asked the President of the Board of Trade whether sufficient wool will be available this autumn and winter for the service of the hosiery trade?

The available wool supplies are being utilised in the first instance for the provision of Army requirements, of which hosiery forms a considerable portion. Sufficient wool will be available for military purposes, but the amount that will be available for civil consumption is entirely dependent upon shipping and other contingencies. Every endeavour is being, and will be made, to enable hosiery and other branches of the textile trade to maintain their working; hours at as high a level as possible.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, as the railways and their approaches are now under Government control, he can see his way to cancel the toll upon cabs using railway stations or to meet the men's representatives with a view to bringing about a settlement, thereby preventing further inconvenience to railway travellers?

I am afraid that I cannot add anything to the reply given to the right hon. Gentleman on Thursday last.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, whether he can state the number of officers and men of the merchant service killed during the present War, including officers and men who are on the Admiralty pay list serving in the Royal Naval Reserve or in any capacity in fleet auxiliaries, transports, mine-sweepers, patrols, etc.?

The number of officers and seamen of the merchant service reported as having lost their lives on merchant vessels through enemy action from the beginning of the War to 18th August, 1917, is 6,627. This figure does not include the loss of life of officers and men on the Admiralty pay list, and I would refer my hon. Friend to that Department for information on that point.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, with reference to White Paper (Cd. 8706), whether he will state what is the amount covered by free insurance of effects of masters and officers of the merchant service; whether the amount will be paid in all cases where effects are lost through collision due to steaming without lights or other indirect effects of the state of war; whether, in cases where ships visit ports other than the normal port of discharge and masters and officers are unable to visit their homes owing to their duties, special railway facilities will be granted to their wives to visit them; whether he will state to whom officers and men entitled to wear the silver war badge under the regulation now issued are to apply; and whether he can state when and in what form the Roll of Honour for the mercantile marine is to be published?

The maximum amounts covered by the free insurance of the effects of masters and officers of the merchant service is £100 and £50 respectively. Collisions which are directly due to steaming without lights are treated as war losses for the purposes of the effects scheme.

The proposal to extend the special railway facilities granted to masters, officers, and seamen of merchant ships will receive consideration.

The arrangements made for the issue of the silver war badge by the Board of Trade will apply to masters, officers, and seamen employed on board any British merchant ship except where the crew are engaged and paid direct by the Admiralty or Ministry of Shipping, and claims should be sent to the Board of Trade unless the crew are paid direct by either of the two Departments named. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the first issue of the Roll of Honour.

Will the Roll of Honour be made public, and in what way? Will it be in the newspapers as in the case of the Army and Navy?

I will give consideration to that matter.

Will the right hon. Gentleman take care that the services, the heroic services, of these merchant captains is recognised in the next Honours List?

Certainly.

I presume the term officers includes engineers?

Yes, it does.

The right hon. Gentleman did not answer as to what form the public are to know of this Roll of Honour of the merchant service? Communication to Members of Parliament will hardly meet the case.

I am not in a position to give a definite answer to that question, I will give it consideration.

asked the Secretary to the Board of Trade whether he can state how soon the reorganisation will have taken place which will enable the Board to meet the scarcity of matches which now exists, and relieve the public from the present inconvenience?

A matter of this kind necessarily takes some time, and I am not in a position at the moment to make any further statement on this subject.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that storekeepers all round the country write that they cannot get supplies, that Bryant and May and other English firms say that they cannot supply them, and that there is a serious shortage of matches?

I am not aware there is a serious shortage.

Why were no precautionary measures taken when there was certain to be a serious shortage?

I am not aware that there is a serious shortage.

There is.

I have correspondence on the subject which I can show the right hon. Gentleman.

I shall be very glad to see it.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether, in view of the Adjournment for the Recess, he is in a position to make any announcement as to the policy which the Government intend to pursue in India?

The Government of India have for some time been urging that a statement should be made in regard to Indian policy, and I am glad to have the opportunity, afforded by my hon. Friend's question, of meeting their wishes. The policy of His Majesty's Government, with which the Government of India are in complete accord, is that of the increasing association of Indians in every branch of the administration, and the gradual development of self-governing institutions, with a view to the progressive realisation of responsible government in India as an integral part of the British Empire. They have decided that substantial steps in this direction should be taken as soon as possible, and that it is of the highest importance, as a preliminary to considering what these steps should be, that there should be a free and informal exchange of opinion between those in authority at home and in India. His Majesty's Government have accordingly decided, with His Majesty's approval, that I should accept the Viceroy's invitation to proceed to India to discuss these matters with the Viceroy and the Government of India, to consider with the Viceroy the views of local governments, and to receive with him the suggestions of representative bodies and others.

