asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Italian Government accepts Russian bonds in payment of taxes at 50 lire per 100 roubles; whether this is part of a united financial policy of the Allies; if it is not, may Russian bonds be exported to Italy; and, if it is, will a statement be published of when and where Russian bonds will be accepted here?

I have no information confirming the statement in the question, but am making inquiry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Commissioners of Inland Revenue have power to reduce or correct a provisional Income Tax assessment when admittedly excessive, if by inadvertence or ignorance no intention to appeal has been notified within the prescribed twenty-one days and the assessment has been confirmed by the local Commissioners; and whether, if under similar circumstances, a provisional assessment be made at too low a figure, there is power to increase or correct such assessment?

The Commissioners of Inland Revenue are not empowered to vary an Income Tax assessment which has been determined by the local Commissioners of Income Tax. Section 118 of the Income Tax Act of 1842 contains provisions for an extension of the time for appeal upon reasonable cause there for being shown to the satisfaction of the local Commissioners. As regards additional assessments, reference may be made to Section 52 of the Taxes Management Act, 1880, and 'Section 23 of the Finance Act, 1907.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, in view of the valuable supply of herring that is practically wasted owing to the difficulty of transit, the Government will undertake to guarantee a fixed price for cured herring, 30 as to ensure a great addition during the stress of the coming winter?

A new Order, fixing maximum prices for cured herring, which is believed to be acceptable to the curers, is about to be issued, but the Ministry are not prepared to guarantee a fixed price the Food Controller has no reason to think that there will be any substantial waste of herring this season owing to transport difficulties, especially if full advantage is taken by the fishing fleets of the presence of large quantities of herring off the mainland, when they can easily be brought to market in a fresh or kippered condition.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will place upon the Table of the House the agreement entered into between the Food Controller on behalf of the Government and the British Farina Mills, Limited, or a copy, and state where the agreement or a copy can be seen by the public; whether he is aware of any person, firm, or company, other than the British Farina Mills, Limited, who is experienced in the manufacture of farina from potatoes and desirous of carrying on such manufacture; whether it is the intention of the Government to facilitate or prevent their doing so; whether it is the intention of the Government that the British Farina Mills, Limited, should have a monopoly in the manufacture of farina from potatoes; if so, whether he will state the reason; whether he is aware that farina is essential to the textile industries and has in the past been imported in considerable quantities from abroad; and whether he will consider the desirability of giving encouragement to experienced manufacturers in this country to carry on the manufacture?

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the agreement, which does not appear to be of any considerable public interest. I am aware that farina is of great importance to the textile industry, and that its substitution for rice and maize starch will effect a saving of cereals. According to present estimates, the four factories which the British Farina Mills, Limited, have been authorised to erect in Great Britain, together with the factory under direct departmental control, will be sufficient to absorb the entire surplus of next season's crop after due provision has been made for the manufacture of potato flour. In Ireland it is proposed to set up two farina factories under entirely separate management, and so soon as further supplies appear to be forthcoming in any part of the United Kingdom I shall be glad to negotiate with suitable persons for the establishment of additional factories. There is no question of granting the British Farina Mills, Limited, any monopoly. It has secured the first plant merely because it was in a position to satisfy the Government that it possessed the necessary experience and resources at a time when no other parties could be found who were able and walling to undertake the manufacture of farina on terms which the Government could accept.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state how many persons in Ireland have been during the years 1916, 1917, and 1918, respectively, apprehended and kept in prison or internment without being brought to trial; and how many of these persons are now deprived of liberty and kept in Ireland and Great Britain, respectively?

In 1916, 2,871 persons were interned in Great Britain and subsequently released without being brought to trial. In 1917 none were interned. In the present year seventy-one persons have been arrested, and are all of them interned in Great Britain.

asked; the Chief Secretary for Ireand whether the Regulations as to the use of petrol for purposes other than Government work are the game in Ireland as in Great Britain; and whether the police in Ireland have the same strict instructions to prevent motoring for private purposes as is applied throughout the country districts of England, Scotland, and Wales?

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

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the pensions to non-commissioned officers and men of the Royal Marines retained in the service on account of the War, and authorised in October last, have not yet been paid; and, if so, whether, in view of the fact that these pensions to seamen have been paid, he will take steps that the payments should be made at the earliest possible date?

The award of pensions to non-commissioned officers and men of the Royal Marines retained in the Service has been deferred pending the settlement of various points which have arisen. A decision has now been arrived at, and the instructions, embodying the nature of the new concessions and inviting applications for pensions, will be promulgated this week. No man's claim will be prejudiced by the unavoidable delay.

asked the Pensions-Minister why no pension has been awarded to A. H. Hewitt, late Royal Marine Light Infantry, who, after serving for one year and forty-one days, has been invalided out on account of wounds which destroyed the sight of one eye and inflicted injury to one leg and which prevent him obtaining employment, his discharge papers being marked very good?

