asked the Prime Minister whether he will give an opportunity to the House to express its regret and abhorrence of the killing of women and children passengers and civilian officers and crew on the occasion of the steamship "Apapa" being torpedoed by the enemy, and its determination that those responsible for such acts shall be punished?

It would not be possible to give time for the special discussion of this subject, but the cold-blooded cruelty of this incident, which is so typical of German methods, will not be forgotten either by the House or the country.

asked the Prime Minister if he has received a Report as to the progress and recommendations, if any, of the Inter-Allied Chartering Committee; how many sittings this Committee has held within the last six months; whether any changes have been made in its personnel during this period; what is the annual cost to the State of this Committee, including salaries, rent, taxes, printing, posting, and stationery; what are the terms of reference of this Committee; and whether he proposes to perpetuate this Committee?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to reply. The Inter-Allied Chartering Committee was appointed by the British, French, and Italian Governments to regulate the chartering of neutral tonnage under the provisions of Defence of the Realm Regu- No. 39 D and the corresponding decrees of the French and Italian Governments. This Committee, which meets as occasion requires, has appointed an Executive Committee which sits daily. No changes in British personnel have occurred within the last six months. The proceedings of the Committee involve no charge on the British Exchequer.

asked the Prime Minister if he has received a Report as to the progress and recommendations, if any, of the Mercantile Marine (Standard Uniform) Committee; how many sittings this Committee has held within the last sx months; whether any changes have been made in the personnel of this Committee during this period; what is the annual cost to the State of this Committee, including salaries, rent, rates, taxes, printing, posting, and stationery; and whether this Committee is to be continued?

This Committee, which was appointed on 30th March, 1917, has held twenty-seven meetings, and is expected to report shortly. No changes have been made in the personnel of the Committee. There are no salaries or other regular expenses in connection with this Committee, the cost of which will be almost entirely confined to the out-of-pocket expenses of members and witnesses attending the meetings.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) how many, if any, exemptions from tillage were granted last spring to occupiers of farms over 100 acres in county Meath, and for what reasons; and whether he will quote the Order empowering the Board to grant exemptions other than for dairy pasturage?

Numerous applications for exemption from the requirements of the compulsory tillage provisions of the Defence of the Realm Regulations were received from county Meath, but the Department of Agriculture do not consider it would be in the public interest to give particulars as to the exemptions applied for or granted. The grounds on which exemptions were granted are: That the land was required for grazing of, or production of hay for the feeding of, milch cows to maintain a supply of milk for human consumption; or that the land was regularly used and required for stud-farm purposes. The powers as to the granting of such exemptions will be found in Subsections (3, b ) of Regulation 2P of the Defence of the Realm Regulations.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that the conditions and restrictions imposed on the ingredients and materials necessary to carry on the distilling business have led to the disemployment of many workmen at Midleton, county Cork, and some other distilleries in the vicinity of Cork city; and whether, in view of the gravity of the situation, he will represent the position to the authorities concerned and exert himself to have the restrictions removed, and allow business to be resumed, dealing in the meantime with any hardships which have already arisen?

The restrictions which prevent pot-still distilleries in Scotland and Ireland from working during the season 1917–18 are contained in the Barley (Restrictions) Order, 1917, issued by the Ministry of Food on the 15th August, 1917. The effect of the Order is that no barley is to be used except for the production of food and for seed purposes, and the restriction is necessary in present circumstances. I am informed that some unemployment has been caused in the neighbourhood of Cork by the operation of the Order, and I am calling the attention of the Director of National Service in Ireland to the matter.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture the total amount of land ploughed in England and Wales by the Government tractors for the harvest of 1918, specify- ing, if possible, the amount of land previously in grass and that in arable cultivation respectively?

I would refer my right hon. Friend to the reply given on the 14th November to the hon. Member for the Andover Division, in which it was stated that about 200,000 acres had been ploughed by the Government tractors from the middle of March up to 1st November. During the month of November the area ploughed by these tractors was 65,000 acres, making a total of 265,000 acres. No records are available showing how much of this total acreage was ploughed for the 1918 harvest, nor how much was previously in grass.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will furnish for each month of this year the weighted percentage increase in retail prices of food upon the prices of July, 1914; the same allowing for economies and substitutions effected since the beginning of the War as stated in the "Labour Gazette"; the percentage increase in the cost of all items of expenditure ordinarily entering into working-class family expenditure; and the same allowing for the aforesaid economies?

