asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will say what machinery is in existence for the ventilation of grievances and settlement of disputes in the Government dockyards and the Admiralty manufacturing establishments?

All civilian employés in His Majesty's dockyards and naval establishments have the right to bring to the notice of the responsible authority any complaint, grievance, request, or other representation in connection with their conditions of employment.

The method of exercising this right is laid down in a document, a copy of which every employé can obtain and of which I am sending my hon. Friend the latest edition.

Representations of a purely personal character are usually dealt with locally by the responsible officers. But even here, if the employé or employés are not satisfied with the decision of the local officer, they have a right of appeal to the head of the dockyard or other naval establishment, and, further, if so desired, to the Board of Admiralty.

In making their local representations, the employés concerned may enlist any assistance they desire, and in any case in which an interview is granted by the local officers the employé or employés concerned may have the assistance of another person to state or argue the case.

Apart from this means of personal representation—of which avail is taken as necessity demands—there is another and more formal system of making representations, both personal and general, known as the "Annual Hearing of Petitions."

Under this system the employés have an opportunity annually to send to the Admiralty, through the local officers, statements containing any complaints, grievances, or requests which they may desire to make regarding their condition of employment.

On receipt of these representations, opportunity is afforded for the employés to interview the Financial Secretary, either in London or at the several dockyards, for the purpose of amplifying by verbal statement and discussion the subject-matter of the petitions.

The case for the employés is presented at the interviews by delegates who are chosen from amongst themselves, and who may be accompanied by other persons not necessarily in the Admiralty employment to assist them in submitting their petition.

During the last year, 1913–14, in which this procedure was carried out, no fewer than 454 deputations were received.

During the War, however, this plan of annually hearing petitions has necessarily been suspended. But as far as possible every opportunity has been afforded for the representation of urgent matters either locally or at the centre.

It is due to the employés to say that they have loyally recognised that during hostilities the formal "hearing of petitions "is not practicable.

Over and above all this, the clerical staffs in the dockyards and naval establishments share with the general body of Civil servants the opportunity of submitting to arbitration before the recently constituted Conciliation and Arbitration Board for Government Employés, under the chairmanship of the hon. Member for Derby, any request or complaint in respect of which Departmental decisions may have failed to give satisfaction.

Again, the workpeople, too, over and above the system of representation of requests or grievances already described, have sought access to the Committee on Production, especially when the question of a general increase in wages has been under consideration. They can only appear before that Committee with the consent of the Admiralty: that consent has usually, though not invariably, been granted.

Further, the Admiralty has taken careful account of awards by the Committee on Production, which, though not technically applicable to their own employés, may be not less equitably deserved by them than by those in whose behalf the awards have been given. In pursuance of this policy, in a recent case the Admiralty promptly sought Treasury sanction for the extension of the benefit of the award to their own employés.

asked the Prime Minister whether the importation of foreign malt for brewing purposes has been prohibited; and, if so, can he explain why the steamship "Syrua" recently landed 2,374 tons of malt at Dublin, which was immediately transferred to brewers there; whether further cargoes of the same article are expected at the same port and presumably for the same purpose; and what action the Government propose to take in the matter?

I have been asked to reply. The importation of foreign malt is not expressly prohibited, but the impossibility of obtaining freight space for such purpose in British ships operates as a practical embargo. An occasional consignment may arrive in a neutral ship, as in the case specified by the hon. Member, but such instances are too uncommon to require any special action.

asked the Prime Minister whether any record is being kept of the number of representative bodies in Ireland that repudiate the proposed Convention as unrepresentative and so selected as to be misrepresentative and anti-national; and, in view of the purpose of the Convention, whether a genuine Convention will be summoned by the constitutional means of free election?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider the advisability of extending to clerks of Petty Sessions in Ireland who, for the purposes of the Government of Ireland Act, are classed as Civil servants the payment of the war bonus on the same scale as that which obtains in regard to the Civil Service generally, in view of the fact that most of those salaries are on quite a small scale and most of these officials are wholly dependent upon them?

