asked the Under Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the anxiety among the relatives of the men reported missing after the battle of Gaza, steps will be taken to ascertain if any of them, and, if so, how many, are prisoners in the hands of the Turks?

Full lists of the missing have been sent to the Netherlands Minister at Constantinople, in accordance with the usual practice, for communication to the Turkish Government, and for circula- tion among the prisoners in the "various internment camps. He has also been requested to take all possible steps to expedite his inquiries. Up to yesterday there had been reported, through various channels, as being prisoners, 246 of the men missing in March, and 185 of those missing in April. These reports were notified to the relatives as they were received. There has been received to-day from the Netherlands Legation at Constantinople a report by the late United States Consul at Damascus, dated the 13th April, giving the names of three officers and ninety men captured at Gaza who had reached Damascus. It has not yet been possible to collate the list given in this report with the reports previously received in order to ascertain how many of the men named have not been reported already. I may add that the Consul states that he was permitted to communicate with the prisoners and to distribute to them relief in money; and further, that on his representation to the local military authorities the men were supplied with such personal equipment as they lacked and as it was possible to obtain locally. The three officers and seventy-five men left on the 15th April for internment in Anatolia; fifteen men were left in the hospital at Damascus. These were visited by the Consul, and were found to be mostly suffering from fever.

asked the Prime Minister whether the question of soldiers' pay is now being specially considered by the Cabinet, with a view to some increase being given; and, if so, will like consideration be given to the rates of pay of all naval lower-deck ratings?

The question of soldiers' pay is receiving the consideration of the Government. The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that a question of wages was recently arbitrated on by a single arbitrator appointed under the Munitions of War Act between Messrs. Cornish and Lloyd, Limited, of Bury St. Edmunds, agricultural implement makers, and their workpeople; that the result of such arbitration was to grant an increase of wages to the workpeople concerned, the same to come into operation on the first pay-day after 29th June; and that the firm in question have refused to put such award into operation, with the result that unrest has been created and danger of a stoppage of labour has arisen; and whether he will take such steps as will end this situation without delay and prove that employers as well as workmen must accept the decisions in such cases under the Munitions of War Act?

The chief Industrial Commissioner is communicating with the firm on the point raised in the hon. Member's question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that surveyors of taxes are maintaining that under the provisions of the Finance Act, 1915, a firm whose profits for the period ending 31st December, 1914, were £100 below their ascertained pre-war standard, and whose profits for the period ending 31st December, 1915, were £100 in excess of that standard would be liable for £10 Excess Profits Duty, although taking the two consecutive periods together no excess profit has been realised; whether, if the foregoing interpretation is correct, it will necessarily involve in the case where £50 duty has been paid in respect of £100 excess profit realised during the period ending 31st December, 1914, a refund of £60 in the event of a loss of £100 being experienced for the period ending 31st December, 1915; whether this interpretation may result in serious loss to the revenue through claims to refunds of Excess Profits Duty being calculated upon a higher rate of duty than that under which the original payments were made; and whether he will consider the desirability of issuing instructions to surveyors whereby, in the calculation of Excess Profits Duty for any number of consecutive periods, duty should only be claimed in respect of the amount by which the total profits realised during such periods exceed the total of the pre-war standard profits allowable during those periods?

The answer to the second part of the question is in the nega- tive; for the rest I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the replies which I gave on the 27th June and 6th July to my hon. Friend the Member for Leith Burghs, of which I am forwarding him copies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the full names, age, and emoluments of the Customs and Excise officer at Ringwood; and of what nationality are his parents?

The officer in question is William Emil Theodore Mahring, thirty-six years of age, salary £180. He was born in London and entered the Excise Service in 1903. I am making inquiry into the nationality of his parents.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury when the retired officer now filling the post of senior clerk in the statistical office, Customs and Excise, was recalled to service; whether at any time since his recall he and the senior clerk who retired in June, 1916, were both in attendance in the same division; if so, for whom he was then deputising; and what is the amount of saving in cost effected by installing a recalled man as against filling the post by direct promotion?

The officer in question was recalled to service in February, 1915, when two senior clerks were absent on prolonged sick leave. For a period of six months in 1915 he was on duty concurrently with the senior clerk whose vacancy he is now filling. During this period he was not deputising. He was helping the senior clerk in question, who could not, owing to impaired health, carry on unaided under the conditions then existing, and giving general assistance in the office in special work arising out of the War. It is not possible to give the comparison of relative cost which is asked for, as it involves a number of unknown items.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury how many retired officials have been recalled to service in the Secretaries' and the Accountant-General's Department respectively of the Customs and Excise before or since the date of recall of the retired official now acting as senior clerk in the Statistical Department; how many-vacancies have occurred, and how many new posts have been created in each of the former Departments in the same period; and how many of the vacancies have been filled by direct promotion and how many by the appointment of recalled officials?

The answer to the first part of the question is "None." There have been five vacancies and five new posts created in the Secretaries' office, and ten vacancies, but no new posts, in the Accountant-General's office since the retired official now acting as senior clerk in the Statistical office was recalled. Four posts in the Secretaries' office and two in the Accountant-General's office have been filled by promotion within these offices; the remaining posts have been filled by new appointments in the ordinary course or are unfilled except by temporary clerks.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury when it is proposed to give effect to the recent increase in the maximum of the assistant clerks agreed upon between the Treasury and the Arbitration Board?

The settlement arrived at was notified to Departments on the 9th ultimo, and they were authorised to give effect to it.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, in connection with his proposals of betterment of the conditions of school teachers in Irish national schools, he has considered the claims of work mistresses; and, if so, what is proposed to be done in reference to the increase of their salaries?

No proposal is contemplated for increasing the remuneration of work mistresses. Appointments of this class of teacher have not been made for many years and the number of work mistresses serving at the end of the year 1916 was only fifty-five. Work mistresses are engaged mainly in giving instruction in needlework, and under the Regulations those in the service on the 1st April, 1900, may continue to be employed so long as the average attendance of girls does not fall below twenty (or in some cases below twelve) and a mistress is not employed in the school. Work mistresses are only required to attend for two hours a day, and if competent must assist the teachers in. conducting the school during the time they are not employed in giving instruction in needlework.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland about what date the grant of a war bonus to technical teachers in Ireland is likely to be given; and whether he is aware that their association have been in communication with the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Technical. Instruction on this matter?

The association in question have been in correspondence with the Department of Agriculture on the subject, and an application for funds to enable a war bonus to be paid to whole-time teachers and to other officers employed under the Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act, 1889, is at present under consideration.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland how many of the 1,100 lay teachers in Irish secondary schools are employed in Catholic and Protestant schools, respectively; and in how many cases in each of those classes are the conditions of the Birrell Grant complied with?