I would add that progress in this policy can only be achieved by successive stages. The British Government and the Government of India, on whom the responsibility lies for the welfare and advancement of the Indian peoples, must be the judges of the time and measure of each advance, and they must be guided by the co-operation received from those upon whom new opportunities of service will thus be conferred, and by the extent to which it is found that confidence can be reposed in their sense of responsibility.

Ample opportunity will be afforded for public discussion of the proposals, which will be submitted in due course to Parliament.

While congratulating the right hon. Gentleman on the very far reaching statement of policy which he has just made, I beg to ask whether a statement to the like effect will be made officially in India?

Yes; the same statement will be made to-day in India.

When is it decided that the right hon. Gentleman is to go to India?

During the winter.

May I ask whether, in view of this admirable statement, there is any chance of an amnesty of people imprisoned in India?

I cannot add anything to my statement. As my hon. and gallant Friend is aware, the responsibility for the maintenance of order in India rests on the Government of India.

May I ask whether the principles on which the right hon. Gentle- man proposes to act were correctly outlined by him in the speech he made prior to his appointment?

That speech was made when I was a Private Member, and represented my own views. I am now acting as the spokesman of His Majesty's Government.

May I ask if those views have been accepted by His Majesty's Government?

I do not think I can make an announcement of policy when the decision of the Cabinet is that we should proceed to elaborate that policy by conversations between the India Office and the Government of India.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that statements of policy were put forward by himself on that occasion, and also by Lord Islington, and we want to know whether those statements represent the views of the Government?

I have to-day announced the views of the Government. I do not think I can be cross-examined about a speech I made when I was a Private Member.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether the House will have any opportunity of discussing the political last will and testament of the late Mr. Gokhale?

This question should properly be addressed to the Leader of the House, but I think in the circumstances a discussion on the document to which my hon. Friend refers would not be possible or useful at present.

Will the right hon. Gentlemen take fully into account this moderate and statesmanlike document in future negotiations with India?

Certainly any document left by Mr. Gokhale, and published by his friends, must receive the most careful consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for India what is the Government's decision as to the granting of commissions in the Army to Indians?

( by Private Notice )asked the Secretary of State for India whether he has yet come to any conclusions as to granting the King's Commission to Indian citizens?

The Government have decided that the bar which has hitherto precluded the admission of Indians to commissioned rank in His Majesty's Army should be removed, and, in accordance with this decision steps are being taken for the grant of commissions to nine Indian officers belonging to the Native Indian Land Forces who have served in the field in the present War and have been recommended for this honour by the Government of India in recognition of their services. Their names will be notified in the "London Gazette," and they will be posted to the Indian Army in the same Gazette.

The general conditions under which Indians should in future be eligible for commissions are under discussion between the Government of India and myself. I shall in due course consult the Army Council with a view to the introduction of a carefully considered scheme, which will provide for the selection of candidates and for their training in the important duties which will devolve upon them.

Will that training take place in India or at Sandhurst?

These gallant officers require no training; they have earned their commissions on the field of battle, and with regard to the future, that matter is at present under consideration.

Will the Army Council be considered as to the application of this to Indians, or will the whole Indian Army, and the Colonial, come in in such a way that they also have commissions, or is the scheme to be limited?

At the present time the principle of granting commissions to Indians has been conceded. Nine officers will immediately get their commissions. As for the conditions of granting commissions in the future, I am awaiting dispatches from the Government of India. Then the matter must be discussed with the War Office.

Is this the outcome of the decision of the Army Council? Was the matter referred to them?

It is the decision of the Government—of the Cabinet.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware of the publication of a letter written at the Foreign Office on 18th August, 1914, by the Under-Secretary of State and addressed to the British Consul-General in Antwerp, requesting the latter to facilitate the shipment of rifles from Belgium for the Irish National Volunteers; whether the military authorities were consulted before this letter was sent; and whether the Consul-General was able to effect the purpose required of him?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The rifles referred to were of an old Italian pattern, of small military value, and were the property of the Irish National Volunteers. The military authorities were informed at the time the letter was written. With regard to the last part of the question, I have no information.

asked whether a Note has been received from His Holiness the Pope urging the belligerents to consider terms of peace; and whether the Allied governments will confer on this matter before a reply is sent?

The answer to both parts of the question is in the affirmative.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has received a memorial petitioning for the initiation of negotiations with a view to securing a lasting peace; if so, what number of signatories subscribed to it; and what reply has been sent?

Before the right hon. Gentleman answers that question, may I ask if he is aware that this memorial is being run by a man of military age who got off service as a Baptist minister under false pretences, because he has no church, and he is the paid secretary to the Peace Society?

I was not aware of the information which my hon. and gallant Friend has just communicated. The document referred to has been received and has been acknowledged. It is stated to have been signed by 221,617 persons.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, on the occasion of the visit of Baron Sonnino to this country, it was agreed to increase the tonnage for the service of Italy, to accept the Italian modifications in their demands for spheres of influence in Asia Minor, and to maintain the previous claims made by Italy for the Dalmatian coast?

