asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food if he is aware that there is an Order prohibiting the slaughter of a two-year-old bullock of, say, 5 cwt. without a permit, whilst no permit is required for the slaughter of a three-year-old bullock even of a much lesser weight; and if he will consider the advisability of altering the Order so that bullocks of a certain weight may be slaughtered irrespective of their age or teeth?

The Irish Department of Agriculture consider it desirable in the national interest to prevent the slaughter of immature live stock. They have, therefore, prohibited the slaughter in Ireland of male cattle which have not at least two permanent incisive teeth fully up. In approved cases, where a bull or bullock is economically fit for slaughter, applications for licences will be favourably considered, although the age of dentition has not been reached. But it would be impracticable to carry into effect a general prohibition with regard to animals of a certain weight.

asked the Minister of National Service if edible oil, formerly used in the fish-frying, baking, and certain other trades, and, until recently, sold for such purposes at £75 per ton, is now being largely allocated to soap makers for the manufacture of soap at a price not more, and possibly less, than that paid by the fish-frying trade; if he is aware that this trade is now compelled to accept a substitute, of which the original oil forms a portion, and to pay £150 for such compound; if he is aware that this has affected the trade to such an extent that many have had to close down; and if he will state the profit made by the Government out of the difference in price between the £69 per ton paid by the Ministry of Food to the oil refiners and the price at which the oil is disposed of to the compound oil manufacturers?

In view of the scarcity of refining residues, and in order to ensure the production of the requisite quantity of glycerine for the manufacture of munitions, it has been found necessary to allocate to soap-makers a limited amount of edible oil. The compound supplied to the fish-frying trade is manufactured from materials purchased at varying prices and supplied at a flat rate in some cases actually below cost. I am not aware that fish-fryers have had to close down owing to the price of compound. In any case, there is no considerable profit derived from its sale by the Ministry of Food, nor is the price of compound disproportionate to that of margarine and edible dripping.

asked the Food Controller what quantities of Danish butter came into England during the months of June and July; has any fixed price been laid down as regards its purchase, and, if so, how much per cwt.; what amount of Irish butter came into the market in the same interval; and what was the fixed price of the same?

Owing to the high prices asked by the Danish exporters, no Danish butter was imported by the Ministry of Food during the months of June and July. The quantity of Irish butter which came into The market in the same period was approximately 9,500 tons, the price paid for which varied according to quality, the maximum being 233s. per cwt.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if the Treasury have received petitions for increases of pay and allowances from the prison warders of Ireland; and if he will state when such increases will be granted?

An application has been received for an increase of war bonus and boot allowance, and this has been met to a large extent by the recent award of the Conciliation and Arbitration Board.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he has received representations by or on behalf of Irish prison warders asking for an increase of pay and allowances for their families in view of the greatly increased cost of living; and whether he can state when such increases will be made?

Representations have been recently received on behalf of Irish prison warders asking for an increase of war bonus, and for an allowance for each child to married officers with families. An award of the Conciliation and Arbi- tration Board of increased war bonus applicable to these officers was received on 2nd inst. and is being given effect to.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland why the Estates Commissioners advanced large sums to Mr. M. Carr and his mother, on the Grattan Bellew estate, county Galway, to purchase over 700 acres, while they left twelve tenants on the same estate, having only an average of 8 acres each, without any increase in their holdings and who are debarred from getting increased holdings from the Congested Districts Board owing to the fact that they are all over £10 valuation; will the Estates Commissioners take steps to distribute amongst the above twelve tenants the farm called Patch, containing 273 acres, held as a grazing farm up to the time the undertaking to purchase agreements were signed, and for which the Estates Commissioners advanced to Mr. M. Carr £3,000 to purchase; if not, where are the above twelve tenants to get increased holdings to bring them near the level of what tenants similarly situated on adjoining estates have got; and will he state what action the Estates Commissioners purpose taking in the cases of the above tenants sent to them on the 20th June by the honorary secretary, Moylough Tenants' Association?

The parties named in the first part of the question were tenants of the lands, and the advances were made to them as such under the provisions of the Land Purchase Acts. The lands have been vested in the purchasing tenants, and the Estates Commissioners do not intend to take any action in the matter.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) why, though petrol is to be conserved for agricultural purposes, he refused, in a specific case, 4,371 Blackrock, a permit for even 1 quart daily for that purpose?