I have been asked to reply to this question, as the Department of Labour Statistics, which prepares these figures, has been transferred from the Board of Trade to the Ministry of Labour. The percentages required by my hon. Friend are given in the appended table. The figures in column A represent the weighted percentage increases in retail prices of food as compared with July, 1914, the weights used being proportional to pre-war working-class family expenditure; the percentages in column B are arrived at by comparison of the prewar dietary with a hypothetical dietary for 1917 in which eggs are omitted, margarine is substituted for butter, and the consumption of sugar and fish is reduced by one-half. Column C shows the average percentage increase in the cost of all items ordinarily entering into working-class family expenditure (including food, rent, clothing, fuel and light, etc.), and column D gives figures corresponding with those in column C, after allowing for the change in dietary referred to in connection with column B.

Figures for December are not yet available.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether some time ago the Congested Districts Board received a resolution passed at a meeting of the board's tenants at Clonfad, near Ballin-lough, in county Roscommon, asking for a reduction in the rent on the grazing lands in consequence of the depreciation in prices for cattle owing to the regulated price of the Food Controller; and whether the Board has complied with the request contained in this resolution?

The Congested Districts Board received the resolution referred to, but they are not prepared to make any reduction in the grazing rents agreed to be paid for cattle placed upon their lands for the half-year ended 1st November. 1917.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what steps he proposes to take to provide employment in Ireland; if he will state the amount collected in Ireland by way of war taxation; and if he will state the amount spent in Ireland in connection with the War?

Action recently taken includes the following: The Irish National Service Department is in communication with farmers in need of additional labour required for food production, and I am told that the demand for skilled and unskilled workers on the land will be largely in- creased under the operations of the tillage scheme for 1918. Aerodromes are being constructed in county Dublin and county Meath for which skilled and unskilled labour on a large scale will be required. This labour is being recruited through the National Service Department. As regards other kinds of employment, the Employment Exchanges are available. I have no information as to the other matters mentioned in the question.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether in the case of an officer of the Royal Naval Reserve, holding the rank of engineer-commander, being discharged from the Service as unsuitable, he is entitled to a trial before a court-martial or other inquiry; whether his Department have considered the prejudicial effect that such a discharge may have upon the employment of such an officer upon his return to civil life; and whether, in the circumstances, some form of inquiry will be given when demanded?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative; no officer in the naval service has such a right. With regard to the second part of the question, the effect of the decision is in each case very carefully considered before the decision is arrived at, but it will be obvious to my hon. Friend that the fact of an officer being unsuitable for the naval service does not in itself indicate that he is in any way unsuitable for civil employment. As regards the third part of the question, no undertaking can be given that a court-martial or Court of inquiry will necessarily be held.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that a man named Michael Hurley, of Toehead, near Castletownshend, who served twenty-two years in the Navy as a stoker, and since the War served on a "Dreadnought" and destroyer and subsequently on the submarine leader "P 22," lost the sight of one eye after six months on the latter vessel, and was discharged in February last at the age of forty-two on a pension of 5s. 10d. per week; whether he is aware that to enable Hurley to live his mother arranged that he should get a lease of about one-third of the home farm and pay one-third of the annuity to the Land Commission, but that the Land Commission have refused to consent to the sub-letting without giving any reason; and whether, if it is the declared policy of the Government to provide land for discharged soldiers and sailors, he will take steps to arrange for the sub-letting or provide a pension for Mr. Hurley on which he can support life?

Michael Hurley was invalided owing to disability not attributable to his naval service, and his pension is affected by that, fact. I will be glad to show the hon. and learned Member the papers on the subject. The latter part of the question should be addressed to the Chief Secretary or the Lord Lieutenant.

asked whether the wife of a man in the Army Pay Corps who carries on a small business is only entitled to a separation allowance if she relinquishes the business and resides with her husband at any place to which he may be sent?