This information will be published in the Report of the Board of Intermediate Education as regards the distribution of the Teachers' Salaries Grant, which, I am informed, will shortly. be presented to Parliament.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) if any improvement is to be made in the wages of the labourers at Avondale and Dundrum forestry centre, where the wages paid are the lowest in the United Kingdom, being only 15s. and 18s. per week?

As I have already informed the hon. Member, the application of the Department for the necessary funds and authority to pay a war bonus to these labourers is at present under consideration.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the right hon. Member for Barnard Castle and the hon. Member for Leicester were both conveyed to France in one of His Majesty's ships or transports; whether they were both so conveyed at the expense of the Government; and, if so, whether similar facilities will be granted to other Members of Parliament desiring to visit France, even though their journey is not on Government business nor undertaken at the request of the Government?

The facts are as follows: An inquiry was made of the Admiralty as to the most convenient and expeditious available means for the right hon. Member for Barnard Castle and a party to go to France. The reply given was that the mail boat would be the most convenient method of crossing, and a communication was accordingly sent to the Director of Transports asking that the necessary accommodation should be reserved, the Admiralty having no knowledge as to the individuals forming the party.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the as. "Armadale," which was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine at the end of June, contained hospital supplies valued at two millions sterling, besides a valuable hospital unit; whether the submarine commander asked, when the submarine came up to the sinking vessel, what had happened, remarking that the "Armadale" was eight hours ahead of time, which was actually the case; whether the submarine commander knew the exact number of men on board; and whether he can offer any explanation of the manner in which the German submarine commanders obtain valuable information from British sources?

This ship was torpedoed on the 27th June. As regards the nature and value of her cargo, I have not yet been able to obtain the information necessary to confirm, or otherwise, the statement in the question. As regards the latter parts of the question, the report made to the Admiralty of the conversation with the German submarine commander does not coincide with that mentioned in the question. Further inquiries are being made. If my right hon. Friend will supply us with the information upon which he bases his question, it may assist us.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether any general instructions have been issued to debar members of the Non-Combatant Corps from being given grants of leave by their officers?

I am not aware of any general instructions debarring this corps from leave. If my hon. Friend can give me details of any specific case he has in mind, I will cause inquiries to be made.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that a number of men of No. 2 Western Company, Non-Combatant Corps, attached to the Scottish Rifles at Moor Park, Kilworth, county Cork, have been engaged for seven days a week during the past eight months in sanitary work of an exacting character, the burning of excreta; that the majority have been employed for thirteen months without leave, and that, on applying for leave, they have been informed that no leave is to be granted to members of the Non-Combatant Corps; whether this is in accordance with War Office instructions; and whether steps will be taken to grant leave at reasonable intervals to such men?

Twenty-five men of No. 2 Western Company, Non-Combatant Corps, are employed on sanitary work at the places mentioned. They work about six hours daily on seven days a week, as it is essential that the work should be done daily. All but one had leave in June, 1916, and seven had leave in 1917. Leave is granted when applied for on urgent grounds. I cannot find any statement that no leave is to be granted to men of this corps has been made by any responsible officer or by his authority. The men themselves, when questioned, would not speak to such a statement having been made.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether Private J. L. Morgan, No. 45977 C Company, 26th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent, who was called up last May and passed B1, was totally rejected in 1915 at Stafford and again at Lichfield in 1916; why was his rejection card, given him at Lichfield, taken from him at Stafford; and whether he will have this man re-examined medically, and, if still tuberculous or otherwise unfit, order his discharge?

This man will be brought before a medical board, and I will let my hon. Friend know the result. The circumstances of his enlistment are being inquired into.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War if his attention has been drawn to the case of a man, totally blind of one eye and with only one-twentieth of normal sight in the other, who was passed for military service in Class C2 by a Liverpool medical board; and, if so, what steps the War Office propose to take in the matter?

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Private A. A. Hinsley, of 144, Fernlea Road, Clapham, No. 31,987, 3rd Company, 4th East Surrey Regiment, discharged owing to a broken arm in May, 1916, after serving nearly a year in France, was called up for service some weeks ago and posted to Weard Camp, Saltash; and whether, in view of the War Office Instructions of 23rd June that no discharged man who has served abroad is to be compulsorily posted for service, he will see that immediate steps are taken to release Private Hinsley?

I am afraid that I cannot answer these questions without making further inquiries, I will do this and communicate again with my hon. Friends.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the military authorities have decided to call up William Rook, general manager of the Millom Co-operative Society, who is thirty-nine years of age, classified B 2, and certified by Dr. Jackson, of Millom, to be medically unfit for Army service; whether he is aware that this society is doing an annual business of £100,000; that 12,000 people are dependent upon it for their food supplies; and that in the present state of the labour market no substitute for the manager can be found; and whether, in view of these circumstances, he will suspend the calling-up notice until further investigation has been made?

Inquiries have been made in the case of Mr. William Rook, and it has been ascertained that he is thirty-seven years of age and fit for general service. Mr. Rook was granted final exemption to the 26th May by the local tribunal, but the Appeal Tribunal extended this period to the 1st July after which date he was available for service. As the result of representations from the Ministry of Munitions, and as the Appeal Tribunal raised no objection, instructions were given for Mr. Rook to be called up for the 31st July. This further postponement of one month was granted as a most unusual concession to enable him to close the books and accounts of the society. It is further pointed out that Mr. Rook before his appeal was heard wrote on behalf of the co-operative society to the Director-General of National Service on the 9th May offering himself for national service, and that on the 22nd June he applied to the War Office for an appointment as clerk in the Department of Supplies and Transport. In these circumstances it is not proposed further to postpone Mr. Rook's call to the Colours. My hon. Friend will appreciate that it is most undesirable to interfere with the considered decision of the tribunal.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether he will investigate the case of Private J. Burley, No. 43,439, D Company, 80th Training Reserve Battalion, formerly No. 1,147, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry; whether he is aware that this man was discharged on 4th August, 1915, with a gunshot wound in the left elbow, as being no longer fit for war service under paragraph 392, XVII., King's Regulations, and that he is a silver-badged man; whether, despite this, he was called up under the recent Act and, though protesting against his calling up to the recruiting officer at the Corn Exchange, Sheffield, and claiming to be exempt, was sent into the Army on the 22nd June and is now in a Labour Battalion doing the training of a fit soldier; and what steps it is proposed to take in this case?