The position of clerk of Petty Sessions is not analogous to that of a Civil servant. It is not a whole-time employment. Many of the clerks are Royal Irish Constabulary pensioners and many have other employment.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that discontent exists over the prolonged delay on the part of the War Office in giving effect to the recommendations of the Committee which recently considered the question of promotions in regard to Reserve of Officers, Special Reserve, and Territorial officers; whether he is aware that numerous cases exist of such officers attached to Regular regiments who have served for eighteen months and upwards at the front who have been decorated for their services, and during that period frequently held the post of acting captain, have received no substantive promotion and are often reverted to position of second-lieutenant and placed under officers who have seen little or no active service but are Regular officers in the regiments to which they are attached; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

I will lay the Report on the Table on Thursday, with a note showing how far the recommendations have been approved by the Government.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the prejudice inflicted upon majors of the Regular Army and Special Reserve, who, having acted as second in command of training battalions and been recommended for promotion as commanding officers, have subsequently, when vacancies have occurred, been passed over in favour of junior officers of the New Army; and whether he can give any assurance that such officers who by reason of the age limit are forced to remain on Home service shall not be debarred from all prospect of promotion?

Whenever vacancies occur in the command of Home service battalions recommendations are obtained from the local authorities on behalf of any officer serving in the battalion whose name they desire to put forward. There always are a certain number of officers at home awaiting re-employment who have commanded battalions successfully for considerable periods in one of the theatres of war. As these officers have recent war experience, which is frequently not the case with the home serving officers, it is often considered that in the interest of training they should be appointed.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the fact that re-enlisted non-commissioned Officers who have been promoted to commissions in France for service in the field do not receive the same treatment as Reservists who have not been on service with regard to pay, outfit allowance, and camp kit allowance, the difference in pay being 2s. per day, and that these officers' wives and families have to live on what can be spared from the 8s. 6d. per day; whether he is aware that such men are not entitled to a pension; and what action he proposes to take?

The special rates of pay and outfit allowance for officers promoted from the ranks are limited to officers granted permanent commissions who, at the date of promotion, were soldiers (including Army Reservists recalled to the Colours) serving on ordinary peace attestations. It is not proposed to extend them to re-enlisted soldiers. Such soldiers retain their pensions (if any) in addition to full pay while serving, and are eligible for pensions as officers under the same conditions as others holding temporary commissions. They are also eligible for grants from the Civil Liabilities Commission to meet the necessities of their wives and families.

asked the Under Secretary of State for War if he will appoint a committee to investigate and report on the whole question of the purchase and slaughter and distribution of cattle for Army contracts in Ireland?

I fear that I cannot see ray way to adopt the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked how many officers serving in France are in receipt of Indian rates of pay; how many of these belong to units which have permanently left India; and how many belong to units still on the Indian Army strength?

The information could not be obtained without a very great deal of labour, which I do not feel justified in asking the officials concerned to undertake at the present time, but if my hon. Friend will communicate to me privately the exact point he has in mind, I will look into it.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War if he is aware that Army Council Instruction No. 945, prohibiting the use of cartridges except for killing rabbits and vermin, will prevent the wild game, which has this season bred in profusion, from being killed; and, seeing that a supply of food will thus be wasted, whether he will advise a modification of the Order?

My hon. and gallant Friend has misread the Army Council Instruction referred to. There is no prohibition such as he suggests. Cartridges can be purchased for the purposes of killing vermin and protecting crops on licences issued by the war agricultural committees so far as the supply extends.

asked the Home Secretary if an application was received from John Johns, a conscientious objector, recently imprisoned in Wormwood Scrubs and in Wandsworth, and who was passed by the Central Tribunal as a genuine conscientious objector, who refused the offer of the Home Office scheme, but who later on changed his mind and decided to accept it and wrote to that effect to the Central Tribunal; why no notice has been taken of his application; and why the man, on the expiration of his sentence, was sent back to the Army, and has since been kept waiting for some settlement of his case with the Home Office?