A soldier's wife is only entitled to separation allowance if she is unavoidably separated from him by the exigencies of the Service. If she resides with her husband he may draw family allowance.

asked when a soldier is killed and any sum of money standing to his credit is invested by the War Office for the benefit of his children on their attaining a stated age, in whose name the investment is made; whether full particulars are given to the mother or other guardian; whether a record is kept of the movements of the children; and upon whom the responsibility rests of seeing that they receive the money due to them on attaining the stated age?

The investment is made in the child's own name, and full particulars are given to the mother or guardian, who is responsible for notifying the movements. These are recorded, and when the child reaches the stated age, if no application is made, the War Office uses every endeavour to secure that the money is duly received.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Francis Milican, No. 15738, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 10th Battalion, signed a form allotting 6d. a day to his mother; whether he is aware that this money was kept off his pay from 13th November, 1914, but his mother was only paid as from 22nd April, 1915; and does he propose to direct payment of the arrears?

Inquiry will be made, and I will communicate the result to my hon. Friend

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if there is any Army Regulation dealing with the question of the handling of ammunition by members of the Non-Combatant Corps, and if such Army Regulation exempts them from doing this kind of work; and, if so, will he see that the nine members of the 1st Northern Non-Combatant Corps at Rouen, who are under arrest for disobeying a military order to handle munitions, are at once released?

I have no information about the particular case to which my hon. Friend refers, but I would remind him that men of the Non-Combatant Corps can be called upon to carry out any duties other than those of a combatant nature, i.e ., other than the bearing of arms or instruction in their use. It is not proposed to take any action in this case.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will have inquiry made into the case of Private Edward Murray, No. 8434, No. 1 Company, Highland Light Infantry, who on the 24th ultimo was tried by district court-martial for being absent for four weeks and, notwithstanding that he has had three and a half years' service, has been twice wounded and also gassed, as a result of which he has had his category lowered to sedentary work at home, has been sentenced to twelve months' detention; and, considering that Murray is a married man with a wife and five children, who have now been deprived of separation allow- ance, and is thirty-seven years of age, will he see that sympathetic reconsideration is given to this case?

I am afraid that Private Murray is not deserving of any special consideration; his sentence will be reviewed in due course. Separation allowance was stopped while the soldier was in a state of desertion, but payment will be resumed as from date of rejoining, and will be paid during the period of detention.

asked the Home Secretary if a conscientious objector named Charles Stuart-Payne is now in Wandsworth Prison, or, if not, where he is located?

There is a prisoner of this name in Wandsworth Prison.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether men placed on draft for the East are usually given four clear days' draft leave; whether he is aware that all the leave granted to the men in the Royal Engineers, wireless section, at Hitchin, is 48 hours; whether this leave was granted before the men were placed on draft and was in all cases quite inadequate; and whether he will see that proper draft leave is granted to all the men concerned?

The rule is as stated by my hon. Friend. I am not aware of the case which he has in mind, but I am afraid that circumstances may occasionally arise to interfere with the operation of the rule.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that a man named J. M'Intosh, of the Royal Flying Corps, has been released from the Service to superintend the fitting up for a Christmas carnival at the Waverley Market, Edinburgh; why is it in the national interest that men should be so released when men over military age and fully qualified to do the work are available; and whether M'Intosh is receiving his Army pay while engaged on this work?

It is possible that this man, to whom my hon. Friend probably refers, is on leave. So fas as I can ascertain, no man of this name has been released from service for the purpose mentioned.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War how many of the 893 cases of enteric fever referred to in the Local Government Board's Report for 1916–17, page 37, were military; how many of these were inoculated; and how many fatal?

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will state the number of British prisoners of war in the hands of the Germans, Turks, Austrians, and Bulgarians, respectively; and whether he will state the number of British prisoners taken on all fronts during last month so far as he has reliable information?

The number of British prisoners, including Regular and Territorial Forces, Royal Navy and Royal Naval Division (including those in Switzerland), is as follows:

asked the Home Secretary whether Sergeants Charles Leach and Alexander Lawrence, of the Metropolitan Police, have been charged with conspiracy and with accepting bribes; and whether either of these officers have taken part in the recent raids or detective operations undertaken in London to unearth propaganda against the Government?

