asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that the hardship of the inadequate separation allowances presses chiefly on the childless wife who, for reasons of health or infirmity, is unable to go out to work and whose allowance has not been increased since October, 1914, whereas that of the children was increased in January, 1917; and whether he will instruct the Committee now sitting on this question to give sympathetic consideration to such cases?

I will bring the hon. Baronet's representations to the notice of the Cabinet Committee

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of his announcement last autumn that a measure was being considered to grant separation allowances to junior naval officers' wives on the ground that they could not live on their pay at the present-day cost of living, he will say why no mention of this was made a short time back when an increase of pay was granted to junior naval officers, whether married or single, and irrespective of their private incomes; and if the Treasury can see their way to grant separation allowances to all junior naval married officers, which would bring up their total income to £350 a year on their Income Tax return?

In the view of the Government the case of married junior naval officers is met by the grant of children allowances, and I am not prepared to authorise any further grant on the basis suggested.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury, respecting assessments of wages for the payment of Income Tax and the abatements allowed to workers on account of expenses incidental to their employment, such as car or tramway fares, overalls, jackets, and tools, whether such abatements are allowed only to a particular class of workers, namely, munition workers compulsorily transferred away from their homes to take up employment in accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Munitions, or whether the abatements in question will apply to all workers who have to meet similar expenses out of their wages?

The allowance in respect of the cost of travelling to and from the place of employment is not restricted to munition workers, but is given in cases in which, owing to exceptional conditions mainly arising out of the War, weekly wage-earners chargeable by quarterly assessment are employed at considerable distances from their homes. As regards the other expenses mentioned, I would refer the hon. Member to a reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in this House on the 12th ultimo to the hon. and gallant Member for West Ham. I am sending him a copy.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the proclamation of the Gaelic League as dangerous has led to protests, misunderstandings, and the hampering of voluntary recruiting in Ireland; and whether he will revise the Proclamation so as to relieve the Gaelic League from its inclusion with other organisations declared to be dangerous?

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

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that a committee of the Gaelic League in county Tipperary have been arrested and retained in custody because, when challenged by the police, they persisted in giving their names in the Irish language; and whether he will order their release, giving instructions that the Irish tongue may be used in public?

This question appears to refer to the arrest, at Drombane, on the 8th instant, of five men for refusing to give their names and addresses to the local police except in Irish, which the police did not understand. They were convicted by the local magistrate of the offence under the Defence of the Realm Regulations of refusing to answer reasonable questions put by a police constable, and were sentenced to one month's imprisonment, in default of giving bail for good behaviour. There is no prohibition of the use of the Irish language in public.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland why the Carrigaholt College, in county Clare, is refused the permission for staff and students to assemble; and whether, in view of this college having been a centre of the national culture distinctive of Ireland, permission will be granted for its reassembling?

I am informed that the college is open with full professorial and domestic staffs.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state when it is proposed to publish the list of decorations and rewards in connection with the naval operations against Zeebrugge and Ostend?

The "Gazette," giving the list of decorations and awards referred to, is now in the hands of the printers, and it is hoped to publish it in a few days.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether changes have been made in the award of the Territorial decoration to secure that mobilised service during the present War is to count double time, and that the qualification is to be reduced from twenty years' commissioned service to fifteen years; and whether mobilised service during the South African War counted double towards the award?

As regards the first part of my hon. and gallant Friend's question, I regret I can add nothing at present to my reply on the 25th June last to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Southampton. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office what is the amount of ration money which a soldier should receive when at home waiting for the fitting of an artificial limb?

These soldiers receive ration money at the rate of 1s. 4d. a day—i.e., the ordinary rate payable to soldiers living at home on furlough whose wives are receiving separation allowance.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if German prisoners in England receive any payment in money; if so, what is the amount; and whether this sum is paid by the British Government?

Officers of rank of captain and over are allowed 4s. 6d. per day, below captain 4s. per day. It is paid by the British Government; but, under the terms of The Hague Convention, a refund will be made by the German Government at the end of the War. The officers pay for their food and clothing from this sum. Other ranks receive no pay from us except as follows: Medical and sanitary personnel receive the pay of the corresponding rank in our Army; prisoners employed on work other than camp fatigues receive working pay in accordance with the Pay Warrant.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that the Dutch Government and the Netherlands Oversea Trust offer no objection to British prisoners of war in the Netherlands having dogs sent them from this country; why, if the dogs are of no value to Great Britain, the British Government is preventing them from being sent; and whether the restriction applies to the toy dogs which British prisoners have ordered but been unable to ship owing to Government interference?

It is not the policy of His Majesty's Government to place obstacles in the way of the export of pet dogs to prisoners of war in Holland. If my hon. and gallant Friend can give me any instances of difficulties that have occurred, I shall be pleased to inquire into the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now in a position to make any statement with regard to the British prisoners in the hands of the Turks; and if this question was discussed by him at The Hague?

