asked the Prime Minister if he has received a Report as to the progress and recommendations, if any, of the Reconstruction 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 it is proposed to continue this Committee?

The Reconstruction Committee was superseded by the Ministry of Reconstruction which was constituted in August last, and it has not met during the last six months.

asked the Prime Minister if he has received a Report as to the progress and recommendations, if any, of the Labour Advisory 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 he proposes to continue this Committee?

I have been asked to answer this question. If the hon. Member will be good enough to specify more exactly to which Labour Advisory Committee he refers, I will endeavour to obtain the information.

asked the Prime Minister if he has received a Report as to the progress and recommendations, if any, of the Work for Prisoners of War 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 he proposes the perpetuation of this Committee?

This Committee is an advisory body, and has made arrangements for the employment of all available prisoners. Twenty-three sittings have been held during the last six months. A representative of the Ministry of National Service has recently been added. There is no cost to the State beyond the expenses of posting and stationery. It is proposed to continue the Committee.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether persons residing within the area of the official scheme for London and the Home Counties who have hitherto been in the habit of obtaining their supplies, or part of their supplies, from their own dairies or farms outside that area, and who indicate that fact on their application for cards, will be given facilities to obtain supplemental supplies from retailers, if necessary, on proper evidence that their total supply is kept strictly within the authorised rations, or whether such indications on their applications will involve total cancellation of the cards, so far as butter or meat, as the case may be, is concerned?

The point raised is one among a number of special cases to which the Food Controller is giving careful consideration. Full instructions on such points will be issued to the local food committees concerned before the scheme comes into force.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that owing to the fixing of the prices of meat the importers of foreign meat arc not releasing their stocks for consumption, thus causing unnecessarily a drain on our home supplies; and whether he proposes taking action in the matter?

The answer to the first. part of the question is in the negative; the second part does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that, owing to prices of feeding-stuffs for cattle being fixed and to the fact that the Government has not taken over the available stocks as they have done in other cases where prices are controlled, no imported feeding-stuffs are purchasable by farmers and that the home supply is completely insufficient; and whether any action is to be taken in connection therewith?

By virtue of the Cattle Feeding-stuffs (Requisition) Order, 1918, dated the 21st January, 1918, the Food Controller has taken possession of all cattle feeding-stuffs in or in transit to the United Kingdom after that date. The available stocks of imported feeding-stuffs will be dealt with immediately under this Order.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he will inquire into the circumstances under which the papers of L. S. Bolton, No. 081561 Army Service Corps, have been lost; is he aware that, owing to their loss, Bolton, who has been recommended for a commission and is at present in the 3rd Company, Army Service Corps, Upper Norwood,. stands in danger of losing his chance of a commission; and will lie see that this does not happen while his papers are being found?

Inquiries made show that the form of application for commission of Private Bolton had not been lost, but was received by Bolton's commanding officer. This form has not yet been forwarded to the War Office owing to certain certificates on the form being. not yet completed.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he will give the Regulations as to length of service. etc., under which the Meritorious Service Medal with annuity is now granted; what is the sum that has been set aside to provide these annuities; is he aware of the desire felt that medals granted for distinguished or meritorious service in the present War should carry with them a gratuity or annuity, and also that Territorial soldiers should be in all cases on equal terms with soldiers of the Regular Army as eligible for such medals or rewards?

The Regulations under which annuities have been granted for the Meritorious Service Medal when awarded for valuable and meritorious service are contained in Article 1228 of the Pay Warrant. A sum of £7,500 a year is set aside for distribution among soldiers above the rank of corporal after the completion of their second term of engagement (total twenty-one years). By the Royal Warrant of the 3rd January, 1917, the medal may also be awarded for gallant conduct in the performance of military duty otherwise than in action, or in saving the life of an officer or soldier, or for devotion to duty in a theatre of war. An extra 6d. a day may be given to a pensioner who is awarded the medal in this way and is recommended for it by the General Officer Commanding at the time of the occurrence. A Territorial soldier who obtains this medal for gallant conduct can in the same way as the Regular soldier obtain the extra 6d. a day if he is pensioned for disability; but he is by the nature of the case ineligible for an annuity out of the £7,500 which is reserved for Regular soldiers of twenty-one years' service. The Regulations for the Distinguished Conduct Medal are contained in Article 1230 of the Pay Warrant. Territorial soldiers are eligible for gratuity (or extra pension if pensioned) in the same way as Regular soldiers.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether, in the event of a man becoming a casualty who has not declared that he desires to reduce his allotment by the amount of the concession, the separation allowance issuable for twenty-six weeks after his death will be increased by the amount of the concession?