On 6th October, 1914, Hewitt was struck on the head and right leg by portions of a stretcher he was carrying, and which had been smashed by a fragment of shell. The injuries he sustained were a slight wound of the scalp and contusions of the right leg. He was subsequently invalided on 26th May, 1915, for epilepsy, having been under treatment from the 5th of that month, and was in receipt of disablement pension at varying rates to 28th May, 1918. The report of the medical survey held in April in connection with the question of renewal of pension, stated that no fits had occurred for twelve months, and that the disability due to service had passed away, and in these circumstances no further award was made. The man will, however, be re-examined to ascertain the extent of any disablement now actually arising from the injuries received in October, 1914, and his claim further considered with reference thereto.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he will represent to the Commander-in-Chief in France that the men of No. 2 Labour Company, Middlesex Regiment, though for fourteen months continuously at work in France, have not had any leave as promised to them repeatedly, and that this causes anxiety and distress to both the men and their relatives at home?

My hon. Friend will realise that the recent fighting has necessitated the curtailment, to a very great extent of the facilities for granting leave to the troops in France. It is not possible to say when the military exigencies will permit of a resumption of this privilege, but I am sure that when the time does come the Commander-in-Chief will give every consideration to the cases of those soldiers whose leave has been necessarily postponed.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether he is aware that in 1916 the War Office took over premises known as Inglewood, 113, Grove Park, Camberwell, then used as a private nursing home, where the management had previously, at the request of the military authorities, set aside part of the house for accommodation of Voluntary Aid Detachment nurses from No. 4 General Hospital, for which purpose about £60 was spent for purchase of furniture; whether he is aware that, at the time the premises were requisitioned, an officer from the Land Agent's Department of the War Office agreed with the owners of the house to pay £250 a year for rent and use of the furniture and fittings, but that subsequently the matter came before the Defence of the Realm Losses Commission, who decided that the Government would only pay the rent and interest on the mortgage on the property, with no allowance whatever in respect of use of the furniture, loss of profit, or the expenditure incurred in the purchase of furniture expresissly obtained for the nurses from No. 4 General Hospital accommodated at the home before it was taken over; if he will state the purpose for which, the premises were required; and whether, considering a letter was written to the War Office on the 14th March which has not been replied to, and notwithstanding repeated applications an acknowledgment even of such letter has not been received, he will make inquiries, with a view to coming to some reasonable arrangement with the owners, so that the obligations originally entered into by the Land Agent's Department may be carried through without further delay?

I am inquiring into this matter, and will communicate with my hon. and gallant Friend within the next few days.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that the range wardens on the War Office rifle ranges at Sandwich were engaged in 1914 at a wage of 25s. a week, to which was added in 1915 a war bonus of 4s. a week, and that in consequence of the increase in the cost of living these men were promised in July, 1917, a further bonus of 6s. a week; why this bonus has never yet been paid; and if he will give instructions for it to be paid without further delay?

Inquiries are being made, and I will communicate with my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Munitions (1) if he is aware that certain Army Reserve munition workers employed by Messrs. Hutton and Company, Limited, in the Shorncliffe area, whose terms of employment were that they should receive the rate of wages prevailing in whatever district they might be employed in, or a minimum of 7d. per hour, are not being paid at the rate of l0d. per hour although such is the rate prevailing in the district since the 2nd March, 1918; whether he is aware that the contractors contend that they are precluded from paying this rate without the sanction of the Government; will he explain why the sanction of the Government is required before contractors can carry out the terms on which their workmen were engaged; and, if such sanction is required, will he give instructions that the workers referred to shall be paid at the rate prevailing in the district, with arrears as from the date when the present rate came into force; and(2) whether Army Reserve munition workers employed by Messrs. Hutton and Company, Limited, in the Shorncliffe area in painting huts are entitled to participate in the 12½ per cent. war bonus?

The contract for the painting of the huts in the Shorncliffe area by Messrs. Hutton and Company, Limited, was placed by the War Office, to which Department I have communicated my hon. and learned Friend's questions.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will have a thorough inquiry made into the practice of fining men employed in the mat department of the works centre at Wakefield, seeing that the practice is becoming more common while no charge of slackness is made against the men?

I would refer the hon. Member to his question and my reply of the 6th May last. The Committee have inquired further into the amount of the task set in the mat-making shop at Wake-field, and arc satisfied that it is not too great. Eight or nine of the men employed there have incurred repeated stoppages of pay for failing to perform their task, but the Committee are satisfied that they are able to perform the task; and unless an improvement in the industry (which was one of the conditions of their release) is shown in the near future, the Committee will have no alternative but to recommend to the War Office that they should be recalled to their units.

asked the Minister of National Service if a man who has been exempted from military service on occupational grounds on the application of his employer, but whose exemption has been withdrawn under the Military Service (No. 2) Act, 1918, may make a personal application for exemption on conscientious grounds providing that he has not himself previously made a personal application for exemption and his personal reasons for exemption have never been considered by any tribunal; and, if so, what is the procedure he must adopt for putting his application in order?