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, on the occasion of the recent conference in London with Baron Sonnino, the modification demanded by Italy in the division of the spheres of influence in Asia Minor was discussed and accepted; and if he can state to what division of spheres of influence in Asia Minor this arrangement relates?

I am not prepared to make any statement on the subject.

Inasmuch as a very important statement has been made by Baron Sonnino in Italy, would it not be consistent with the general policy of the Allies if, at any rate, some statement were made here?

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is now in a position to make a further statement about the application of the Irish Trades Union Congress for passports to attend the Stockholm Conference?

I much regret that the reply which was given to the hon. Member on the 13th instant was incorrect. Applications for passports were in fact made by the Irish Trades Union Congress and Labour party, but were refused.

If this misleading of the House on this subject was due to Lord Hardinge, will he be suitably but sternly reprimanded?

. It had nothing to do with Lord Hardinge, who was away on leave.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will give the reasons why a passport for America was refused to Sir Francis Vane on 2nd May, 1917; whether he is aware that his presence was specially desired in America to assist in work for the Allied cause; and whether he is now able to promise a favourable reconsideration of Sir Francis Vane's application?

The answer to all parts of this question is in the negative.

asked whether His Majesty's Government has officially recognised Essad Pasha as representative of Albania?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that a statement in the "New York World" of 26th May that the British and French Missions to the United States discussed with President Wilson the difficulties in the way of the creation of an independent Poland has been widely circulated in Poland by the Wolff Agency and produced a very bad impression there; and whether he is prepared to make any statement confirming the declarations made by His Majesty's Ministers in regard to the independence of Poland?

I have seen the statement to which the hon. Member refers, and can only say that it has been completely transfigured by the Wolff communiqué. The views of His Majesty's Government and our Allies as to the future of Poland have been more than once stated in the most formal manner, and they have undergone no change.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that a large number of neutral ships are still engaged in the carriage to German ports of goods of great military importance; and, if so, whether His Majesty's Government will be disposed to consider the possibility of discriminating against owners of such ships after the War?

In principle His Majesty Government are of opinion that neutral shipping which has been persistently and continuously engaged in assisting our enemies should be treated after the War in the same footing as enemy shipping.

Does my Noble Friend realise that neutral vessels which lie in port, in consequence of the threats of the German Government, are serving German interests in the same way as vessels actively engaged in the service of Germany?

Well, Sir; such shipping must certainly be considered as assisting the belligerent objects of our enemies.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether his attention has been called to a statement made in the House, in reply to a question on 23rd March, 1908, by the then First Commissioner of Works, to the effect that while sight and sound are interrupted and intercepted by the stone mullions in the Ladies' Gallery, these mullions are so essential a part of the structure of the House that it is impossible to interfere with or remove them; and whether he will say how, when removing the grille, he proposes to deal with these structural obstructions to sight and sound?

It is not proposed to remove the stone mullions, as they form part of the structure of the House itself.

Does the right hon. Gentleman imagine that the enfranchised woman of the future will be content with the inferior accommodation to be afforded her?

I am afraid I cannot at present reconstruct the House of Commons.

An HON. MEMBER: Get another gallery!

asked the First Commissioner of Works if he is aware that W. H. Hayden and Company, Limited, wholesale stationers, of over 100 years' standing in the City of London, had their original premises destroyed in a certain way a few weeks ago; that they then removed to unoccupied premises in Warwick Square, E. G.; if, after they were installed therein, the Office of Works gave them twelve hours' notice to vacate; if they did so and took other unoccupied premises in Newgate Street, E.C., which had been empty and advertised for letting for some time previously; if the Office of Works now demand possession of the firm's Newgate Street premises and have given them a few days' notice to vacate; whether he can say why the Newgate Street premises were not required by the Government until Hayden's entered them, although they are prominent and extensive corner premises and could not be overlooked; whether he is aware that there are also other vacant premises of equal suitability in the same neighbourhood; if it is necessary for this Government Department to be in a main street at great expense; and whether adequate compensation will be paid to W. H Hayden and Company, Limited, for the double disturbance, or manual assistance given them in their efforts to keep up with the requirements of the Office of Works?

When Messrs. W. H. Hayden and Company, Limited, entered into occupation of two floors of the premises in Warwick Square after the recent destruction of their former premises they were aware that there was a possibility of the building being required for Government purposes. On the requisitioning of the building temporary accommodation in Newgate Street was placed at the disposal of the firm to afford them time to make permanent arrangements, and the removal was carried out by this Department. It is understood that the permanent quarters of the firm will be ready for occupation by the 25th September. The further removal will be carried out by this Department, and the firm is entitled to prefer a claim in respect of any direct and substantial loss sustained. There is no proposal to occupy the premises in Newgate Street for Government purposes, and no notice has been given to Messrs. W. H. Hayden and Company, Limited, as suggested. The other questions do not, therefore, appear to arise.

