asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether, before the present Austro-German attack upon Italy, General Cadorna or the Italian Government expressed any doubt as to their ability to meet the attack; whether any request for help to meet the attack was received from Italy before the attack took place; and, if so, was their request refused?

No doubt was expressed by General Cadorna or by the Italian Government to the British General Staff of their ability to meet the attack which they knew was about to be made on them. No request from Italy for help to meet the attack was made before it took place. The third part of the question does not arise.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a retailer in spirits who had at the beginning of 1916 sufficient in stock to supply his usual trade till the end of the year and took none out of bond during the course of that year is now entitled to get for the present year a percentage of what he sold in 1916 based on the average taken out of bond during the preceding five years; and, if not, whether he will state what method of supplying his customers and continuing his trade connections is open to a trader who took no spirits out of bond in the year 1916?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. If, however, the hon. Member will give me particulars of any trader who is in the position described I will have inquiry made into the case.

asked the Prime Minister whether a Russian subject who has appealed to the special tribunal dealing with the cases of Russian subjects on the grounds of conscientious objection to military service is refused exemption, and refused to submit to Army instructions and discipline, will be treated in the same way as British subjects who take up the same position; and whether his imprisonment will be carried out in this country?

It is not possible for me to answer hypothetical questions of this nature.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether exemption from military service has been given to any member or members of religious orders in the United Kingdom who are fit for such service; and, if so, on what grounds such exemption has been given; whether the Director-General of Recruiting has issued instructions that the cases of members of religious orders working under definite religious vows, and officially recognised as such by the chief authority of the religious denomination to which they belong, are to be referred to the Department of the Director-General of Recruiting for consideration, and that such men are not to be called up for military service without previous reference to this Department; and whether the Director-General has issued, or proposes to issue, similar instructions in the cases of all clergymen and other ministers of religion who have been ordained since the passing of the Military Service Act?

My hon. Friend has asked me to reply. The answer to the first and second parts of the hon. Member's question is in the affirmative. Instructions have been issued in certain cases that men working under definite religious vows are not to be called up for military service on the ground that they have devoted their lives to religious work and are in a similar position to men in Holy orders or regular ministers of a religious denomination. With reference to the third part of the hon. Member's question. I must refer him to the very full answer given to the hon. Member for East Denbighshire by the Under-Secretary of State for War on the 19th July, 1917, which sets out the present policy of the recruiting authorities with regard to men who have been ordained or admitted to the ministry after the date upon which they became subject to the provisions of the Military Service Acts.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Private Reginald Wareham, a youth of seventeen years of age, who was sent to France on the 3rd of August, where he was twice wounded on the 19th; whether he is aware that Wareham's parents sent to the officer commanding at Clipstone Camp, Nottingham, the birth certificate of the youth a fortnight before he was sent to France; that the certificate was returned the day after Wareham had left this country with the information that he had gone the day before; that, on the lad being returned wounded, the parents sent a birth certificate direct to the War Office and applied for an extension of two or three days' furlough, so that the position of their son could be decided; that, having had not even an acknowledgment of their letter, the parents returned the boy's uniform and intimated that they did not intend to let him return until he had reached military age; and that Wareham was immediately arrested, kept in a prison cell for two days, and finally taken under escort to Harrowby Camp, Grantham, where he remained for four days and was sentenced to a stoppage of twenty-eight days' pay; and whether he will state what is now the position of Wareham, and what action the War Office proposes to take against the commanding officer at Clip-stone Camp for neglecting to recognise the birth certificate and for sending the lad to France contrary to pledges given in this House?

This case has been under investigation, but the inquiries are not yet complete, more particularly as regards the circumstances under which he proceeded overseas. Meanwhile I may say that the Regulations in force for under-age soldiers, who have overstated their age on enlistment, do not admit of their being discharged if over seventeen years of age; they are, however, retained on home service until they attain the age of nineteen.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has received a petition from Wyndham Albery, who is a prisoner in Wormwood Scrubs Prison, in regard to the health and cleanliness of the conscientious objectors therein confined; and, if so, whether he will state what action it is proposed to take?

A petition has been received at the Home Office from this prisoner, but was not found to afford any ground for action. Some of the statements in it were founded on mere misconception of the prison regulations which the prison authorities have now made clear to the prisoner.

asked the Home Secretary if he is aware that conscientious objectors confined in Wormwood Scrubs Prison are now receiving only half the amount of food originally allowed under the war rationing scheme and that some of these men are in a state of semi-starvation; and whether ameliorative measures are likely to be taken?

There is no foundation for the statements that the rations have been reduced by half and these men are in a state of semi-starvation. Their health, as a body, is well maintained. If, in individual cases, the diet does not appear to be sufficient, the medical officer in the ordinary course orders extra diet.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that, owing to congestion at the work centres, over 150 conscientious objectors, declared genuine by the Central Tribunal over a month ago, are still confined in Wormwood Scrubs Prison; and whether, seeing that many of these men were previously engaged in work of national importance in certified occupations, he will consider the expediency of releasing them to follow their usual avocations?

Half of these men will be sent to work on or before next Saturday, and it is hoped that it will be possible to send the remainder to work by the following Saturday. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether housing accommodation has been provided by the Department concerned for all the tenants evicted in connection with the Beachley dry dock scheme or whether some of them are still dependent upon private assistance for such accommodation?

Fifteen cottages, the only available accommodation in the neighbourhood, have been offered to the families of Beachley tenants who have not yet found other accommodation. These tenants have been informed that the necessary repairs will be carried out. Some of these tenants have not yet left their homes and others are being temporarily accommodated by an adjoining owner, who has been informed that other cottages are available as soon as he desires these tenants to leave, but he has not yet replied.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that the food control committee under the Winsford Urban District Council fixed the price of milk for that district at 5½d. per quart for October and 6d. per quart from the 1st November to 31st March, 1918; whether he is further aware that many of the milk-sellers in the district immediately commenced to sell at the stipulated 5½d., but have been deterred from doing so as a result of the decision of the local milk association, which decided to reject the food committee's prices and to go on strike, and that in consequence Winsford is without milk, involving much hardship, especially on children and invalids; and what steps he proposes to take with respect to those who are withholding the necessary milk supplies?

The Winsford local food control committee fixed on 11th October a price of 5d. per quart as from 22nd October until 30th November. OP 27th October they amended these prices to 5½d. per quart for October and 6d. per quart from 1st November to 31st March. The Food Controller is taking steps to secure that, as far as the available milk supplies allow, an adequate supply of milk shall be at the disposal of this food control committee for distribution in their district.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that it has been ascertained by experienced stock owners and by scientific experiment that the temperature of a healthy beast is quite as likely to rise as a result of inoculation with tuberculin as that of a diseased animal; and whether, seeing that the test is so untrustworthy, the Food Controller will reconsider his decision to refuse a licence to charge the best price for milk to owners of herds which are in good health and kept under good hygienic conditions unless the animals have been so inoculated?

As I informed the hon. Member for Haggerston on Tuesday, the Food Controller has not yet reached a decision upon the advisability of granting licences for the sale and purchase of milk of higher hygienic quality than the ordinary supply; nor, if such a course were to be followed, has he decided upon the standards which would be set up in order to determine the required quality of such milk?

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food if it is necessary for farmers to obtain a permit in order for them to use damaged grain for their stock or sell to others requiring it; and, if a permit is necessary, will he say where and at what time such permit can be obtained?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative; the second part does not, therefore, arise. I should like, however, to point out that, as has already been stated in the Press, the fact that wheat or barley is out of condition does not necessarily mean that it is unfit for milling. Such grain should not be used for food for animals until it has been freely offered to millers and merchants. It is essential that all wheat which can be used in the manufacture of flour should be reserved for human food.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food, whether he has received resolutions from trades councils and others at Chatham, Luton, Darwen, and other places, urging that all supplies should be commandeered forthwith and distributed on the basis of population; and whether, in view of the failure of supplies in certain places of tea, sugar, butter, bacon, and other foodstuffs, while other districts are fairly supplied, he proposes to take immediate and drastic action?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Action has already been taken to increase the supplies of food stuffs of which there is a temporary shortage, and the question of improved distribution in populous areas is engaging the close attention of the Food Controller.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware of the danger of the loss of bees through starvation this winter and of the dissatisfaction with the Government's arrangements, which have given a monopoly to one London firm for the supply of sugar for bee-food in Great Britain and Ireland, and the general objection to having such sugar, mixed with a drug, which a number of practical beekeepers believe to be injurious to bees and useless to them for any purpose; and whether he will make arrangements for the immediate supply of bee-food under conditions similar to that by which sugar has been supplied to growers of fruit for jam-making?

In view of the arrangements made for the provision of bee-candy I see no reason to anticipate any loss of bees through starvation this winter. The preparation of this candy is based on a formula drawn up by experts; its manufacture has been entrusted to a firm which makes no profit out of the transaction; its use has been found to be generally beneficial. As these arrangements appear to be approved by a considerable number of bee-keepers throughout the country I am, not prepared to make any change.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he can make any statement as to the destruction of sugar which has resulted from the refusal to allow officers and seamen of the mercantile marine to land small parcels; and whether the recent permission to officers of the mercantile marine to land small quantities will be extended to the men of the mercantile marine so that they can land small parcels for their families although they have no licence?

I am not aware of any case in which a refusal to allow officers and seamen of the mercantile marine to land small parcels of sugar has resulted in the destruction of the sugar. Any sugar brought to this country without a licence is seized by the Customs authorities and added to the stocks available for the population as a whole. No permission has been given to either officers or seamen of the mercantile marine to import sugar.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food, if he is aware that mate is an excellent substitute for tea; if he will ascertain whether there is any quantity in this country; and, if so, how it can best be used?

There does not appear to be any quantity of maté in this country. Small parcels of it were imported some years ago, but it never passed into general consumption, and its importation was consequently abandoned.