This man, on his appearance before the Central Tribunal in December last, declined to accept the conditions of the investigation of his case by the tribunal and accordingly he was not passed by the tribunal as a genuine conscientious objector. I understand from the Central Tribunal that two applications have been received from or on behalf of this man, asking that he may be given an opportunity of appearing again before the tribunal, and that the tribunal have replied in each case that it is not their practice to re-open such cases. The question whether the case of a man who having when before the tribunal refused service under the Home Office scheme, afterwards offers to undertake such service should be considered by some other tribunal is under consideration.

asked the Home Secretary if he can make any statement as to the effect of the early closing hours on the trade of small shops in semi-residential districts; and whether he has arrived at any decision regarding the hours of early closing in the autumn?

It is impossible, having regard to the other factors which have also been at work while the Order has been in force, such as the darkened streets, restrictions on the sale of certain commodities, and other war conditions, to form a precise estimate as to the effect of the Early Closing Order on small shops, whether in semi-residential or other districts. All that can be affirmed is that the information in the possession of the Home Office points to the conclusion that the Order has not injuriously affected the majority of small shopkeepers. The representations received in the spring, when the renewal of the Order was under consideration, showed that the apprehensions entertained by small shopkeepers when the Order was originally made had been largely dispelled by actual experience, and indicated that only a comparatively small minority were still opposed to the Order. As regards the second part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the similar question asked by the hon. Member for West Carmarthenshire on the 5th instant.

asked the Minister of Munitions if he will publish recent-figures regarding the effect of the regulation of the drink traffic in the various munition areas of England and Scotland, together with any information respecting the consumption both of beer and spirits and the reduction of illness or mortality connected with alcoholism?

The appended table gives the recent figures for convictions for drunkenness in areas scheduled under the Liquor Control Regulations. Further; figures on the reduction in the consumption of beer and spirits and on the reduction of illness or mortality connected with alcoholism are in course of preparation, with a view to publication.

asked the Pensions Minister whether he is aware that Corporal J. Nagle, No. 9006, 3rd Battalion, E Company, Royal Irish Rifles, Victoria Barracks, Belfast, on enlistment two years ago made an allowance of 3s. 6d. per week to his mother and the War Office allowed only 2s. per week dependant's allowance; whether, having regard to the fact that he was an only son to support his mother and then making her an allowance out of his pay and that he would, in a month after the time of his enlistment, have been in receipt of £40 indoor per year and in a position to make a large allowance, these facts will be considered and his mother granted full allowance with all arrears?

This is a question of supplementation of separation allowance which can be dealt with by the local committee under the Regulations of the Statutory Committee. If since Corporal Nagle's enlistment his mother is materially worse off than before and the local committee are satisfied that the son would, had he remained in civil life, have been able and willing to contribute more than before, it is open to them to make a small allowance if there is no other member of the family to assist.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland on what grounds the pension officer appealed against the decision of the Kinlough, county Leitrim, old age pension sub-committee in granting a pension to James Travers, of Derryherk, having regard to the fact that he had documentary proof of being of the statutory age and that his yearly income did not reach the standard, and as he holds only a poor bog farm, the annual valuation of which is only £l 3s.; and whether these facts will be taken into consideration on the hearing of the appeals?

The appeal of the pension officer in this case is on ground of means only, and is at present before the Local Government Board for decision.

asked the Home Secretary if he is aware that temporary night watchmen in His Majesty's prison service are not allowed a night off during the week, and are therefore expected to do duty every night of the year unless their pay is stopped for the night they may get off; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

The men referred to are temporary officers engaged at 4s. a night plus a war bonus of 9s. a week. The duty is not exacting and is generally undertaken by men of advanced years, some of them being in receipt of pension from other employment. Lately in some cases, wounded and discharged soldiers have been employed. It is not proposed to make any change in the conditions of service, which are well known to the men when they undertake the duty.