Can the Office of Works not reconsider the advisability of utilising the London County Council building instead of hunting all over the place for premises?

That question is at present under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now in a position to state the number of Russian subjects who have registered their names to return to Russia to serve there in the Army; and when the first list of men to be sent to Russia may be expected to leave these shores?

It is not considered advisable in the interests of the men themselves to give this information.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he can now make a full statement of the arrangements made for setting up tribunals for Russian subjects under the Military Service (Conventions with Allied States) Act?

As has already been stated, a special local tribunal will be established for London on which persons of the Jewish faith will be represented. The other three places in England and Wales where there are large numbers of Russians are Manchester, Liverpool, and Leeds. It is proposed that at these places applications relating to Russian subjects shall be dealt with by a special committee or committees of the local tribunal, and that each committee shall contain not less than two persons of the Jewish faith. I am informed by the Secretary for Scotland that similar arrangements will be made for Glasgow.

Will these tribunals begin their work almost immediately or at the earliest possible date?

I hope very soon.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he has received from the clerk to the local tribunal, Leeds, a unanimous resolution passed by the tribunal protesting against the multiplication of bodies authorised to issue certificates of exemption, with particular reference to the issue of scheduled occupation certificates by the munitions area recruiting office to men granted exemption conditional upon undertaking munitions work and whose exemption is no longer justifiable in the opinion of the local tribunal; whether he is aware that protection certificates have been granted to men who know nothing of munition production, being used for the purpose of labour dilution, while members of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, contrary to the agreement with the society, are being taken for the Army, leaving dilutants eligible for the Army to remain in civil occupation; whether he is aware that the resolution of the local tribunal is based on the protest of and evidence presented by a local branch of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers; and, having regard to the fact that the action of the munitions area recruiting office is causing discontent in the local workshops, whether a reply will be sent to the local tribunal agreeing to give effect to their wishes in the matter?

I received a copy of the resolution to which the hon. Member refers, and communicated with the Ministry of Munitions and with the local tribunal on the subject. The granting of protection certificates does not come under my jurisdiction, but I am sending to the Ministry of Munitions a copy of the hon. Member's question and of my reply, and am asking them to communicate with him on the subject.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that all the agriculturists granted exemption from military service at Dunblane on Tuesday, the 7th instant, were given such on condition that they joined a Volunteer Corps; if there is a training centre within four miles of their farms; and, if so, are these men expected to work from five in the morning to six at night, then walk four miles, do their training, and again walk that distance?

I am informed that in seventy-nine out of 117 agricultural cases disposed of by the local tribunal at Dunblane on the 7th instant a condition was added that the men were required to join a Volunteer Corps where there was a training centre within four miles. The chairman of the tribunal, however, made it clear that in any case where a man could show that it was unreasonable to insist on the condition, either owing to harvest or other necessary farm work, the man was to be entitled to ask to be relieved of the condition. I am making further inquiry into the matter.

asked the Under-secretary of State for War whether the instructions issued on 11th June, or shortly before that date, dealing with the replacement of the Territorial Force chaplain at Gerhallow Fort, Dunoon, on account of the fact that the men of whom he had spiritual charge had been removed from the district, have yet been carried out; if not, can he say whether this chaplain continues to draw a salary as an officer when the men have been taken elsewhere; and how long has this state of matters existed?

The relief of the chaplain in question entails certain readjustments elsewhere, and cannot be considered until these have been effected. It is hoped that the matter may be finally settled very shortly.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that in June he said that instructions had been issued to this effect?

Yes, that is so.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether he can state the conditions under which an officer promoted to acting rank as a captain or major is given substantive rank?

Acting rank is given to an officer who is acting in some position temporarily in place of the permanent holder. Substantive rank is given in the ordinary run of promotion to fill vacancies in permanent establishments. An acting captain or major is therefore eligible for substantive rank in his turn when a vacancy occurs for permanent promotion.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether a man who has been rejected and is called up for re-examination and is placed in the B or C category, and requests to be sent before a special medical board, has any right of appeal from the decision of a local tribunal refusing such request; and, if not, whether he will take steps to remedy this defect?

A man called up for re-examination under the Military Service (Review of Exceptions) Act has the right, within thirty days from the date of the notice, to apply to a local tribunal for exemption from military service. He may, on the hearing of that application, make a request to be submitted for re-examination by the Special Medical Board. If he is dissatisfied with the decision of the local tribunal on his application for exemption, he has the usual right of appeal to the Appeal Tribunal.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether a number of men classified C 3 recently at Margate, who were expecting discharge, but were transferred to Thetford and thence to Colchester, where they are now engaged in unloading barges of hay, have to carry weights varying from 112 to 240 lbs.; whether most of these men have been on active service, and are suffering from complaints which unfit them for heavy work of this character; and whether inquiries will be made with a view to these men being put to work of a lighter character?

