executive com- mittees are already armed with the necessary powers to enforce cultivation. The Board hope that the Corn Production Bill will be passed into law at an early date.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture how much public money has been spent to date oh the Crown colony at Patrington, in the East Riding of York; what is the area of the colony; how many holdings have been provided and how many let; what is the area of arable land let and under cereal crops, unlet and under cereal crops, and unlet and not under cereal crops, respectively; "whether he is aware that this arable land is first-class wheat-growing land, and did, in fact, produce an average crop of six quarters to the acre in 1916 when let to ordinary farming tenants; and, seeing that the present manager is now advertising the lands in the local newspapers to let as a cattle and sheep run, will he say whether this is being done because he cannot find tenants for the holding into which it has been converted?

About £25,000 has so far been spent on the erection of cottages, purchase of live and dead stock, and wages at this colony, the area of which is 2,363 acres. No holdings have as yet been allotted. It must be remembered that able-bodied men capable of working a small holding are not yet being discharged from the Army, and that in the future applicants will receive at least one year's training under the Director before taking up land on their own account. Vacant possession of the land was obtained on the 6th April last. It is now being farmed as a whole by the director of the colony. The area under cereal crops is 900 acres, out of a total of 1,720 acres of arable land. This acreage would have been considerably larger had not the state of some of the arable land made a summer fallow essential. A further 260 acres of the total arable land is under roots, potatoes, and old seeds. The Board were aware when they purchased the estate that much of the arable land, when in a proper State of cultivation, was excellent wheat-growing land. The suggestion made in the last part of the question is incorrect: the director is merely offering to graize stock belonging to other farmers on some 289 acres of grass land, as the best use to which that particular grass land can be put.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether he is aware that a large percentage of professional boxers, football players, and cricketers, bookmakers, and racecourse habitués are serving in one or other of the administrative services and have never been in the firing line; and, if so, will he say how they manage to get into the administrative services instead of being sent into the Infantry, and why many of them get placed in categories B and C though fit enough to take part in boxing competitions and in football and cricket matches?

There is no information available as to the number of men, to whom my hon. and gallant Friend refers, serving with the administrative services. To obtain it would involve the examination of a large number of records and documents distributed over the country, and I do not think that the result would be commensurate with the labour involved.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether he is aware that the Silver War Badge is refused to officers and men who have been discharged from the Army on account of physical disabilities resulting from service in the present War, but whose disabilities are not certified to be permanent, though they are probably unfit during the War for further military service; and, seeing that such refusal inflicts hardship on a number of officers and men who have voluntarily served the country to the best of their ability what steps he proposes to take?

The Military Service (Review of Exceptions) Act has introduced new considerations into the question of the award of the Silver War Badge, and the whole matter is being reconsidered. An Army Order will shortly be issued on the subject.

asked the Minister of Munitions if in the case of a man who has been wounded, reclassed in a low medical category, and made eligible for substitution, his former employer is allowed to make application for his return to civil work; and to whom any such application should be made?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. In the case of a soldier who is serving with the Colours the application should be addressed to the Secretary (D.R. 4), War Office Annexe, Whitehall, S.W.I.

asked the Secretary to the Local Government Board whether there is a time limit of three days to appeal against the decision of a local tribunal; whether it is in the power of the military representative to lodge an appeal after such a time has expired; and whether the military representative is justified in lodging an appeal in any case in which he took no objection to the decision of the local tribunal at the time that it was delivered?

The Regulations and Instructions provide that an appeal may be made from the decision of the local tribunal not later than three clear days after the date on which the written decision of the local tribunal has been sent. The local tribunal may, however, allow a late appeal, for good reasons shown. The military representative as well as the applicant may lodge a late appeal; it is for the local tribunal to decide whether it should be allowed. There is no provision in the Regulations or Instructions which prevents a military representative from lodging an appeal in a case in which he did not take exception to the decision of the local tribunal at the time when it was delivered.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether permission can be granted to re-enlisted Regular soldiers to re-engage at the termination of the War so as to complete twenty-one years' service and qualify for a pension and other benefits open to those who have served twenty-one years?

This question is under consideration.

asked the Prime Minister if he is aware that the highest military decoration of our Ally France is the Medaille Militaire, marked by the letters M.M., and that this decoration is borne by some of our men, while the least of our military decorations is the Military Medal, marked by the same letters M.M.; and if he can suggest some plan by which, before it is too late, the title of the Military Medal should be modified or altered so as to make confusion impossible?

The conditions of award of the Médaille Militaire and the Military Medal are for all general purposes identical, in that both the French and British Armies award is restricted to non-commissioned officers and privates. As a complimentary award the Medaille Militaire can be given to distinguished officers in possession of the Grand Cordon of the Legion d'honneur. It is not considered that any necessity exists to justify the variation of the designation of the Military Medal.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War how many chaplains serving with the British Forces in France have been killed during the War, and to what denominations they belong?

The figures are as follows: