asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether traders and grocers in Ireland are to be compensated for the loss they will sustain by reason of the 4s. maximum price fixed for tea; if he is aware that many of the traders in Cavan have themselves paid 4s. to 5s. per lb. for their tea; and if he will, in the event of not granting compensation, extend the time for disposing of the tea purchased by them at the prices above stated?

The Food Control Committee for Ireland have made arrangements by which the class of controlled tea known as C. grade tea may be mixed with the high cost teas referred to in the question for the purpose of enabling traders and grocers in Ireland to dispose of those high cost teas without loss.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food if he can state the steps which are being taken by the American and Canadian Governments to encourage the consumption of freshwater fish as a substitute for meat, the varieties of fresh-water fish which are being placed on the market, and the methods of capture adopted?

The American Food Administrator has established a Fisheries Section and is urging the American public and the dealers to make greater use of hitherto neglected varieties of lake and river fish. By priority ruling sufficient netting and cordage has been assigned to the fishermen of the great lakes to enable them to maintain the maximum production. The method of catch is largely by net. Fishing in the inland rivers is under the control of the State authorities and is being prosecuted with diligence, although the amount involved is not large. The principal varieties are white fish, pike, and bass. In Canada a special Fish Committee has been appointed by the Food Controller to popularise the consumption and facilitate the distribution of fish as a substitute for meat. One of the duties of the Committee is to report upon the feasibility of providing an ample supply of fresh-water fish at reasonable prices to the consumers of central Canada, while giving legitimate returns to the fishermen. In consequence of recommendations from this Committee the Ontario Government have permitted net fishing in selected inland waters of that province, with a view to determining whether or not an important additional supply of fish can be obtained from the lakes. Licences are issued to any person approved of by the Fishing Overseer upon conditions laid down by the Fisheries. Department. I have no information as to the varieties of fresh-water fish which are-being placed upon the Canadian market.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) if he will state the total amount of money placed at the disposal of the Food Production Department by the Board of Agriculture by way of vote of credit or otherwise for the purposes of their food production schemes during the present year?

The Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland during the past year have expended a large sum in loans to occupiers of land for agricultural machinery, agricultural seeds, and in meeting the general requirement of the food production scheme. This expenditure has been sanctioned and met by the Treasury, but I am not able to say at the moment how the credit exactly stands. I may add that all reasonable demands on the part of Irish agriculturists have been fairly met, and that the loans made to them have been on a perfectly safe basis.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture if he will state the number of horses purchased by the Food Production Department, their average cost, to what areas they are apportioned, the number of men attendant upon, the horses, and the cost of maintenance; also how many tractors have been purchased by the Department, the average cost, the charge per acre for ploughing, and the cost to the Department for ploughing per acre; and the number of the tractors which have been found unsuitable for the work for which they were provided?

Three thousand five hundred horses have been purchased at an average cost of about £80 per horse. The number of men attendant on the horses at present is 1.025. The horses have been allocated to forty-four counties in England and ten in Wales. The majority are hired out to farmers, who provide their keep at their own expense, paying 12s. a week for the hire of the horses. The total number of tractors actually acquired by the Department to date is 1,949. Of these, 194 have been allocated to Scotland and Ireland. The average cost, exclusive of freight, is approximately £300 each. The charge for ploughing is fixed by the Agricultural Executive Committee for each contract, and varies from 17s. 6d. to 30s. per acre, according to the character of the land and other conditions. With regard to the cost to the Department for ploughing by tractors, my hon. Friend is referred to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for Andover on the 14th instant. The number of tractors which have been found unsuitable for the work for which they were provided is about 100.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, in view of reduced milk supplies in Dublin city and suburbs, any arrangements have been or are in progress to enable the production of a normal quantity; whether he is aware that restrictions on brewing and distilling have seriously interfered with the output of grains and limited the feeding of dairying cows; and whether the Government will reconsider this aspect of the case, so as to provide milk epecially for the children in the capital and its surrounding districts?

The Food Controller is dealing with the question of the production and sale of milk in Ireland in consultation with the Irish Food Control Committee, and I am informed that Regulations as to control of supplies, distribution, prices and other matters will be issued forthwith. The shortage of brewers' and distillers' grains will be taken into consideration in fixing the schedule of prices. The question whether means can be found to augment the present supplies of grains is engaging the attention of the Food Controller. In the meantime the brewers and distillers are, I believe, reserving their supplies as far as possible for dairy purposes and selling at what are practically pre-war prices. As to the last part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the concluding portion of an answer I gave to a question by the hon. Member for the Harbour Division of Dublin on the 1st November.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland how many times in the last two years sentence of penal servitude or of capital punishment has been pronounced on minors in Ireland by criminal Courts and courts-martial, respectively; and in how many cases the death sentence has been carried out?

Eleven minors have been sentenced to penal servitude and nine to capital punishment during the past two years. With the exception of one case of capital sentence, all were sentences of courts-martial. In no case was the death sentence carried out.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he has seen the paragraph on the front page of the "Freeman's Journal" newspaper of the 15th instant dealing with arms, rifles, and revolvers; if he will say which Department of the Irish Government was or is responsible for this form of soothing loyalists in Ireland; and, if the Irish Government disclaim the notification, if he will say how the publication occurred and whether the censor was consulted?

The notice referred to was issued by my authority on account of an attempt to secure arms by a party of armed men who entered an office in Dublin and overpowered the caretaker?

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether restrictions are imposed in Ireland against the sale of sporting cartridges and shot; if he is aware of the injury that vermin, including crows and pigeons, are doing farmers; and if he will see that shot and sporting cartridges are allowed to issue for use on farmers' lands when required?

Restrictions are imposed in Ireland on the sale of sporting ammunition, but facilities are granted to farmers to obtain ammunition for the destruction of rooks and vermin and the preservation of crops, and I believe are generally found to be sufficient.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the shortage of shipping available in the port of Londonderry and to the consequent difficulties in regard to the shipping of cattle across the Channel; and what steps have been or will be taken in the matter?

There is undoubtedly a dearth of tonnage suitable for the conveyance of live stock, but the Ministry of Shipping inform me that everything possible is being done with what is at present available. The Director of Cross-Channel Transportation has rendered valuable services in regard to the utilisation of available vessels, and efforts are being made to release one or two vessels now on Government service.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any agreement has been entered into between the Governmnt and the Standard Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, of Chepstow, as to the ownership and management of the company's property after the War; and, if so, whether he will inform the House of the terms of the agreement?

The land and plant of the Standard Shipbuilding Company are being purchased outright by the Government. No agreement of any kind whatever has been made as to the disposition of the property after the War. The procedure of acquisition was as follows: —The Director-General of Lands, War Office, and Ministry of Munitions, issued a Notice upon the company requisitioning the property under the Defence of the Realm Regulations. This places the Government in possession and in the position to purchase under the Defence of the Realm (Acquisition of Land) Act. The Director-General of Lands is now engaged in making certain valuations of lands and plants, etc., with a view to advising the Admiralty, who will then decide what should be purchased.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether it is the present intention of the Government that the graving docks now in course of construction at Beachley, Gloucestershire, shall. after the War, be taken over by the Standard Shipbuilding and Engineering Company. Limited; whether any agreement exists to that effect; and, if so, can its terms be stated; or whether it is contemplated that the Beachley Docks shall remain the permanent property of the State?

There is no intention on the part of the Government to build graving docks at Beachley, but the construction of a shipyard is being proceeded with at that place. As already announced, no decision has been arrived at as to what will be done with the National Shipyards at the close of the present emergency, and no agreement has been made to hand back the property to the Standard Shipbuilding Company.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) whether he is aware that Mr. John Esplen, Director of Overseas Purchases in the Department of the Deputy-Controller of Auxiliary Shipbuilding, was at a recent date the holder of 10,000 £1 shares in the Standard Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, and was a director of the company; whether he retains any financial or managerial interest in the company; (2) whether he is aware that Mr. H. M. Grayson, director of ship repairs in the Department of the Deputy-Controller of Auxiliary Shipbuilding, was at a recent date the holder of 10,000 £1 shares in the Standard Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, and, as a director of R. and H. Green and Silley Weir, Limited, was associated in the control of the company; and whether he retains any financial or managerial interest in the company?

Messrs. H. M. Grayson and John Esplen, who are directors in the Department of the Deputy-Controller for Auxiliary Shipbuilding, have a financial interest in the Standard Shipbuilding Company. Mr. Grayson is a director of Messrs. R. and H. Green and Silley Weir, Limited. These gentlemen have not, and never have had, any managerial position in the Standard Shipbuilding Company, and, as directors in the Department of the Deputy-Controller for Auxiliary Shipbuilding, have had nothing to do with the national shipyards. Mr. Grayson is joint director of ship repairs, and in that capacity is responsible for repairs to all merchant ships and auxiliary vessels for Admiralty service and for the allocation of dry dock facilities. Mr. Esplen is director of Overseas Ship Purchase, and is in no way responsible for any tonnage built or repaired at home.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware that, although it was agreed that in case dilution of labour was introduced into the wood-working trade in the Royal Dockyards or to work machines usually worked by joiners or wood-working machinists, a record of such dilution would be made on Form M M 26, and the form posted in the shops affected, this has not been done at Chatham, at which yard two females have taken the place of two males on machines; and whether he will take steps to have Form M M 26 filled up and posted in the shop affected?

Changes of workshop practice which may be adopted in the Royal Dockyards in pursuance of the policy of dilution are notified to the work-people concerned, and are reported to the National Advisory Committee on War Output, on Form MM 56, in accordance with the practice of the Ministry of Munitions. The workmen concerned were informed of the proposal to employ women on light machines in the joiners' shops at Chatham Dockyard by a notice dated 22nd May, and the changes made in accordance with that notice are notified to the National Advisory Committee at the end of each quarter.

asked how many of the officers at present commanding Territorial regiments in India have been recommended by the military authorities in India for honourable mention, as compared with the number of officers so mentioned commanding Regular regiments?

No names have so far been brought to notice by the military authorities in India for valuable services rendered in connection with the War, to which my hon. Friend presumably refers as " honourable mention." The names of officers and others mentioned for distinguished service in the field during operations in India and Aden will be found in the dispatch of General Duff published in the " London Gazette " on 4th July, 1916, and in that of General Monro gazetted on 31st October, 1917.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he can state the quantity of spirits at present held or contracted for by the Navy and Army Canteen Board for the use in the Navy and Army canteens and in officers' and non-commissioned officers' messes, and the price agreed on for the 1,000,000 gallons of whisky recently ordered for these purposes?

The amount of whisky in course of being contracted for by the Navy and Army Canteen Board is 600,000 gallons of spirit at its original strength. There are no stocks of whisky held by the Board at the present time. I have nothing further to add to my previous answer to my hon. and learned Friend on the question of the price of the spirit.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is now ready to publish Sir A. Murray's dispatches relating to the operations at Gaza in March and April last?

My hon. and gallant Friend will have seen this dispatch published in the papers this morning.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he has any information as to the fate of the officers and men of the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry taken prisoners at Kut?

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War what, if any, information has been received as to the whereabouts and condition of the officers and men of the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry taken prisoners at Kut?

According to our last definite information, nine officer prisoners of war in this regiment were distributed as follows: —In Yozgad five, Castamouni three, Constantinople one. The conditions at officers' camps are comparatively good. We also heard that there were eighty-six non-commissioned officers and privates of this regiment distributed at eighteen camps, and that there were five others whose camps were not known. A certain number of these men were orderlies to officer prisoners, and relatively well off, but the conditions at all the men's camps were unsatisfactory. Since, however, we received the above information, it has been reported that the majority of all able-bodied prisoners of war have been moved to work on the Bagdad Railway, east of Aleppo. Complete lists of those working there are being obtained, pending which it is not possible to say what men have been so transferred, or from what camps. The men working on the railway are under the German construction company, who may be supposed to have an interest in keeping them in health, and with whom the Netherland Minister at Constantinople has made arrangements for their benefit.

asked the Minister of Munitions whether his Department have commandeered all available supplies of spelter; whether he is aware that in Middlesbrough, for instance, the local authority has declared its inability to effect necessary sanitary repairs as it cannot get the necessary spelter; and whether consideration will be given to the possibility of allowing supplies for this necessary work?

The supplies of spelter in the country have not been commandeered, but they are under the strict control of the Ministry of Munitions. Licences to purchase spelter for necessary sanitary repairs can be obtained on application to the Ministry. No complaints have been received from any local authority with regard to the difficulty in obtaining supplies of spelter for these purposes.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the fact that the annual Reports of His Majesty's Inspectors of Constabulary of England and Wales, as published, do not now contain tables showing the cost of the police, he can state the expenditure and income of the provincial police forces for the years 1915 and 1916 as formerly given in Table II. of the Appendix to the Report?

I have not this information for the years 1915 and 1916. The tables had to be discontinued on account of pressure of work arising from the War.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether, in view of the fact that the Annual Report of His Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland does not now contain tables showing the cost of the police, he can state the expenditure and income of the Scottish police forces for the years 1915 and 1916, as formerly given in Tables 1 and 2 of His Majesty's Inspector's Report?

The Tables in question were discontinued as a war economy of labour and expense, and the information desired is not in my possession.

asked the Minister of National Service if he has appointed the Marquess of Bute as Director of Labour Supply for Wales under the National Service scheme; and, if so, having regard to his Lordship's well-known connection with large industrial concerns in South Wales, has it been made a condition that he should resign his directorships?

There is no such appointment as Director of Labour Supply for Wales. Lord Bute has, however, been offered and has accepted the appointment of Regional Representative of the Labour Supply Department of the Ministry of National Service for South Wales, which is one of nine or ten posts of this nature. The duties of regional representatives are, generally speaking, to act as local officers of the Labour Supply Department in all matters affecting the work of that Department. They are responsible for dealing with the Trade Committees established by the Ministry of National Service, and for acting as liaison officers between these Committees and the officers of the Employment Exchanges, and generally for looking after the interests of persons who accept work of national importance as volunteers. They will also be responsible for the issue to aliens of permits to engage in restricted occupations. Having regard to the nature of these duties, there would appear to be no necessity for taking the action suggested in the hon. Member's question.

asked the Minister of National Service if his attention has been directed to the cases of young unmarried miners who have been brought before the Courts for systematically neglecting their work; and whether, having regard to the fact that married men up to forty years of age with families are being taken from other occupations for military service, he will take steps to withdraw the special exemption granted to miners in the case of all men who wilfully absent themselves from work?

I am not clear as to what the hon. Member means by cases of miners who have been brought before the Courts for systematically neglecting their work. In many collieries there is an absentee committee, the object of which is to bring pressure to bear upon men who wilfully absent themselves from work, and, if it be to cases before these committees that the hon. Member refers. I can inform him that the attention of colliery recruiting Courts was called to this matter some time ago, and National Service representatives in proper cases apply for the withdrawal of an exemption certificate on the ground of wilful and persistent absenteeism. It is necessary, however, that proceedings of this nature should, so far as the Ministry of National Service is concerned, only be taken as a method of recruiting, and not as a disciplinary measure.

asked the Minister of National Service if he is aware that whole time preachers and evangelists of all medical categories who were previously exempted under Army Council Instruction 1,096, of 1916, are being summoned to the Colours; if he is aware that theological students who were exempted under the same Army Council Instruction are not being called to the Colours unless fit for service if over thirty-one in category A or if under thirty-one in category B1; and whether he will issue instructions to recruiting officers that whole-time preachers and evangelists shall be placed in the same position as the theological students, and not be called up for military service at present if classified in the lower medical categories?

In view of the present urgency of the demand for men of all medical grades and categories, I am not prepared to issue the instructions suggested by the hon. Member. The Instructions relating to preachers and evengelists were modified in March last after consultation with the representatives of the chief denominations, and preachers and evangelists who are not in Holy Orders or regular ministers of a religious denomination are, in the absence of any certificate of exemption from a tribunal, called up for military service. The Instructions relating to students apply to all students, and are not limited to theological students, and on completion of their education the students are called up for military service.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the wages paid to Mary Elizabeth Orchard, postwoman at Milford Haven, recently convicted of stealing £3,000 in course of transmission by post; whether he is aware that she was only seventeen years of age; whether many girls of this age are employed as postwomen; and whether he will reconsider if it is desirable in the public interest to expose young persons on low wages to such temptation?

The weekly wages paid in this case were 15s. plus 4s. war bonus. The rule is that no woman under twenty years of age should be employed as postwoman unless no suitable person over that age is obtainable. No such person was available at Milford Haven when Orchard was engaged. I may mention that the girl only obtained access to the stolen money by opening a registered letter bag contrary to her duty. I fully agree with my hon. Friend that the employment of girls of this age is undesirable, but under present conditions there is sometimes no alternative. I have no information as to the number at present employed.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he has yet been able to make arrangements for an improvement in the financial condition of Irish pensioned national school teachers, in view especially of the recent Grant for a Simi1ar purpose in Scotland and of the unanimous demand of the Irish Teachers' Congress?

I have not been able at present to make such arrangements.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if, before framing his proposals for Irish education which he has promised to soon lay before the House, he had consulted with representative educational authorities in Ireland with a view to achieve his object of finding out the needs of Irish education; and, if so, whether the Commissioners of National Education have submitted proposals which were, in their opinion, in accordance with those needs; whether the proposals contained in the Chief Secretary's statement of last July were the same as those submitted by the Commissioners of National Education; and, if not, if he will say what authorities in Ireland he consulted with or on whose advice he brought forward proposals which have satisfied 356 teachers only out of 15,500?

Before framing the proposals referred to I had informed myself of the views of the Commissioners of National Education and of various representative bodies interested in the questions involved, including the various organisations of the teachers. Responsibility for the proposals I explained to the House necessarily rests with the Government, and not with the Commissioners.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction which exists among the local education authorities of necessitous areas on account of the method of distributing the new Supplementary Grant; whether he is aware that the concession of a minimum Government contribution of 50 per cent. of the approved expenditure of local education authorities will mainly benefit those wealthy areas in which the elementary education rate is less than ls. in the £; and whether he will immediately consider further measures to relieve the financial burdens borne by those necessitous areas in which the education rate is over is. 6d. and in some cases nearly 3s. in the £ in spite of the new Supplementary Grant?

I have received representations from the local education authorities of certain necessitous areas and am considering the matter.