Yes, Sir; a certain number of C 3 men have been employed on this work. The weight of the bales to be handled does not exceed 200 lbs., and these are rarely handled by one man. Arrangements are being made to replace any men not found to be suitable for the work.

Is my hon. Friend not aware that these duties are not duties according to the classification for C 3 men at all?

Yes, I am aware of that fact.

Will my hon. Friend take steps to prevent it in future?

Yes; I propose to call the attention of the authorities to it.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether his Department will sanction the purchase of goods from home in bulk by the canteens, instead of being forced to buy all from the Expeditionary Force canteens, in view of the fact that the men's demands so often cannot be catered for while the officers' demands can, and in this way allow each section to supply its own wants, suitable to the money it has to spend?

I am afraid that I can add nothing to the reply which I gave my hon. Friend on 17th instant.

That reply contains nothing.

asked the Minister of Munitions whether he will take care that full compensation on an adequate scale is given to the allotment holders at Coventry Road, Birmingham, who have been dispossessed of their holdings for the convenience of his Department; and whether such compensation will include remuneration for the large amount of labour involved in the double digging of the grass land of which these allotments were originally composed?

I understand that the question of compensation in these cases is being dealt with by the Parks Department of the Birmingham Corporation, in consultation with the Board of Agriculture.

The hon. Gentleman has not answered the latter part of my question: whether compensation will be afforded for the special labour involved?

The greater includes the less; the whole question of compensation is being considered.

asked the Minister of Munitions whether, pending the receipt of the Report of the Advisory Committee appointed by the Central Control Board (Liquor Traffic), he has any information regarding the effect of Government beer on the human constitution?

The only condition affecting the quality of "Government ale" is that it must not exceed a gravity of 1,036 degs. Its effect upon the human constitution should, therefore, not differ from the effect of the beer to which many thousands of workers have been accustomed in the past.

asked the Minister of Munitions whether he is aware of the manner in which the engineering and electrical services have been fitted out in the Hereford National Factory by His Majesty's Office of Works; that the chief engineer of the factory in endeavouring to rectify matters was dismissed for so doing, and the maintenance handed over entirely to His Majesty's Office of Works; that the material has been of such poor quality that much of it had to be replaced by new material after a month's use; that one steam main burst in a dozen places ending in a fatal accident, and that public money has been wasted; and will he have an inquiry into the matter?

My right hon. Friend is satisfied with the manner in which the work referred to was carried out by His Majesty's Office of Works. The reason for the dismissal of the chief engineer was not as suggested in the question. In regard to the accident mentioned in the question, a full inquiry was made at the time, and no further action appears to be necessary.

Are these other things true or not? Was the material of poor quality, and had it to be replaced after a month's use?

No; the result of the inquiry was that it was not proved that the material was of poor quality and had to be replaced—except as regards a very, very small part of it.

asked the Minister of Munitions what sums of money have been contributed to the four places of worship sites for which have been granted at Gretna; how many of these sites are in England and how many in Scotland; and what conditions, if any, have been imposed on the amounts to be raised voluntarily in each case?

The following grants of money have been made for the erection of places of worship in Gretna: Church of Scotland Church, £4,000; Episcopalian Church, £5,000; Roman Catholic Church, £4,000. No grant has been made for the Congregational Church. The four sites at Greta a are all in Scotland. The condition imposed as to the amount to be raised voluntarily in each case is that it shall be sufficient to complete the buildings which have been agreed upon.

May I ask whether the absence of any grant to the Congregational Church was in consequence of the attitude it took up or because of the attitude taken up by the Government?

I could not answer that without notice.

May I ask whether similar facilities will be granted to Nonconformist bodies like the Wesleyans and other things of that sort at Gretna?

May we know whether the freehold of these sites remains the property of the Government or has it been vested in the various ecclesiastical authorities?

I believe at the moment it remains the property of the Government because the sites were granted when the land was under Government control under the Defence of the Realm Act.

Is it intended that it shall remain Government property?

That question I must have notice of.

Is it a new policy of the Government to use public funds for sectarian purposes?

asked the Minister of Munitions if he will consider the issue of badges, or something similar and under suitable conditions, to women engaged on munitions in Government and controlled establishments in recognition and appreciation of their services to the nation in the prosecution of the War?

War Service badges have been issued since May, 1916, to women engaged full time on work in Government factories and controlled establishments.

asked the Home Secretary whether the Fourth Schedule, Part III., of the Representation of the People Bill, dealing with universities, will be filled in by the Government prior to the discussion in Committee of Clause 27 of the Bill?

The answer is in the affirmative.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has completed the inquiries which he promised to make in regard to a member of the staff of the United Press of America who was alleged to. be pro-German in sentiment, and whose wife was said to be of German origin passing as a Norwegian, and with what result?

Yes, Sir; I have made inquiries, and can find nothing to support the allegations made in the question addressed to me on the 3rd of August by the hon. Member for the College Division of Glasgow.

Is the Home Secretary aware that the Member referred to is in communication with America in order to get substantiation of the facts he alleges?

No; I was not aware of that.

asked the Home Secretary if his attention has been called to the dangers attendant upon the practice of excessive cigarette smoking by young girls; and if he will consider the prohibition of smoking by girls under the age of twenty-one?

Smoking by children under the age of sixteen is prohibited by the Children Act. Cigarette smoking by girls over that age could not be prohibited without legislation, which I am not prepared to propose to the House.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the prohibition is a byword, and no one pays the slightest attention to it?

Could it not be done by a new Regulation under the Defence of the Realm Act?

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been directed to the case referred to in paragraph 40 of the recent Report from the Committee of Public Accounts relating to the payment in 1912 of £70,000 as purchase money for a property of some 2,000 acres and the compensations therein mentioned; and what was being taken as the valuation of that property for rating at the time of its purchase or any later date at which it was in approximately the same condition as at. the time of the purchase?

I have had to refer to the local military authorities in this matter, and I will communicate with my hon. Friend as soon as I am in a. position to do so.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether, seeing that the city of Bristol has threatened the immediate introduction of a Bill into Parliament for a large extension of the city boundaries, the views of himself and his Department are the same as those which he expressed in this House on the 14th December, 1915; and whether the Government would favour discussion of such a proposal during the War?

The Bristol Corporation have not submitted their proposals to the Local Government Board, but, on the information before me, I have written to them that, unless there is a reasonable prospect of fairly general concurrence in their proposals, I think that they would be well advised if they decided to postpone action in the matter until after the conclusion of the War.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that the grocers of the country have absorbed a large portion of the bread trade of the actual bakers of the bread, from the fact that grocers alone could provide sugar for the public, and will he therefore in his new sugar scheme include bakers' shops in the distribution, so that no trader may suffer loss of trade by the action of his Department?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. Under the new scheme of sugar distribution a food control committee will be entitled to register as a retailer of sugar an applicant who has not hitherto carried on that trade if they consider this to be necessary in the interests of the public in their area. The Food Controller, however, does not regard it as in the public interest that the right to sell sugar should be extended so widely as is suggested in the question.

asked whether lodgers who purchase all their own food will be permitted to procure their own sugar cards from the post office and buy their own sugar?

Under the new scheme lodgers purchasing their own food will be entitled, if they so desire, to make separate application for sugar cards to the local Food Office, and to continue to buy their own sugar.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what steps he has taken to increase the output of the Irish flour mills, and especially those mills which have not been used for some years past?

In so far as the reduced output of Irish flour mills is attributable to the competition of low-priced English flour, the contemplated provision that all mills throughout the United Kingdom shall sell their flour at a flat rate at the mill door will tend to increase the output of Irish mills.

Will the hon. Gentleman take steps to assist the owners of mills in Ireland which have gone out of repair owing to their not having been used?

We contemplate that the effect of the new system will be to greatly assist the Irish millers.

asked what arrangements are being made for the conservation and storage during the forthcoming autumn and winter of the largely increased food output from the arable land of the United Kingdom, and especially of the Irish oat crop, with a view to its being available in good condition for human consumption next spring and summer?

No special steps for the conservation and storage of home-grown grain generally are at present in contemplation, as it is believed that the existing means will prove sufficient. The rising scale of prices provided by the Grain (Prices) Order is expected to result in the normal proportion of stocks remaining in the stacks. The Irish Department of Agriculture are using every endeavour to induce Irish farmers to stack their oats.

asked to what extent the consumption of breadstuffs throughout the United Kingdom was reduced in May, June, and July of this year as compared with the same months respectively in 1916; what is the source of his information and whether it is now comprehensive; and whether the reduction is approximately uniform throughout the Kingdom?

For the month of May this year the consumption of bread and flour was practically the same as in May, 1916; for the month of June it shows a reduction of 3½ per cent.; and for the month of July the reduction amounts to 7 per cent. The information is based on returns from about 6,000 retailers covering from one-fourth to one-third of the whole consumption throughout the United Kingdom, and these returns are confirmed by others relating to the delivery of flour from the mills. The reduction is more substantial in large towns than in country districts; it is greater in England and Scotland than in Ireland and Wales; it is greater in Lancashire, Yorkshire, and the North than in the Midlands and the South. There has been a considerable reduction in the use of flour for industrial purposes.

asked the Secretary for Scotland if he has received a protest from Reverend T. A. Hayes, of Troop, Ayrshire, against the conditions of Irish labour in connection with potato digging in Scotland, and which the reverend gentleman describes as nothing better than white slavery; whether he has inquired into the allegations made by Father Hayes in support of his protest; and when steps will be taken to improve the conditions in which these Irish migratory labourers have hitherto been constrained to live?