The facts are not yet quite clear about Burley, and I am not able at present to give any definite answer. If the suggestions in my hon. Friend's question prove correct, Burley will be discharged.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to Form W. C. M. R. 3, Question No. 9, which applicants for exemption are asked to fill; whether the meaning of the question is that rich men are to be exempted and poor men refused exemption; whether he is aware that military representatives have objected to the exemption of working men of low medical categories, although they are married men with families, the objections being based upon the contention that men of alleged low wages, although these wages have been above trade union rates, cannot be regarded as indispensable within the terms of the Regulation R. 136, and that on that ground exemption should be refused?

My attention has not been called to the Form mentioned in the question. Perhaps my hon. Friend can furnish me with a copy or indicate the source from which the Form comes.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he will direct the proper authorities to take advantage of the educational facilities afforded by the University, the Heriot-Watt College, and the school board in the case of the eighteen-year old recruits at present undergoing training in Edinburgh?

Inquiries will be made to see whether the institutions named by my hon. Friend can be utilised for educational purposes.

asked the 'Under-Secretary of State for War whether the firm of Whyte, Ridsdale and Company, of 72, Houndsditch, E. C., have twenty employés (out of forty-four) of military age; whether eleven of these men hold certificates of exemption from a tribunal; whether the applications were made to the City of London Tribunal, in whose district Houndsditch is situated, or whether they were made to the White-chapel Tribunal, of which the proprietor of the business is chairman; if so, whether this is a breach of the Regulations; whether this matter has been brought to the notice of the Army Council; and what steps they are taking, or propose to take, in regard to it?

Representations on this matter have been received in the War Office, and they are being considered. I am not in a position to make any further statement at present.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that Mark Cymbalist, of Stoke Newington, now imprisoned in Wormwood Scrubs, was unaware until June, 1916, that his father, a Russian subject, had become naturalised in the previous January, and Cymbalist was consequently too late to lodge a claim before the local tribunal as a conscientious objector; whether he has since been handed over to the military and sentenced to a term of imprisonment in Wormwood Scrubs; and whether he will order his release from prison that he may state his case before a tribunal in view of the fact that through circumstances over which he had no control, he has not yet appeared before a local tribunal?

My right hon. Friend has no authority to order the release of the man in question from prison. Any representations in the matter should be addressed to the War Office.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the responsibility devolving upon the Director-General of the Army Medical Service for the health and sanitation of the British Armies, the time has arrived when this branch of the War Office should no longer form part of the Adjutant-General's Department, but should be given the status of a separate Department of the War Office, whose responsible head should be a member of the Army Council?

My Noble Friend the Secretary of State for War considered this question some time ago and decided that the present was not an opportune moment at which to re-open discussion on a matter of organisation of this importance, which had been decided some years ago, after the fullest investigation of all the relevant arguments. With that decision, moreover, he is still in the fullest agreement.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether, in the organisation of the Royal Army Medical Corps, a certain number of fully-qualified medical men are employed to supervise the mechanical and horse transport of the ambulance and other Royal Army Medical Corps units at the front; and whether, in view of the shortage of civilian doctors, he will take steps to allocate this particular work to officers who are not qualified medical practitioners?

In all motor ambulance convoys there is attached an officer of the Army Service Corps, whose duties are to look after the mechanical transport; but an officer of the Royal Army Medical Corps is necessarily in command of this, as of all other medical units for the care of the wounded. In the case of field ambulances, a warrant officer of the Army Service Corps is attached to superintend the motor ambulance and horsed wagons.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War if one division of the Army in France has had to be isolated on account of an epidemic; if so, what is the nature of the epidemic and has the isolation confined it to the one division; and what is the present health condition of that division?

I have no information as to this matter, but I am calling for a report and will inform my hon. Friend as soon as I am in a position to do so.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is assured that the rations for native carriers in East Africa, as laid down by him, really are received by the natives; and if he will state the amount and nature of the additional rations stated by him to be supplied to them?

As far as is known the native carriers in East Africa are receiving the rations as stated in my reply to my hon. Friend on the 19th July, and the General Officer Commanding in East Africa has been asked to confirm this by cable.

The extras issuable are as follows:

2 ozs. potatoes, or plantains, or bananas or sweet potatoes, 2 ozs. jaggery or goor, 2 ozs. Sim Sim oil or ghee (or two green cocoanuts per man per week), per man per diem.

The increases recommended by the medical authorities are: A minimum of 4 ozs. of fresh vegetables to be issued daily. The rice ration in the alternative scale is increased to l¼ lbs. When meat is not issued the amount of beans is to be 6 ozs., and 1 oz. ghee and 2 ozs. goor or jaggery are to be added.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether he has any official information in reply to his inquiry of the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief in East Africa as to the casualties among native carriers to show that effective steps are being taken to reduce the casualties of 10,000 to 15,000 per month by the provision of adequate food and of medical care and comforts; and whether any reduction has yet taken place in the rate of sickness casualties?

I am cabling to. East Africa on this matter, and will, inform my hon. Friend of the result.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether his attention has been directed to the number of Government motor cars which leave Cambridge every week-end for the Norfolk Broads; and whether he will have inquiries made into the matter?

I have no information as to this matter, but I will call for a Report from the Command and will communicate the result to my right hon. Friend.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if his attention has been drawn to the insufficiency and bad condition of the food supplied to the youths who are in training at Westbere Camp, Upstreet, Canterbury; and whether he will make inquiry, and, if he finds the state of things at that camp unsatisfactory, will he have the matter remedied, in the interest of these soldiers and the country?

Inquiries will be made, and my hon. Friend will be informed of the result.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if all officers when taken prisoners are placed on half-pay; and whether, seeing that many such officers have been prisoners for more than a year and are men of slender means with families dependent on them, he will consider the propriety of allocating full pay to all officer prisoners, so that their families may be enabled to meet the present high cost of living?

No, Sir. Regimental officers who are prisoners of war in Germany are credited with full regimental pay by the Army agents who have them in their payment, together with field allowance and lodging, fuel, and light allowances. These emoluments are subject to a deduction of £3 a month in the case of lieutenants and £5 a month in the case of captains and officers of higher rank, in respect of the pay which they receive, while prisoners, from the German Government.

asked the Fianncial Secretary to the War Office what, if any, profits are made by the canteen of the British Expeditionary Force; and if profits are made, how they are disposed of?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Dulwich on 26th July.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office (1) whether he is aware that the Government has received resolutions from an influential meeting of St. Patrick's Division residents and from the Dublin mercantile associations requesting immediate attention to provide temporary increased facilities for the examining and receiving depot in Dublin and the purchase of a site for the erection of permanent premises; whether any action is to be taken thereon; and (2) whether he is aware that dissatisfaction has been aroused by the delay in carrying out the promise definitely made to establish an examining and receiving depot in Dublin; whether he is aware that resolutions asking for its immediate establishment in temporary premises and the purchase of a suitable site for permanent use have been passed by the Dublin Mercantile Association and by an industrial meeting in St. Patrick's Division; and whether he can state what is intended?