Neither of the officers mentioned, whose cases are sub judice , has taken part in the recent raids, or in the detective work connected with propaganda, in the interests of the enemy.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will state, in the case of officers and men captured on the Western Front, what is the earliest date after capture on which a prisoner's name is received through the Government list at London or Berlin, respectively; and whether the British Government are prepared to suggest the reciprocal adoption of a special form of Red Cross postcard on which would be inserted the prisoner's name, rank, and regiment, and dispatched at the earliest opportunity after capture, uncensored, to a central address at London for British and at Berlin for German prisoners, or at Geneva for either?

The minimum time within which the name of a British prisoner is received on an official list from Germany is about one month in the case of officers and six weeks in the case of other ranks. The average is longer. The names of German prisoners appear in the lists of the Prisoners of War Information Bureau within two to eight weeks of capture.

asked the Comptroller of the Household, as repre- senting the National Health Insurance Commissioners, the number of Leicestershire panel practitioners who have notified their respective insurance committees that they are not prepared to accept invalided seamen, marines, and soldiers on their lists under the terms of the new Regulations?

The number of the doctors referred to is not known to me, but at the same time I am not aware of any medical practitioner having refused to render treatment in any such case. I may add that the doctors appear to have been under some misunderstanding in the matter, which a letter from the Commissioners, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy, will, I hope, serve to remove.

asked the Comptroller of the Household the number of Bristol panel practitioners who have notified their respective insurance committees that they are not prepared to accept invalided seamen, marines, and soldiers on their lists under the terms of the new Regulations?

I am not aware of any medical practitioner in Bristol having refused to render treatment in any such case. I may add that the Regulations in question are framed in accordance with the express desires of authoritative representatives of the medical practitioners concerned, and that events subsequent to their issue have shown that the Regulations are, in fact, acceptable to the great majority of such practitioners.

asked the Prime Minster if he has received a Report as to the progress and recommendations, if any, of the Civil Service Reform Committee; how many sittings this Committee has held within the last six months; whether any changes have been made in the personnel of this Committee during this period; what is the annual cost to the State of this Committee, including salaries, rent, rates, taxes, printing, posting, and stationery; and whether this Committee is to be continued?

The Committee on the Scheme of Examination for Class I. Of the Civil Service, to which I understand the hon. Member refers, completed its labours on the 20th June last, and its Report, which has been presented to Parliament, contains the information asked for in the first and third part of the question. No charges in respect of salaries, rent, rates, or taxes were incurred, and the necessary incidental expenses were met from the appropriate Votes.

asked the Prime Minister if he has received a Report as to the progress and recommendations, if any, of the Indian Public Works Committee; how many sittings this Committee has held within the past six months; whether any changes have been made in the personnel of this Committee during this period; what is the annual cost to the State of this Committee, including salaries, rent, rates, taxes, printing, posting, and stationery; and whether he proposes to perpetuate this Committee?

The Committee to which the hon. Member refers is an Indian Committee. It commenced its sittings in India in November, 1916, and completed them in April this year. It will Report to the Government of India by whom it was appointed. It is believed that the Report has already been submitted, and the Committee dissolved. The Secretary of State for India has no information as to the cost.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland why, in the distribution of the Teachers' Salaries Grant, as given in the Report of the Intermediate Board for 1917, the attendances for June, 1917, are given in connection with the Grant which depends on the results for the educational year ending 31st May, 1916, while the month of June is not included in any educational year, is the month for the examinations, and is in many schools a vacation month, and in the others the attendance book is not required to be marked; and if he will grant an inquiry into the basis on which schools are selected for Grants and penalised with removal from list, respectively?