I have received the letter referred to, but no particulars as to the farms in question. No complaints have reached the sanitary authorities this season, and I am informed that as the result of previous investigations the general conditions have considerably improved, and that there is regular inspection of the accommodation provided. I understand the Royal Commission on Housing is paying special attention to this question, and any recommendations that they make will receive my careful attention.

Has the right hon. Gentleman had an opportunity of making further inquiries into this subject, as he promised about a week ago?

Yes; a telegram was sent to the Reverend T. A. Hayes, who wrote me a letter without certain particulars, asking for those particulars, but no reply has come by telegram.

asked the Prime Minister how many assistant secretaries and others are employed by his secretariat to act as liaison officials between the secretariat and other Departments of the Government; and will he give their names?

I can add nothing to the answer which I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend on the 31st July.

asked the Prime Minister whether, having regard to the fact that disclosures of Cabinet secrets outside the House of Commons has been forbidden by recent legislation under severe penalties, he will say whether the Privy Councillor's oath is still held to be applicable to Cabinet proceedings as a high obligation with which no one can dispense except the Sovereign; whether the establishment for the first time in the formation of the present Government of a War Cabinet office, with secretaries and a staff of clerks for the making of memoranda and minutes of proceedings, including précis of the Cabinet discussions and the discharge of correspondence, has made any and, if so, what modification in the former inviolable secrecy of Cabinet proceedings of which no one was entitled to make a note except the Prime Minister to assist his memory in reports to the Sovereign; whether the rule still obtains that disclosures of Cabinet discussions are made only with the express permission of the Sovereign, but this permission should be obtained through the intervention of the Prime Minister, and that the discussion should be strictly limited by the terms of the permission granted; and was such express permission obtained before the Motion for the Adjournment of the House of Commons on Monday last to discuss the circumstances of the resignation of a Cabinet Minister; and, if so, was the permission subject to any and what conditions?

The answer to the first and third parts of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part of the question, the establishment of a War Cabinet Office has made no change in the procedure. The answer to the fourth part of the question is in the negative.

Has the right hon. Gentleman not had his attention called to the recent disclosure of proceedings within the Cabinet in many papers, and is he not able to take any action in the matter?

No, Sir; I have not had my attention called to it.

Do you not read the "Pall Mall Gazette"?

asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the fact that military Courts in Ireland, acting under martial law, have sentenced young men to long terms of imprisonment, some being for two years' hard labour, on charges of illegal drilling and wearing volunteer uniforms; whether he is aware that with the encouragement of a member of the War Cabinet similar acts were committed by thousands of Ulster Unionists, and that not in one case was even a Police Court summons issued; whether he is aware that the sentences of the military Courts are regarded even by those who have no sympathy with drilling as being therefore partisan and vindictive, and as proving that there is one law for the Nationalist and a different law for the Unionist; and whether the War Cabinet will, with a view to establishing impartiality in the administration of the law, direct the immediate release of those sentenced by the military Courts?

No action of the kind suggested in the question has been taken, except in consequence of overt acts contrary to law. Some of the prisoners recently released by way of amnesty have been exerting themselves since their release to reproduce the drilled and armed forces which took part last year in an armed rising, and it has therefore been necessary to enforce the Defence of the Realm Regulations with regard to drilling. In most of the cases where there have been trials short terms of imprisonment have been inflicted, and all the sentences have been carefully reviewed by the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief in Ireland. The answer to the last part of the question is the negative.

asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the fact that the Civil Liabilities Commission are in many needful cases failing to provide rent, taxes, and insurance of soldiers called to the Colours from civil employment, and that in particular Gunner James Forrester, Royal Field Artillery, a man who left a wife and four children, of ages ten, six, four and a-half, and three years, respectively, has been granted only £17 against £31 necessary for rent, taxes, and insurance, that arrears of rent have now accumulated, and that legal proceedings for these are threatened by the house-factors; and will he take any action to stimulate this Commission to more consideration for the financial strain of families left behind by soldiers at the front?

I have been asked by my right hon. Friend to answer this question. I cannot accept the suggestion that full consideration is not given by the Civil Liabilities Committee to the position of the families of men joining the forces or that the assistance granted is inadequate. The particular case to which the hon. Member refers has been fully considered and reconsidered by the Committee. Gunner Forrester has only recently joined the Army. In civil life he was earning £120 a year. As his wife now receives £80 a year as separation allowance, while the man himself is being kept by the Army, the grant of £17 a year is clearly sufficient to prevent any serious hardship resulting from the man joining the forces.

Is the proportion the usual proportion or is it a question of the Committee only paying sufficient?