The matter is still under consideration, and I hope it may be possible to make some announcement at no distant date.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if any further donation can be given towards the expenses, amounting to £130, which the parish of Tilstock, Whitchurch, Salop, had to incur through the burial ground having to be enlarged on account of the deaths in Prees Heath Camp; and, seeing that the old ground would have lasted many years if the camp had not been made in the parish, will £20 more be granted?

I am calling for a report on this matter, and will let my hon. and gallant Friend know the result as soon as I am in a position to do so.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that the labourers in the employment of the Ordnance Department, Curragh Camp, have not yet received the war bonus granted to all Government employés from 1st January, 1917; what wage these men now receive; and whether he is aware that many of these men come from towns a long distance away?

The minimum wage for these labourers is at present 23s. a week. The question of an increase is under consideration.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether, before accepting tenders for work in the provinces by other than local contractors, inquiry is made whether the contractors can command a supply of local labour or will have to import it at pay and allowances higher than are payable locally; and, in the latter case, whether, other things being equal, he will consider the advisability of entrusting the work to a local firm, if one of good standing be available?

Local contractors are, as a rule, invited to tender for work within their capacity, and for which the supply of local labour is likely to be sufficient. For large works the largest contractors are invited, irrespective of locality, and, other things being equal, the work would be given to a firm in the district. Outside labour must be imported even by local contractors when the local supply is insufficient, and it is seldom that the supply of local labour in country districts suffices for large works.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office upon what principle tenders are invited for Government work in provincial districts; and whether in all cases where there are local firms of good standing they are invited to tender, so that the Government may get the work done with the advantages accruing from the management, labour, and material being near to the site of the work?

As a rule contracts for building work are put out to competition among firms within a reasonable distance from the proposed work. In the case of large contracts competition is limited to the largest contractors throughout the country, irrespective of district.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether, before accepting tenders for work in the provinces by other than local contractors, inquiry is made whether the contractors are in a position to execute the work themselves or will have to sub-contract locally; and, in the latter event, whether he will consider the advisability of employing the local firm direct and so escape the double profit carried into the contract price?

Before placing contracts the Department satisfies itself that the firm proposed to be employed is capable of carrying out its contract, and sub-letting other than such as is customary in the trade is prohibited by the terms of the contract.

asked the Pensions Minister if applications for separation allowance from parents of soldiers who enlisted during their apprenticeship or whilst they were under training for skilled occupations and in receipt of merely nominal wages, thereby precluding their parents from obtaining separation allowance on the ground of pre-war dependence, have to be made to him; if so, whether he is aware of the increasing discontent caused by the failure of the Ministry to recognise the sacrifice of parents in such cases by granting them separation allowances, as is done in other cases where parents have not made similar sacrifices for the future welfare of their sons; and what action he intends to take in the matter?

The Statutory Committee are empowered to grant special or supplementary separation allowances in any case in which a soldier at the date of his enlistment was undergoing a period of training or apprenticeship at the expiration of which he would have been in a position to contribute to the support of his parents, if the absence of the expected contribution had resulted in hardship. The grant is based on the contribution which the soldier might reasonably have been expected to make out of his earnings at the time of the application if he had remained in civil life. The question of removing the hardship condition is under consideration.

asked the Pensions Minister whether, in dealing with claims to supplementary pension, regard is had to pre-war income; and, if so, whether, in view of the increase in the cost of living, this instruction to local war pensions committees will be modified to meet the new circumstances?

This matter has been very carefully considered, and it has recently been decided by the Government that, in view of the powers of the Statutory Committee in respect of allowances, which have been increased this year, and of the increase in pensions provided under the Royal Warrant, sufficient provision had been made. I am, however, not altogether satistied that the increase in the cost of living does not justify some modification in existing Regulations, as regards supplementary pensions, and I am considering the matter further.

asked the Pensions Minister whether his attention has been called to the case of Private J. W. Askew, No. 3084, 2/5th York and Lancaster Regiment, who is an inmate of an asylum and has been awarded a gratuity of £55; whether he is aware that the Pensions Ministry decline to issue more than 13s. 9d. per week of this gratuity for the support of Askew's wife and five children, all of whom are under fourteen years of age; and whether it is a rule of the Pensions Ministry that, whatever the size of a family, no larger issue than 13s. 9d. shall be made in gratuity cases; and, if so, from what funds can such allowance be supplemented?

The facts are correctly stated in the first part of the question. I regret that owing to a misapprehension the local committee were incorrectly informed that Mrs. Askew could not be allowed more than 13s. 9d. a week. The mistake is now being rectified.

asked the Pensions Minister why the mother of A. Kendall, No. 66172, 2/A.M., 84th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, Lilborne, Rugby, has received no Government allowance since her son joined the Army on 13th March, 1917, in spite of the son's application and the allowance by him of 3s. 6d. per week?

asked the Pensions Minister (1) whether he will explain why Mrs. Flattery, of 7, Fisherton Street, Lisson Grove, London, N.W., a dependant of Private Alfred Andrews, No. 172736, 313th Labour Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, has not been visited by the pension officer or received her separation allowance, although Private Andrews enlisted so far back as 28th February last; and will he take steps to expedite the payment of this allowance; and (2) whether he is aware that Mrs. Cham, of 19, De Walden Buildings, St. John's Wood, London, N.W., mother of Private Cyril Ernest Cham, No. 34828, of the 97th Training Reserve, has not yet received her separation allowance or been visited by the pension officer, although her son enlisted so far back as 20th February last; and will he provide for payment of this allowance without delay?

asked the Pensions Minister (1) why Mrs. Evett, of 84, Tunis Road, in the Shepherd's Bush war pension district, mother of Ernest W. J. Evett, No. 29266, 46th Training Reserve Battalion, who enlisted in the last week of February, 1917, has not yet received her separation allowance, together with many others in this district; and (2) why Mrs. Stabler, of 122, Hamlee Gardens, in the Hammersmith war pensions district, mother of Private W. Tizley-Sims, No. 183,289, Royal Field Artillery, who joined the Army on the 1st January, 1917, has not yet received her separation allowance, together with many others in this district?