A man whose certificate of exemption is withdrawn by a Proclamation under Section 3 of the Military Service (No. 2) Act, 1918, has only such rights of applying further to a tribunal for exemption as are conferred by the Proclamation itself. The Proclamation made on the 20th April provided for the making of an application solely on the ground of conscientious objection to the undertaking of combatant service in respect of a man whose previous certificate was expressed to be granted or renewed on such ground, in addition to other grounds. The man to whose case the hon. Member refers does not appear to have held a certificate expressed to have been so granted or renewed.

asked the Home Secretary if he will consider the desirability of denaturalising all aliens of less than fifty years' standing in this country and of putting upon them the onus of proving their desirability, in preference to this country bearing the expense of proving their undesirability?

I think that it will be better that this and other similar proposals should be dealt with in connection with the pending Bill.

asked the Home Secretary if he will give instructions that police officers are to report upon any cases which come under their notice in which horses are being urged to perform work which is apparently beyond their strength in view of their condition, particularly where horses with heavy loads are being driven faster than at a walk?

The police have already received instructions in the matter, and I have no doubt they are on the alert to deal with any cases of overworking which come to their notice.

asked the Home Secretary if the offices of the No-Conscription Fellowship have recently been raided and copies seized of a pamphlet entitled "Scraps of Paper"; and, if so, on what grounds and by what authority this pamphlet has been seized, seeing that the pamphlet has no reference to the War or peace and cannot be regarded as coming under Regulation 27 c of the Defence of the Realm Act?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The leaflets were seized under Defence of the Realm Regulation 51, and the question whether proceedings shall be taken in respect to them is now under consideration.

asked the Home Secretary if he will direct the Censor to pass instructed comment on military operations by competent writers, even though such comment may be of a critical nature, provided that no information is given that is not already known to the enemy?

I am informed that the Press Bureau is careful to refrain as far as possible from censoring criticism of military operations; but it is not always possible to separate criticism from statements which are contrary to the Defence of the Realm Regulations, and the Bureau must have a discretion in the matter. I know of no grounds for issuing fresh instructions on this subject.

asked the Secretary to the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the appointment by the Cheadle Board of Guardians and District Councils of a medical officer to take the place of six others in charge of a district of 54,000 acres and 26,000 inhabitants; whether he is aware that apprehension is felt that the health of the district must suffer; and will the change be vetoed by his Department if this apprehension is on inquiry held to be justified?

The facts are substantially as indicated in the hon. and gallant Member's question, except that the new medical officer is a whole-time officer, and those officers who had resigned and whom he replaced were only part-time officers in each case. The appointment was made jointly by the Cheadle Guardians and the Cheadle Rural District Council, whose areas coincide, and was approved by my Department for the duration of the War. The arrangement was fully considered, and appears to be the best practicable in existing circumstances. While I do not think there is any ground for apprehending that the health of the district will suffer by the arrangement, I will have some further inquiry made in the matter.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware of the fact that certain Canadian officers serving voluntarily in the Royal Army Medical Corps have refused to renew their contracts; whether he is aware that this has in some cases been due to the fact that they consider they have been unreasonably treated by War Office officials at Adastral House; and whether he will inquire into this matter?

Canadian officers, in common, with other temporary commissioned officers serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps, are sometimes unable to renew their contracts, but no cases have been brought to notice where this has been due to any unreasonable treatment. If my hon. and gallant Friend has any particular case in mind, I shall be happy to make inquiry.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture if Regulations have been made restricting the export of pedigree cattle and sheep to the United States of America and South America; and, if so, will he state whether these restrictions have been sanctioned by him and what are the objections, in view of the financial relations and the tonnage passing between the United Kingdom and these countries, to not only the continuance but the increase of this export trade?

The export of cattle was prohibited by Royal Proclamation shortly after the outbreak of war, but licences have been issued by the War Trade Department for the export of pedigree cattle and sheep, subject to the applications for licences being recommended by the Board. With a view to preventing an undue depletion of the valuable breeding stock of the country it has been decided by the War Trade Department, after consultation with the Board, to limit export during the current year to a number not exceeding the average number exported to any particular destination during the last three years.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will give a Return showing the number of boys and girls under fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen years old, respectively, who have been sent to prison, either under sentence of imprisonment or on remand or while awaiting vacancies in other institutions?

During the year ended 31st March, 1918, there were sixty-two boys and six girls under sixteen years of age sent to prison, either under sentence or on remand or to await removal to other institutions. To obtain the further particulars asked for would involve the expenditure of time and labour which I can- not ask the Prison Commission to under- I take at the present time.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he will state the number of children over and under three years of age, respectively, who were in workhouses and in workhouse infirmaries on 1st January, 1918, the numbers boarded out beyond, and the number within the union maintained in Poor Law schools, in village communities, and in scattered homes, or who were in receipt of out-relief on the same date?

On the 29th December, 1917 (the date selected on this occasion for the usual annual Return), the number of children over three years of age in the sick wards of workhouses was 2,320, and in other wards of workhouses, 3,189; the number of children under three in the sick wards of workhouses was 1,886, and in other wards of workhouses, 2,537. On the same date 8,479 children were boarded out within the union, and 2,091 beyond the union. The number of children maintained in separate institutions, including Poor Law schools, cottage homes, and scattered homes, was 30,949; and the number in receipt of out-relief, 113,802.