The suggestion, as I understand it, is that when a man who was relieved of any stoppage from his pay on account of the allowance to his wife or dependant has not signified any desire to make a voluntary allotment before his death, he should he regarded as having made such an allotment. If I have interpreted my hon. and gallant Friend's intention aright, I fear that I cannot adopt the suggestion.

asked the Home Secretary whether he can give the number of charges proved against Mr. R. C. Wallhead under the Defence of the Realm Act at Neath, the total fine enforceable, and the total term of imprisonment he will have to undergo; whether Mr. Wallhead denied having made the statement alleged against him; is he aware that no shorthand notes were taken of the speech; and, under these circumstances, will he reconsider the whole facts in connection with this prosecution, with a view to either his immediate release or a considerable reduction in the sentence imposed?

Mr. Wallhead was charged with making false statements and statements likely to prejudice recruiting in each of two speeches. As regards one speech, Mr. Wallhead was found guilty on both charges, and he then pleaded guilty to the charges in respect of the other speech. He was fined in all £50, or four months' imprisonment. In the case in which he pleaded not guilty, Mr. Wallhead declined to give evidence on oath, but made a statement denying having used the words attributed to him. No shorthand note seas taken, but I am informed that the defendant admitted at the first hearing that the evidence of the police officers was in essentials correct. The false statements complained of were to the effect that boys of eighteen who joined the Army were joining not for the duration of the. War, but to serve in the Regular Army after the War; that a notice to this effect was posted up in the barrack room and had been announced by the commanding officer on parade. All these statements were absolutely false and were clearly calculated to interfere with recruiting. I regret that on the facts before me I can find no ground for advising interference with the sentence in this case, but I am prepared to. consider sonic further representations on his behalf which I understand are to be made to me.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the position of small retailers under the restrictions on advertising imposed by the Paper Restriction Order and to the fact that this large class of traders, being unable to afford newspaper advertising, are praccally denied the publicity necessary to their businesses, and are thus placed, through the action of his Department, at a distinct disadvantage compared with their larger and richer competitors?

Clause 7 of the Order excepts from its scope all posters the printing of which had been actually commenced on or before 2nd March, 1917, and which were actually in stock with a printer, bill poster or advertiser on or before 22nd October, 1917. By virtue of this provision a considerable stock of posters which can be adapted to the requirements of individual retailers will be rendered available for their purposes.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state why the making or exhibition of new posters is limited in size to four-sheets, whereas the sixteen sheet is recognised as the most convenient, economical, effective, and popular size; why posters of that size cannot. be made and exhibited, seeing that a much smaller number of them would be required than of the four-sheet poster, and probably less paper used in production and labour saved in their exhibition; and whether he can see his way to remove this restriction in the size of new posters?

The limitation of the size of posters was settled after full and careful consideration of the question by the Paper Commission, and, as at present advised, I am not prepared to remove the restriction, which is believed to result in a saving of paper.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the monthly allowance of petrol to private-hire motor cars and taxi-cabs, respectively, and say why the distinction is made, seeing that, in large measure, the private-hire cars and taxi-cabs do the same class of work, although subject to different restrictions?

The monthly allowance of petrol for private-hire motor cars is 30 gallons per car where the owner has one car only, 25 gallons per car where the owner has two cars only, and 20 gallons per car where the owner has three cars or more; the monthly allowance for a taxicab is 60 gallons, 50 gallons, or 40 gallons, according to the population of the town in which the cabs are licensed. The taxi-cab is a public service vehicle, licensed by a police or other local authority to ply for hire, and is subject to Regulations as to fares and to police supervision at all times. The private-hire motor car is not re- stricted as to fares or subject to inspection by the police, and is used for and restricted to the same purposes as a private car.

asked the President a the Board of Trade why the use of private hire-cars is restricted to certain purposes while taxi-cabs suffer no such restriction; and if he is aware that the effect of the differentiation is to transfer the business of private car owners and drivers to the taxi-cabs to the injury of the former?

I am not aware that the effect of the differentiation between the private-hire car and the taxi-cab is resulting in the transfer of business from the former to the latter. The radius of operation of the taxi-cab is restricted to the area in which it is licensed to ply for hire and three miles therefrom.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that many private-hire cars were adapted for the use of gas on the statement that it was permissible to use coal gas provided it was used under atmospheric pressure; seeing that, after considerable expense had been so incurred, the use of gas cars is prohibited except for the class of work which is still allowed to be done by the use of petrol, whether any representations have been received pointing to the hardship thus imposed on private car owners; and if he can indicate any prospect of its alleviation?

I am not aware that more than a very small percentage of the private-hire motor cars have already been adapted for the use of gas, and in those cases the cars may still be let for hire under practically the same conditions as have been applicable to hire cars for the last eight months. I regret that the present need for the utmost reduction in the expenditure of labour and material for other than war purposes precludes the possibility of any extension of the use of gas or the manufacture of gas containers and fittings, or the maintenance of cars, for purposes other than those already authorised in the Motor Spirit (Consolidation) and Gas Restriction Order. 1918.