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware of the complaints regarding the delay in paying dependants' allowances; whether he is aware that, in the district of Woolwich, for instance, Private A. Hill, 2/4th Royal Scots, made an allotment to his mother on 7th March last; that Private H. W. Barnes, air mechanic, Royal Flying Corps, made an allotment to his mother on 5th March last; that Private L. J. Weaver, 102nd Training Reserve Battalion, made an allotment to his mother on 21st March last; that Private Duffy, Irish Guards, made an allotment to his mother on 16th April last; that Gunner Collins, Royal Field Artillery, made an allotment to his mother on 25th April last; and that all these cases have been investigated by the Local War Pensions Committee and recommended for payment and yet no payment is forthcoming; and whether, in view of the fact that these mothers are absolutely dependent upon the allowance. steps will be taken to expedite a settlement of these and all such cases?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer these questions. I am in communication with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this matter.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that the illegitimate child of a soldier or sailor whose father has been killed in the War is entitled to a pension of 5s. a week, but that the illegitimate child of a sailor on active service is entitled to nothing; and whether he will take steps to equalise the position so that the child may be entitled to 5s. a week from birth, seeing that no claim for an affiliation order can be made against a soldier or sailor on active service?

My hon. Friend will realise that there is a difference between the case of a child whose father has been killed in the War and that of the child whose father is living inasmuch as in the latter case the primary obligation rests with that man. It is not the case that an affiliation order cannot be made against a sailor on active service. On the contrary, facilities are, given for the service of summonses upon sailors on active service, and provided that the Admiralty be satisfied that the man against whom an order or decree is made either appeared or had a reasonable opportunity of appearing to defend his case before the Court, compulsory stoppages within the limits prescribed by the Naval Discipline Act are made against his pay if the man is not willing by a voluntary allotment to satisfy the terms of the order.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to complaints as to the delay of many months in payment of dependants' allowances; and why no remedial measures have been adopted to remove this injustice to soldiers' dependants?

As I stated in an oral reply to similar questions to-day, I am in communication with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this matter.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the increasing numbers of delayed separation allowances; and if he will communicate with the Stepney Sub- committee of the London War Pensions Committee, in order to remedy a state of affairs which occasions grave discontent?

I am in communication with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the matter of delays generally. As regards Stepney, I am informed that the number of delayed cases has been reduced.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether he is aware that considerable inconvenience and distress is caused in the borough of Warrington to certain wives of soldiers entitled to separation allowance by reason of the fact that new books are not issued promptly after the calling in of an expired book, and payment of the allowance is in consequence delayed; and whether he will take steps to remedy this?

I am not aware of any recent failure on the part of paymasters to dispatch the new books in good time, but if my hon. Friend will give me particulars of the cases he has in mind I will cause full inquiries to be made.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he can explain the cause of the delay in forwarding to Mrs. M'Dougal, of 31, Willow Walk, Sydenham, S.E., her separation allowance which was allotted to her by her son, Private A. J. M'Dougal, No. 76,572, T Company, 5th Labour Battalion, in October, 1916, and also the reason for a similar delay in the receipt by Mrs. A. Hampton, 76, Porthcawe Road, Sydenham, S.E., of her separation allowance in respect of which an allotment of 3s. 6d. per week was made by her son, Private A. J. Hampton, No. 20,829, 44th Training Reserve Battalion, in February of this year, also the cause of the delay in the receipt of a separation allowance by Mrs. H. Plummer, 39, Neuchatel Road, Forest Hill, S.E., whose son, Private H. A. Plummer, No. 10/41,910, 99th Training Reserve Battalion, made her an allotment of 3s. 6d. a week in April last?

Inquiry is being made, and I will inform my hon. and gallant Friend of the result

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office in what circumstances of imprisonment are dependants deprived of their allowances?

As regards imprisonment of the soldier, I would refer to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bolton on 20th June. As regards imprisonment of the dependant, the rule is that separation allowance is suspended for the period of imprisonment; but the allowances for the soldiers' children are temporarily increased to the higher rates applicable to the motherless.

asked the Minister of Munitions if he is aware that the Clay Cross Iron Company is a controlled firm; if he is aware that women working at the slag-cracking machines are being paid 2½d. per hour less than the men for doing the same class of work; if he is aware that the men working the slag-cracking machines are being paid a much lower wage than the men doing the same class of work at other iron works in Derbyshire; if he is aware that boiler firemen, brick-burners, and many other sections of men and boys are being paid a much lower wage than other firms are paying in Derbyshire; if he is aware that the management refuse to deal with the union officials about the matter; and if he will take action in the matter?

So far as the rates of women at the Clay Cross Company are concerned who are working on slag-cracking machines, their wages will be the subject of a general investigation, which, as I have already informed my hon. Friend, is being made into the wages of women employed on munitions work in Sheffield. With regard to the boiler firemen and brick-burners and to the relations of the company with the union officials, a full inquiry is being instituted, and I will inform my hon. Friend of the result.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state what was the price of wheat delivered at Fort William, Canada, in September, 1912, 1913, and 1914?

I regret that I am not in possession of the information desired by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will represent to the Government of Canada that any maximum price for the new1 crop wheat fixed under their authority should approximate more nearly to pre-war prices than does 80s. per quarter delivered at Fort William?

I do not think that I could properly make any representations to the Canadian Government on the subject.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the speech of the Prime Minister of Australia during the general election at Bendigo announcing that the Federal Government favour a continuation of Imperial control of refrigerated tonnage and selling agencies after the War in respect to frozen meat and dairy produce, both in the interest of feeding the Empire and developing Australia; whether, in view of this announcement, his Department are prepared to co-operate in such a scheme; whether he is aware that the Dominions Royal Commission recommend in their Report that, in view of the likely world shortage of beef, mutton, butter, and cheese, the policy of Government control of refrigerated space in vessels trading between Australia and New Zealand should not be abandoned on the cessation of hostilities but should be maintained, at any rate, as a temporary measure; and, in the event of such a policy receiving his approval he will call a conference at the Board of Trade of all those interested, including the labour employed in meat distribution and the cold-storage industry, with a view to establishing an advisory and controlling department which shall adequately represent all interests?