I think the hon. Member is more qualified to answer that than I am. The Committee reported to me that they had twice reconsidered the question, and they considered it to be sufficient to avoid serious hardship.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that it is not a question of whether it is sufficient, but as to whether the woman has got three-quarters of her previous income?

That is not a question which I could answer without inquiry.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has received a memorial signed by nearly 200 Members of Parliament asking that the Departmental Committee on Unregistered Practice in Dentistry should be reconstituted so as to include representatives of unregis- tered practitioners and also a larger representation of Members of the House of Commons; and, if so, whether it is proposed to give the additional representation asked for?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, it is hoped that it may be possible to take action in the direction suggested by the hon. Member, but I can make no definite statement at the present time.

asked the Prime Minister (1) whether, in view of the Adjournment, he can make any statement as to the military position in Egypt and Palestine; (2) in view of the Adjournment for the Recess and the number of British troops serving, he can make any statement as to the military position in Salonika and as to the health of the troops there; (3) in view of the Adjournment, he can make any statement as to the military position in Mesopotamia, and if any form of civil government has yet been set up in Bagdad?

There is no information which with advantage I could communicate to the House at the present time.

If the Government cannot say anything at present with regard to the Salonika Expedition, will he use his influence with the Press Censor not to allow the Press to make statements from time to time prejudicial to the interests of the force in Macedonia?

I shall call the attention of the proper authorities to the suggestion of my hon. and gallant Friend.

Cannot anything be said about the health of the Salonika Force, which is here specifically mentioned?

I should have thought the hon. Member, if he had followed the proceedings of the 9th August, would have been aware that on that date a full and detailed statement was given on that subject.

asked what proportion of the shipping tonnage sunk by enemy submarines and mines since the beginning of February belonged to Allied and neutral countries; whether such proportion has increased in recent months; and whether, and to what extent, such tonnage is being replaced by new ships other than those built in British and American yards?

I regret that I cannot add anything to the statement made by the Prime Minister in the House on Thursday last.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that the increased dividends distributed to brewery shareholders for last year have to be compared, not with the existing reduced capital of brewing concerns, but with the capital originally invested, and of the fact that the return for last year, which was exceptionally high, is on the average a low return on the original capital invested in the trade, the Government will consider the propriety of further reducing Licence Duties on intoxicating liquor?

The subject dealt with in the question has been recently debated when the Finance Act just passed was before the House, and I can add nothing to what I stated in reply to the hon. Member for Lincoln on the 16th instant.

asked whether, having regard to the tax upon redress, amounting to £100 and upwards, imposed upon petitioners for Irish Divorce Bills under Standing Orders, he will take steps to have the fees charged in such cases remitted or the scale largely reduced?

The changes suggested would require a Resolution of Parliament, which the Government is not prepared to introduce.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he is in a position to state what steps have been taken to meet the requirements for storage of corn this year?

The Department of Agriculture have ascertained that there is storage accommodation in Ireland for about 800,000 tons of grain. The grain prices Order issued by the Food Controller should serve to induce farmers to stack their grain. The Department and the County Committees of Agriculture have taken steps to impress upon farmers the importance, under existing conditions, of stacking a large proportion of their grain crops. To stack the crops will be of obvious pecuniary advantage, and I hope and expect the advice thus given will be followed where it is possible.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Shipping Controller whether he can now make any further statement as to why the Labour representative has resigned from the Port and Transit Committee; and what steps he proposes to take in order to replace this representative?

The Port and Transit Executive Committee received Mr. Gosling's resignation with great regret. They have given very careful consideration to the views expressed in his letter of resignation and, as a result, have suggested certain modifications in the existing machinery for dealing with labour questions arising at the ports. These suggestions, which the Committee have put forward in the hope that they may command the approval of all parties, are now under the consideration of the Government.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that in the spring of this year the Department of Agriculture for Ireland agreed to hire their dredger to a harbour company, as had been done in former years, and that this arrangement was subsequently cancelled on the ground of the submarine danger on the passage from the place where it is lying to the harbour; and whether steps will be taken to provide a suitable escort and so prevent a vessel built at the public cost lying idle and enable the harbour, which is of importance to the surrounding district, to be properly maintained?

No information has reached the Admiralty of the circumstances described in my hon. and gallant Friend's question, but if he will supply me with further details of the localities, the Admiralty will of course inquire into the matter and let him know privately.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why the motor and other small patrol vessels guarding the entrance to the North Channel do not use an adjacent harbour for the purpose of replenishing fuel and other stores and so save the cost and delay involved in the passage of ninety miles to the base now used for this purpose?

My right hon. Friend the First Lord is making inquiry into this matter.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he has yet arranged to grant permission to licence private yachts and sailing boats to sail up Loch Goil, either to Lochgoilhead or part of the way up, instead of precluding them from entering that loch, in view of the fact that the fishing ground immediately within the mouth of the loch is most productive of fish at this season of the year?