asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the delay which takes place in the issue of Government separation allowances for dependants as testified by local sub-committees in London; and, in view of the fact that in one such area the time for these allowances to get through is frequently ten weeks and in some cases much longer, what action he will take to remedy the hardship entailed thereby?

As I stated in reply to the hon. Member for Paddington South on the 16th ultimo, arrangements have now been made which, it is hoped, will expedite the examination of claims.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is estimated to be the additional amounts required for the provision of the new scale of old age pensions in England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland respectively; and what will be the respective total amounts, as estimated, for the next financial year required to provide old age pensions?

It is estimated that the approximate cost in the current financial year of the recent extension of the scheme of additional allowances to old age pensioners will be:

The whole cost of additional allowances in the current financial year is estimated as approximately:

It is not possible at present to give a reliable estimate for 1918–19, but the cost will probably be about £12,000,000 for old age pensions and £6,000,000 for additional allowances, as follows:

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that the Sugar Commission refuses to recognise short weight on deliveries of sugar to grocers on the plea that the sugar is sold by the Commission on average weight; and will he say what is the provision by which the grocer can protect himself against such short weight?

The Commission has for a long time past sold the sugar imported by it on average weights, instead of using the labour and time and quay-space necessary to weigh each bag. Before the average is ascertained care is taken to exclude all damaged or slack bags. No doubt in some cases grocers obtain slightly over and in others slightly less than true weight, but there has been no serious complaint in regard to which the claimant has been able to establish that the sugar was sold short by the Commission. There is always the possibility of weight being lost by pilfering, which has no doubt been considerable.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether the Food Controller has sanctioned an increase in the price of bacon; and, if so, why has no public announcement of such increase been inserted in the local Press?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The prices of bacon are fixed every fortnight by a meeting held at the Home and Foreign Produce Exchange, when delegates from the London and provincial exchanges and representatives of producers in all parts of the United Kingdom are present. These fortnightly lists, when sanctioned by the Food Controller, are issued, not from the Ministry of Food, but from the Home and Foreign Produce Exchange, and they are published in the principal London and trade newspapers. If they are not inserted in the local Press, the reason, presumably, is that they are not thought to be of sufficient local interest.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will state the amount of war bonus paid to each of the temporary warders at Mount-joy Prison; if he is aware that two of those officers who are warder pensioners are being victimised by having an amount equal to the war bonus paid them deducted from their pensions; whether, seeing that this bonus has been granted owing to the high cost of living, he will explain why these men are not allowed to receive any benefit from it; if he will state if this war bonus is calculated as pay; if so, why was it not taken into consideration in the case of a warder recently retired on medical grounds at Mountjoy Prison when the amount of compensation for injuries was being awarded him under the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1906; and, if it is not calculated as pay, why a deduction is made from the pensions of the two warder pensioners employed at Mountjoy Prison?

Temporary warders at Mountjoy Prison receive 24s. 6d. a week wages, plus 8s. a week war bonus. In the case of the two pensioners referred to this amount, added to their pensions, would have brought their total receipts above the amounts they were receiving at the date of their retirement, and under Section 20 of the Superannuation Act, 1834, their pensions accordingly had to be abated by the amount of the excess. War bonus is not reckoned as a pensionable emolument, being of a temporary character, but, like other earnings, temporary or permanent, it has to be taken into account in assessing compensation under the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1906.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether he-can state the number of claims made by the proprietors of the various London morning newspapers for the exemption from military service of members of their respective editorial and reporting staffs?

Claims for exemption from military service by staffs of daily newspapers are made to the tribunals in the ordinary way. I am unable to inform my hon. Friend of the number of such claims which have been made by proprietors of London morning newspapers.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether the ferry pilot officers of the Royal Flying Corps stationed at Lympne have not had any leave for over a year; and if officers stationed at home are debarred from having leave?

No, Sir. I understand that leave is granted to these officers when their services can be spared.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office what are the conditions prevailing, local or otherwise, which justify the labourers at Woolwich being paid 39s. per week while the men at Island Bridge, Dublin, only receive 29s. for the same class of work; whether he is aware that the cost of living at the two places is practically the same; if he will-state what bonus has been granted to the workers at Woolwich since the War began; from what date did the first of the bonuses take effect; what were the wages paid to the workers at Woolwich when the War began and the wages paid to the men at Island Bridge at the same time; whether he is aware that the men at Island Bridge are not even paid according to the terms of the Fair-Wages Resolution of the House of Commons, as they are not receiving the local rate of wages; whether he is aware that there is discontent prevailing at Island Bridge owing to the treatment meted out to the men there; and when it is proposed to pay these men a living wage?

War Department labourers are paid in accordance with the rates current in the district. The bonuses allowed at Woolwich amount to 15s., the first being given in September, 1915. Allowing for a trade rise notified soon after the War began, the pre-war minimum was 27s. at Woolwich and 22s. at Dublin. The current rates at Dublin have only recently been inquired into, but if the hon. Member has reason to think that the present War Department minimum of 29s. is contrary to the Fair-Wages Resolution, I shall be glad to have particulars.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what other German submarines beside U 52. have taken refuge in neutral harbours without being subsequently interned; and whether he can state the length of time they enjoyed the hospitality of the neutral and the circumstances attending each case?

The following are, so-far as I am aware, the only instances besides that to which the hon. Member refers of German submarines entering neutral ports during the War and departing again freely:

The U 35 arrived at Carthagena on the 21st June, 1916, with a letter from the German Emperor for the King of Spain. She left again within twenty-four hours.

The U 53 arrived at Newport, Rhode Island, on October 7th, 1916, with dispatches for the German Ambassador at Washington. She also left within twenty-four hours.

On the 14th January of this year a German submarine was found in Netherlands territorial waters, entry into which in ordinary circumstances is forbidden to-belligerent warships by the Netherlands neutrality regulations. She was detained and brought into port pending an investigation, but was released on the next day on the ground that her entry into territorial waters was due to the fog prevailing at the time.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the members of the party accompanying the right hon. Member for Barnard Castle to Paris had their passports viséd before leaving Paris, or whether they were provided with a special passport which enabled them to omit the formalities required in the case of other Members of Parliament and others when visiting France?

I understand that the necessary visas were obtained by His Majesty's Embassy at Paris at the request of my right hon. Friend the Member for Barnard Castle.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it was part of the agreement with Germany when we ceded Heligoland in 1890 that no person alive at the time of the cession should be subject to obligatory naval or military service; whether the effect of war has been that all the inhabitants have been removed from the island; whether the agreement has been observed in regard to Conscription; and whether the official statement made in 1890 that the change of nationality would certainly not be to the disadvantage of the islanders has been realised?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The hon. and gallant Member will see this detailed in paragraph 3 of Article XII. of the Agreement published in Paper Africa, No. 6, of 1890. As regards the second part of the question, I have seen reports in the Press to the effect that all the inhabitants have been removed from the island, but I have no official information. As to the third part, I have to say that no complaints have been received. I fear that I am not in a position to reply to the fourth part of the question.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the system of clock-pegging is kept up at Londonderry Prison during certain hours of the day as well as at night; and whether he will consider the desirability of the time employed on such work being diverted to some useful purpose?

I am advised that clock-pegging is necessary for the proper administration of Londonderry Prison.

asked the Prime Minister whether he can give an assurance that ample time will be allowed for consideration by the universities and other bodies concerned with the higher education of the country, and for the submission of such representations as they may desire to offer, especially as regards the detailed schedule of examinations that is proposed, before the recommendations of the Treasury Committee on the scheme of examinations for Class I. of the Civil Service are put into operation?

The answer is in the affirmative.