I have seen newspaper reports of Mr. Hughes' speech, and have read the recommendation of the Dominions Royal Commission on this subject. The matter, like others of a reconstructive nature, is receiving careful consideration from the Governments concerned.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food (1) if his attention has been called to a report of the meeting of the Irish Master Bakers' Association in which they unanimously complain that the contents of the flour supplied to them by the millers is not revealed to them, that from this cause alone quite 30 per cent. of the materials used in the manufacture of bread thus remain uncooked, and that this is causing far more waste than any saving that might accrue from the mixture of cereals allowed by the Controller; whether his attention has been drawn to similar statements made by other master bakers' associations in Great Britain; and, seeing mat the members of these associations are elected by all the bakers of the country and that they voice the opinion of the entire trade, will he grant them this concession and compel the millers to declare the nature of the contents of all flour supplied; (2) if he is aware that at meetings of these associations complaint is made that no reason is given for employing ships to bring in cargoes of beans, peas, tapioca, rice, etc., for blending with wheat flour, when the same ships might reasonably be employed in bringing only wheat or wheat flour; has this aspect of the case been under the consideration of the Food Controller; and (3) if he is aware that, under the Cattle Food and Fertilisers Act, an analysis of all cattle food and all manures has to be supplied on every invoice from the dealer to the buyer and that giving a declaration of the contents of flour supplied to bakers will not impose any hardship on the millers, and that it will tend to increase the confidence of the general public when they know that there is nothing added to the wheat flour that cannot be revealed to them; and will he provide for such declaration being made?

In respect to the enforced disclosure of ingredients, I can add nothing to the answer given to the hon. Member last Wednesday. The allocation of tonnage necessarily depends to some extent on the facilities for purchase of commodities in their respective countries of origin. Vessels bringing return cargoes of peas and beans could not, without loss of time and money, load cargoes of wheat and wheaten flour. It must further be borne in mind that such commodities as rice and tapioca are not solely or mainly used for blending with wheaten flour, but have an independent food value of their own. Moreover, the exportable surplus of wheat is not unlimited.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Shipping Con- troller whether, in view of the fact that no meat has been carried from South to North America in Messrs. Lamport and Holt's boats since the spring of 1916, he will state who were the proprietors of the boats which, during July, August, September, and November, 1916, carried 7,000 sheep, 24,000 lambs, and 49,000 quarters of beef from South American ports to the United States, and again in March of this year loaded 14,000 sheep and 2,000 lambs for the same destination; whether he is. aware that the publication of these figures in the Australasian Press is causing dissatisfaction in view of the congested condition of the New Zealand stores; whether these goods were carried in British-owned boats; and, failing the firm mentioned, if he can give the names of the steamers which carried the goods in question?

I am informed that the proprietors of the boats in question are the American and Hawaiian Steamship Company, which is, I am given to understand, a purely American Company, and that the carrying boats were the "Panaman," "Montanan," and "Pennsylvanian." These owners are an American corporation, having its head office at New York, and I understand that their brokers at New York are Messrs. Barber and Company, also an American company. In these circumstances there seems no ground for the dissatisfaction referred to by my hon. Friend. If it exists, it plainly rests upon a mistaken view of the facts or the case.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture what action it is proposed to take with regard to the Crown lands at Wingfield Marsh, Lincolnshire, where, after once ploughing with a motor tractor and twice sowing with wheat, a luxuriant crop of thistles has resulted; and who is responsible for this system of agriculture on Crown property?

The question appears to relate to some Crown land at Wingland, Lincolnshire, extending to about 171 acres, recently drained, after being reclaimed from the sea, and let to Mr. C. Pratt. About 29 acres are fallow. The remainder, which is under a crop for the first time, was steam cultivated and ploughed, and once sown—92 acres with oats, 35 acres with winter wheat, and 15 acres with spring wheat. Owing to a late season, the 15 acres of spring wheat was very backward and thistles appeared in it. It was, therefore, ploughed up, together with about 10 acres of the winter wheat which was also thin. The remainder of the corn promises to be quite a fair crop.

asked the Home Secretary when the Return of experiments upon living animals for the year 1916 will be published; and if he will see that such Return will be issued according to the former practice in such form as to give in the case of each licensee the name of the hospital or other place where he or she is licensed to perform experiments?

I hope that this Return will be issued early next week. In view of the urgent necessity for economy in paper and printing I am afraid it is not possible to give the details indicated in the last paragraph of the question, which have not been given during the War.

asked the Home Secretary whether it is proposed to adopt the recommendations of the Departmental Committee, presided over by the right hon. Member for Bristol, which investigated the question of the use of cocaine by unregistered practitioners in dentistry?

I propose to defer the carrying out of the recommendations in question, which would involve setting up machinery for the registration of unqualified persons practising dentistry, pending the inquiry of the Committee appointed by the Lord President to consider the whole question of the position of the unregistered practitioner, including the question of his admission to a special roll. In the meantime, I have continued, until further order, the existing permit for the purchase by unregistered practitioners of local anæsthetics containing cocaine.

asked the Home Secretary whether the permit to unregistered practitioners in dentistry to use preparations containing not more than 1 per cent. of cocaine for use in dental operations has been extended beyond 31st July; and, if so, to what date?

The permit has been extended and will remain in force until further order.

asked the Home Secretary whether the inquiries he has made relative to the antecdents of the alien partners in the firm of Leon Menasche and Company have established that both Vitali Menasche and Gaston Menasche were born in Constantinople; that their father and both grandfathers (paternal and maternal) were also born in Constantinople, and that their ancestors have always been resident in, and citizens of, Turkey since the dispersal of Spanish Jews and cosmopolitan financiers and their banishment from Spain in the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella; and, if so, why these alien enemies are treated otherwise than other Turkish enemy subjects in this country, and why they have been described as Spanish refugees as an ostensible reason for exceptional treatment?

Vitali and Gaston Menasche were born in Constantinople, and I have no reason to doubt that the hon. and learned Member's information as to their ancestors is correct. There is no question that they were, as the Home Secretary has stated, refugees from Antwerp. So far as my Department is concerned, they have not been treated in any way differently from other Turkish enemy subjects who are exempted from internment.

asked the Home Secretary under what conditions does the superintendent of police at the Albany Street Police Station issue permits to Mr. Vitali Menasche, an alien enemy, permitting him to travel to and from Manchester and other munition centres in the North of England; is any statutory declaration required as to the purpose of these visits; and, if alleged for business, why is it considered desirable for alien enemies to compete with British firms whose partners and staffs have had to go upon active military service; is any record kept of these permits; and, if so, how many have been issued, and when and for what places since war broke out?