It is not possible to add anything to the reply on this subject which was returned to a question by my Noble Friend the Member for South Nottingham on the 8th instant, nor am I able to say before the British delegates return from The Hague how far the question was discussed by them.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will ask for a Report from the Chief Constable of Westgate-on-Sea on the pro-German actions and conversation of E. A. Meyer, which led the chief constable there to ask the military to transfer Meyer out of that district and into Throgmorton Street and the London Stock Exchange?

I have nothing to add to my previous answers to the hon. Member on this subject.

asked the Home Secretary whether any of the persons who have given guarantees in order to prevent the internment of enemy aliens or to obtain their release from internment are themselves of enemy birth or origin; whether any limit is placed upon the number of alien enemies who can be so guaranteed by any one person; if any list exists of the names and addresses of such guarantors; if so, whether any indication is given therein as to the original names and original nationality of the guarantors; and whether such list can be inspected and under what conditions?

No list has been made of these referees, and to extract from the papers the particulars asked for in the question would take a great deal of time and labour which cannot be spared at the present time, especially as the exemptions are to be at once reviewed.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has taken into his consideration recent expressions of opinion that the internment of aliens of enemy nationality forthwith is advisable and necessary in the interests of the public safety; does he propose to carry out such internment without or with exceptions; and, if the latter, would there be any objection to lay before Parliament a list of all such exceptions and the reasons for making them?

I stated in this House on the 11th instant the decision of the Government with regard to internment, and effect will at once be given to their decision. Steps will be taken so that all exemptions from internment, and the reasons for exemption, may be open to public inspection.

asked the Home Secretary whether demonstrations were held with his consent in Trafalgar Square on Saturday on the question of aliens, and on Sunday by Socialists, also in Hyde Park on Sunday by the British Workers' League; whether a meeting in Hyde Park on Sunday, for which a permit had been granted to the Women's International League on 25th May, since when it had been widely advertised, was proclaimed on Friday last at 6.30, leaving only one clear day to cancel long-prepared arrangements; and, if so, why permission was given to three parties and the right of public meeting denied to the fourth within a few hours?

I believe that meetings were held as stated, but no consent on my part was given or required. On the 11th July I was informed that the "peace demonstration," proposed for the 14th July, would be likely to give rise to grave disorder, and cause undue demands to be made on the police, and I thereupon prohibited the meeting, and caused notice of the prohibition to be given. No ground was shown for prohibiting the other meetings.

asked the Home Secretary whether Captain Bowen-Coulthurst is still confined at Broadmoor; and whether his health is satisfactory?

Captain Bowen-Coulthurst has been allowed to leave Broadmoor Asylum and reside elsewhere on conditions which secure proper medical supervision and control.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any licences to transact business with alien enemies have been granted during the War; if so, how many such licences were granted in 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, and 1918, respectively; and whether any record is available showing the reasons for the granting of such licences?

Several Government Departments issue licences to do acts prohibited by the law relating to trading with the enemy except under licence. I am, therefore, in communication with these Departments, and will let my right hon. Friend know the result.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in the coal rationing scheme, regard was had to the existence of village coal clubs; and, if so, what steps these clubs should take in order to ensure that the requisite supplies of coal are forthcoming?

In the Household Fuel and Lighting Order, 1918, due regard has been had to the existence of village coal clubs, etc. Where a coal club does not control its own supplies of coal but transmits the orders received to registered coal merchants or licensed coal dealers it will take out a licence as a dealer declaring itself the agent of such merchant or dealer. This licence will be obtainable through the local fuel overseer of the respective districts in which the coal clubs are situated. A coal club receiving coal by truck direct from a colliery must register as a coal merchant and may be required to establish a reserve stock of coal for its members. Subject to the above Regulations, coal clubs will continue to receive their coal through the ordinary channels as heretofore.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the allegation that almost 90 per cent. of the Consuls were either Germans or of Teutonic extraction; whether those alien agents have been eliminated from the service; and whether precautions have been adopted to ensure that commercial men of experience in home trade and commercial produce shall be appointed?

In regard to the first part of this question, I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to question No. 11 of to-day and to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for East; Kent on the 24th of June. As regards the second part of the question, a Selection Committee has been appointed, containing representatives of commerce and industry, to make recommendations for appointment in the case of Commercial Attaches and Consuls.

asked the Postmaster-General under what circumstances he transfers War Savings Certificates; if any transfers, except between members of the same family, are sanctioned; if any transfers have, except between members of the same family, been sanctioned; and if he has refused to transfer any certificates, preferring to cash them rather than to transfer them?

Transfers, except between members of the same family, are only authorised in exceptional cases—e.g., where the limit of numbers has been inadvertently exceeded. War Savings Certificates are issued under specially advantageous conditions as regards interest and exemption from Income Tax, and they are not intended to be marketable securities

asked the First Commissioner of Works what was the total acreage of those portions of Regent's Park to which the public had access before the War; what is the total acreage of the park occupied now by the Post Office, other Government Departments and works, and allotments, and to which the public have not now access; and what is the acreage of the park from which the public are now excluded by the Office of Works owing to inadequate fencing of the canal tow-path by the Regent's Canal Company?

The area of Regent's Park and Primrose Hill open to the public before the War was 330 acres.