In accordance with the Rules for the distribution of the Teachers' Salaries Grant the Intermediate Education Board are required to present a Report to the Lord Lieutenant showing the number of intermediate pupils who have made 100 or more attendances during the school year. These figures are given in the column of the Report headed "No. of Intermediate Pupils." The school year extends from the 1st October to 31st May, and the materials for the return cannot be collected from the schools until after the 31st May. There is no reference in the Report to attendances made during the month of June. As pointed out to the hon. Member on the 22nd November, a school may have qualified for Grant in the educational year 1915–16 and yet not satisfy the definition of school at the end of the educational pear 1916–17, i.e ., in June, 1917.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, in the case of William Ryan, assistant teacher of Bilbao School, Cappamore, county Limerick, Roll No. 15,692, who claims redress under the new scheme by way of the promotion to second grade his eligibility to principal-ship, has been considered by the National Board; and, if so, with what result?

I am informed that Mr. William Ryan, assistant teacher in the Bilbao National School, is an untrained teacher, who is not otherwise qualified under Rule 76 ( a ) of the Code, and he cannot be recognised by the Commissioners of National Education as a principal teacher of a national school.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he will point out to the Commissioners of National Education the need of paying to the teachers before Christmas the amount due to them under the new scheme of salaries, or, failing this in full, some portion of it on account, in order to relieve the distress that many of them are now in; whether he is aware that the married men assistants in large cities are unable to support their families on their present salaries, and are being forced to apply for relief to their respective Poor Law unions; if he will say whether he has any knowledge that some of these teachers are being thrown out on the street through inability to pay rent; and if he will consider a suggestion of making some special allowance for house rent to married teachers, principals and assistants, residing in cities where the cost of living is abnormal?

The Commissioners of National Education inform me that the fixing of the rate at which salary will be payable under the new Regulations to each of the national school teachers, numbering nearly 16,000, with due regard to claims for increment, grade promotion, etc., and the calculation of arrears due to each teacher for service since 1st April last, will involve an enormous amount of clerical labour which must be performed by clerks who have had previous training and experience in the service of the Commissioners, and that it will be impossible to arrange for payment of the arrears consequent upon the introduction of the new salary scales, or for a payment on account in respect of the arrears, before Christmas. Every effort will be made to accelerate this work. The Commissioners are aware that all classes of teachers are, like other members of the community, suffering hardships from the increased cost of living caused by the War, but they have no information as to whether the particular allegations in the question are well founded. It is not found practicable to deal separately with individual classes of teachers.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland from what source he was supplied with information to the effect that the extension of standard numbers which took place in 1913 was a concession to teachers who were paper-promoted from 1909 to 1913; whether he is aware that the teachers concerned deny that the extension of standard numbers, which only took effect from April, 1913, was any concession at all to those who were paper-promoted from April, 1909, to April, 1913; and what steps he proposes to take to ascertain the true facts of the situation?

The facts as regards the increase in the standard numbers in 1913 are on record in the Chief Secretary's office. I have seen the recent representations of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation on the subject to which the hon. Member apparently refers, and I am fully acquainted with the views they have put forward, but I have nothing to add to the answers I gave to the hon. Members for South Kerry and West Cork on the 12th November.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that Messrs. Corker and Lewis, a firm of solicitors in Cork, act in the dual capacity of solicitors for the Lewis estate and also agents for the collection of the rents; and whether, in view of the objections to this practice, he proposes to take any steps, or introduce legislation, to deal with such a situation in future?

I am informed that there is nothing unusual in the practice referred to.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will obtain a special report from the postmaster at Kirkwall with reference to a more satisfatory postal delivery to and from Burray?

The question whether any improvement can be made in the Burray mail service has been considered on several occasions, but the increase of expenditure which would be necessary could not be justified in existing conditions.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Shipping Controller if the arrangements made by him for a steamer to visit the Northern Isles, Orkney, are likely to be carried out; if his attention will be directed to the fact that the residents in North Ronaldshay have only had the visit of one small steamer for a long time, and are quite unable to ship their cattle, and have no provision to keep them; and if he will give the matter his attention?

The matter of steamship communication with the Northern Isles has received the constant attention of the Shipping Controller The managers of the Orkney Steam Navigation Company have been communicated with, and state that a weekly service to Rousay and district is being maintained so far as circumstances permit, having, in fact, been regularly maintained until this week. The last call at North Ronaldshay was on 21st November, and the company propose sending a steamer on the 16th instant if the weather is suitable.