I am informed that the only travelling permits given to Mr. Vitali Menasche by the Metropolitan Police are the two referred to in the Secretary of State's answer to the hon. and learned Member's question on the 24th July, which were issued on the 20th June last and the 9th July. Both were permits to go to Manchester on business, and were issued in accordance with the provisions of the Aliens Restriction Order, which do not require a statutory declaration from the applicant. As regards the rest of the question, I can only refer to the answer which was given to the hon. Member on the 24th July.

asked the Home Secretary if he is aware that a fund amounting to £31,000 has been collected to provide German prisoners in this country with luxuries; whether this fund is a registered charity and, if so, who is responsible for allowing such a body to exist; and whether steps will be taken to prevent such pampering of German enemies?

If the hon. Member refers to the funds collected by the Emergency Committee for the Assistance of Germans, Austrians and Hungarians in Distress, I understand that they are duly registered as a war charity. The committee render assistance to interned prisoners in the matter of employment and occupation in the camps and give relief to their wives and children outside, but they do not supply luxuries. I understand that a similar committee has been established in Berlin for rendering assistance to British subjects there.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he has any information, or whether he will seek it from the Governor-General or the Chief of the Police at Bombay, concerning the conduct of the alien enemies, trading as Leon Menasche and Company, and, in particular, Vitali Menasche and Gaston Menasche, in relation to their intercourse with the native population and their derision of British rule, and generally acting prejudicially to British interests; and will he say why these men are allowed to frequently visit and travel in India, trading in competition with English firms whose partners and staffs have gone on military service for the defence of the Empire?

I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply given to a question asked by him on the 20th December last. Since then no further information regarding the persons in question has been received from India. I have no reason to doubt that the Government of India or the Government of Bombay would take suitable action against them if their conduct was in any way improper. I will draw their attention to the hon. and learned Member's question.

asked the Home Secretary whether the proposals of the Ministry of Reconstruction will be embodied in Bills to be presented to the House and passed as other Bills before they are acted upon, or whether and, if so, under what conditions or in what cases the Ministry will exercise executive functions?

I would refer the hon. Baronet to Clause 2 of the Bill and to the statements which my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary made on behalf of the Government on the Second Reading.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to an article headed "Submarine War: Analysis of Returns," which was printed in a London morning paper of 31st July, but was stopped by the Censor from appearing elsewhere; why one paper was allowed to print what was refused to others; whether it was stopped because the facts and figures of sinkings were inaccurate; and whether, now that the information has once appeared, the matter contained in it may be generally published?

This question is based on-an erroneous assumption. The article referred to was not submitted to the Press Bureau for censorship, nor, so far as can be traced, were any similar articles submitted by other papers.

asked the Secretary to the Board of Trade whether military nurses when proceeding home for their holidays to Ireland are allowed passes at single fare for the double journey; and, if so, will he see that this concession is also granted to those nurses other than Army nurses, who are likewise doing war work in the hospitals in England and who, owing to the increased railway rates, are unable to return home to Ireland for their holidays?

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that, although nurses in military hospitals are allowed the privilege of travelling home at a reduced fare, nurses in civilian hospitals containing military beds are denied this privilege; and whether, in view of the fact that these women are doing the same kind of work and receive smaller pay than the regular military nurses, he will consider the possibility of extending the privilege to them?

Army nurses proceeding on leave are provided with a voucher entitling them to travel at single fare for the double journey. In regard to the extension of railway concessions to other nurses, I would refer my right hon. Friend and my hon. Friend to the answer given on the 13th July to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Chertsey. I understand that the Board of Trade arrangements are nearly complete.

asked the Minister of Labour in what trades advisory committees consisting of an equal number of representatives of employers and trade unionists have been set up to deal with the training of disabled men; and whether he can give the names of the representatives on each committee?

Trade Advisory Committees for Disabled Sailors and Soldiers have been set up in the following thirteen trades:

1. Cinematograph trade.

2. Printing trades.

3. Boot and shoe repairing, hand-sewn boot making, and clog making.

4. Boot manufacture.

5. Building trades.

6. Leather goods manufacture.

7. Gold, silver, and jewellery trades.

8. Electricity sub-station attendants.

9. Shipbuilding and engineering trades

10. Cane and willow trades.

11. Furniture trades.

12. Tailoring trade.

13. Brush-making trade.

These committees consist, in all, of 168 members. I am sending my hon. Friend a list of the associations of employers and workpeople represented on each committee, together with the names of their representatives. Similar committees are now being formed for the electrical, coal mining, and textile industries, and arrangements for committees to deal with other trades are in train.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the British authorities in Petrograd are holding back a number of British women with their families, who are being sent by their husbands to England, the authorities there openly asserting that it is their duty to make it difficult for British people to leave Russia; and, if so, will he take any steps to facilitate the journey of these people home?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative; the second part does not therefore arise.

asked the hon. Member for Sheffield (Central Division) who is to choose the officers and non-commissioned officers who are to be sent to neutral countries under the recent agreement with Germany relating to prisoners of war; when the work will begin; what rule is to be followed in making the choice; and how soon he hopes that the first batch will leave Germany?

In the case of sick and wounded the decision rests with a Medical Commission according to the provisions set forth in the White Paper which should now have been issued. In the case of those qualified by length of captivity there will be no selection, but precedence will be given strictly according to the date of capture. It is hoped that the Medical Commissions will begin work immediately, but I cannot say when the first batch will be released, as this depends partly on shipping arrangements, and partly on how soon the Dutch authorities are able to provide accommodation.

asked the hon. Member for Sheffield (Central Division) what is the number of officers and noncommissioned officers who will be sent from Germany and from England, respectively, for internment in neutral countries under the recently concluded Agreement with Germany; and if he can give the numbers of such commissioned and noncommissioned officers which each neutral country is prepared to take?

I am afraid I cannot at present give any number, as this depends on the working of the Medical Commissions prescribed under the Agreement. The Netherlands Government have undertaken to provide 16,000 places in all for British and German prisoners inclusive, and it is hoped that a certain amount of further accommodation will be found in Switzerland.

asked the hon. Member for Sheffield (Central Division) if he is aware that the British prisoners in Germany are in danger of having the supply of parcels from Switzerland cut off owing to the increasing shortage of food in that country; and can any other arrangement be arrived at to replace this one?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to my reply of yesterday.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he can state the grounds on which the old age pension has been refused to Cornelius Shea, of Adrigole, Castletownbere, seeing that his only means of livelihood is derived from a provision in an agreement entitling him to his maintenance out of a small uneconomic holding of 11 acres subject to a rack rent of £4 a year, and the gross profits of which would not amount to £20 a year; whether he is aware that the local pension committee awarded him the full pension of 5s. a week, and that this award was overruled by the Local Government Board; and whether he will ask the Local Government Board to investigate this application again with a view to granting the applicant the pension which in the opinion of the local committee he is entitled to receive?

This claim was refused on the ground that the means of the applicant exceeded £31 10s. a year. The local sub-committee awarded a pension of 5s. a week, but it was disallowed by the Local Government Board on appeal. It is not correct to say that the applicant's only means of livelihood are derived from a provision for his maintenance on the farm which he had assigned to his son. He is also entitled to maintenance out of the proceeds of a shop and a room used as a dispensary which he assigned to his daughters. The Local Government Board cannot reinvestigate the case unless a fresh claim is referred to them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has noticed the remarks of the Prime Minister of Queensland expressing appreciation of his promise to sympathetically consider a request from that Government for Imperial assistance in forwarding to the Queensland Government cattle ranches the required types of pedigree cattle to effect an improvement in the quality of Queensland stock, and stating that he intended to take the matter up with the Imperial Government; whether any such communication has been received; whether he has noticed that the Dominions Royal Commission in their Report strongly recommend that action be taken in the direction of improving cattle breeds in Australia and Canada and other Colonies; whether he recognises the necessity of urging this matter forward, in view of the danger of the Queensland meat industry falling under the control of the Chicago companies, and that the enterprise of the Queensland Government in acquiring large territories for cattle ranches supplies an opportunity for very effectively carrying out the recommendations of the Royal Commission; and, in the event of no such communication having arrived from the Queensland Government, whether his Department themselves will communicate with Queensland?

I have not received the request referred to, but the whole question is receiving the attention of the Imperial and Oversea Governments, and the recommendations of the Dominions Royal Commission on the subject will not be lost sight of.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many of the men who were sentenced to penal servitude or imprisonment after trial by courts-martial in connection with the riots in Ceylon in May and June, 1915, are still undergoing sentence; how many cases have been investigated by the Governor and how many of these have been released; whether the Governor is pursuing his investigations into the cases of those still in prison; and whether any of the prisoners have died in gaol, and, if so, how many?

As to the number of persons sentenced by courts-martial I would refer to page 39 and following pages of the correspondence presented to Parliament in January, 1916 (Cd. 8167). The Governor has recently reported as to the release or reduction of sentences in the case of persons convicted both by courts-martial and by Civil Courts. In the case of the 47 persons sentenced to death who had their sentences commuted by Sir Robert Chalmers to penal servitude for life or for a term, the periods of imprisonment have since been reduced in 24 cases, and 12 have been released—four on the ground of ill-health. Of 52 persons sentenced to penal servitude for life, the period has been reduced in 28 cases, and 21 have been released, 8 on the ground of ill-health, and three on payment of a fine. Of 245 persons sentenced to penal servitude for various terms of not less than two years, 101 have had their sentences reduced, and 144 have been released, 41 on the ground of ill-health, 8 on payment of a fine, and 35 on the ground of youth. Moreover, 616 short-term prisoners were released on the King's Birthday last year. Sir John Anderson has now investigated all cases of sentences by courts-martial. I am not able to give the number of prisoners who may have died in prison.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he can state for the latest year for which particulars are available the income of the Salisbury Diocesan Training College from Government Grants and any other payments by the Government, students' fees, endowments, voluntary subscriptions, and other voluntary contributions, respectively; and what was the expenditure of this college out of maintenance account for the upkeep and repair of the buildings and grounds, rent, interest and repayment of loans, and any other payments not directly providing education and board for the students, respectively?

The latest information in the Board's possession relates to the year 1915–16. The following table gives the particulars for which the hon. Member asks for that year:

asked the Home Secretary whether the Inter-Departmental Committee upon the Condition of the Blind have made their Report; and, if so, when it will be published?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. The Report of the Departmental Committee on the Welfare of the Blind has been presented, and was laid on the Table of the House on Monday, the 23rd July. I hope it may be published by the end of next week.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has been advised by the Law Officers of the Crown that he has no power, as the Mental Deficiency Act stands at present, to aggregate service as between lunatic asylums and certified institutions for the mentally defective; and, if not, having regard to the urgency of the matter, whether he will consult the Law Officers as to whether other means than fresh legislation can be found in these days to provide for the matter?

I am advised that there is no doubt as to the legal difficulty, which can be met only by legislation. It does not appear necessary to consult the Law Officers.

asked the Minister of Labour when it is expected that the Wages Board will operate in Ireland; whether such progress has been made as to enable him to give an approximate date; and whether he is aware that many resolutions have been unanimously passed requesting the immediate appointment of this board at industrial meetings held in St. Patrick's Division, Dublin?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to his questions of the 11th and 16th of July. A special inquiry has recently been made in Dublin, and inquiries are in progress in other districts, in order to ascertain the rates of wages that prevail in certain trades. Every effort will be made to extend the Trade Boards Act to the trades in which the low wages are found, but, as I have previously informed the hon. Member, this cannot be done without legislation, and I am therefore unable to form an opinion as to the date on which it will be possible to establish the new Trade Boards that are required. I will, however, do everything possible to press forward the Bill to amend the Trade Boards Act, which has been prepared by my Department with a view to facilitating the application of the Act to trades that require its protection. I fully sympathise with the desire that has been expressed in Dublin for the extension of the Act.

asked the Postmaster-General whether it is proposed to discontinue the mail car from Thurles to the Commons, county Tipperary, early next month; and, if so, what arrangements it is intended to substitute in order to supply the postal requirements of this district?

I am having inquiry made, and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture what is the nature and composition of the drug or drugs with which the Board is experimenting as a remedy for the Isle of Wight bee disease; whether the drugs are a so-called secret remedy; whether he has any objection to disclose their chemical composition for the benefit of those beekeepers who are also engaged on the same investigation; and whether he will consider the desirability of issuing a new pamphlet on the Isle of Wight bee disease in order to bring the latest information to the notice of the public?

The Report on the experiments on the Isle of Wight bee disease which are being conducted on behalf of the Board has not yet been received. As the Board are not in a position to recommend or discourage the use of the drugs that have been used in the experiments no useful purpose would be served by putting out their names at this stage. They are, however, in no sense secret remedies. The Board would be glad to be put into communication with any beekeepers who are also investigating the disease and will be glad to give them all possible assistance.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether the roofing material used in executing the works now in process of construction by his Department consists of composition or natural slates; whether the price of the latter compares favourably with the price of the former; and whether the industry of quarrying the latter, being an old-established industry in certain parts of the country, should not receive favourable treatment, other things being equal?

Natural slates are now being used on the buildings in course of construction. So many factors enter into the question of the use of composition that with the slight experience of the Department in such user it is undesirable to make a comparison of prices. The reply to the last part of the question is that such treatment has always been given by the Department.