It is presumed the number quoted by the hon. Member is that of a motor cycle in connection with which an application was made to the Department of Agriculture for a recommendation for the granting of a petrol permit by the Petrol Control Board. The Department investigated this case most carefully, and they are quite satisfied that it is not one in regard to which they should make any recommendation.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the correspondence that has passed between Mr. Richard A. Balfe, of Dublin, and the Director for Army Supplies re a supply of cement for work in Dublin which includes the Tarraght Aerodrome and Dublin destroyed area, for all of which a licence has been issued; is he aware that Mr. Balfe has sent several letters and telegrams prepaid to which he cannot get a reply; that all the buildings have had to be stopped in consequence of a satisfactory arrangement not having been come to; and whether he will take action in the matter?

I am aware of the correspondence referred to by the hon. Member, but I understand that the statement that Mr. Balfe is supplying cement for the Tarraght Aerodrome is not confirmed by the Air Ministry's representative in Ireland. The correspondence with Mr. Balfe commenced early in June last, and both in that month and in July he was informed that, owing to the very heavy demands for war work of the first importance, it was necessary to limit the use of cement in Ireland to essential military and naval purposes. Further telegrams were later received from Mr. Balfe, but, owing to the large number of similar applications then being received, and to the wording of the telegrams not being such as to enable the case to be readily identified, the reply to them was delayed. On the 2nd instant, however, a permit for a small quantity of cement was sent to him, and this was followed on the 3rd instant by a letter explaining the delay. Arrangements have recently been notified to cement manufacturers under which they are permitted to supply to merchants, to be used for approved purposes, one-third of the quantity sold to them by the manufacturers in 1917, and it should thus now be possible for Mr. Balfe to obtain his essential requirements.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the two months' Volunteers, after they have finished their training, will be allowed to return to their former positions or retained in their military service; and if they in any way as men of the ages forty-five to fifty forfeit their rights to military tribunals and grading to consider their capabilities for service?

In reply to the first part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave on Thursday last to my hon. Friend the Member for South-West Manchester. With regard to the second part, as it has been repeatedly stated, the position of Volunteers serving with Special Service Companies will be in no way prejudiced thereby in any subsequent consideration of their cases by tribunals. Instructions to this effect have been issued to all concerned.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War with regard to the case of Alfred Cordwell, No. 4666, Royal Fusiliers, in France, and whose mother lives at 49, Bolton Road, Pendleton, Manchester, whether he is aware that this man's father is recently dead and also his only brother, killed in action; and whether, as sole surviving son, Mrs. Cord well's claim to have her son placed on munition work can be considered?

I very much regret that this case does not come within the rule which it has been necessary to lay down, and I cannot therefore take any special action.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War with regard to the ease of only surviving sons, whether he is aware of the regulations of the Ministry of National Service on the subject; whether his attention has been called to the decisions recently given by the president of the Westminster Appeal Tribunal to the effect that a widow whose other sons have been killed is entitled to claim exemption for a sole surviving son even though she may have daughters alive as well as the sole surviving son; what the decision of the War Office in the matter is; and whether he will consider the desirability, in the public interest, of some clear general ruling being agreed between the War Office, the Ministry of Munitions and the chairmen of tribunals?

The War Office is only concerned with the cases of serving soldiers, and I am afraid it is mot possible to give any pledge with regard to the matter. I can, however, assure my hon. Friend that every case brought to the notice of the Department is most carefully and sympathetically considered by the military authorities, both at the War Office and with the various Expeditionary forces. As I stated before, our rule at present is that if there are more than two sons and all have fallen except one, the surviving son is kept on Home service.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is now in a position to state the steps which have been taken or are to be taken to prevent boys under nineteen years of age from being sent into action; and whether he can state the corresponding steps which have been taken by the French military authorities?

I would refer my hon. Friend to my speech during the Debate last evening, As regards the French, I would refer to the answer which I gave on 30th July to my right hon. Friend the Member for Molton and my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough.

asked the Minister of National Service whether he is aware that school caretakers are not being considered as officials in the provision made for the purpose of exempting teachers and officials in the service of local education authorities who are in Grade 1 and over forty-five years of age and Grade 2 over thirty-six; if he will say who is responsible for this discrimination against school caretakers; and whether he will take steps to remove this distinction?

The hon. Member is mistaken in supposing that there is a discrimination against school caretakers. The Instructions for which the Ministry of National Service is responsible provide for exemption under certain conditions of teachers and certain clerical and administrative officers whose withdrawal would endanger the interests of education in a particular district. The need for such special protection does not appear to arise in the case of caretakers, and the Instructions were not intended to apply to them.

asked the Minister of Munitions (1) whether he is aware that the firm of Jonas, Colver and Company, Limited, had, prior to the War, one of the best reputations in Sheffield as steelmakers, and during the whole of 1915 and the early part of 1916 were practically the sole suppliers of aeroplane cranks and crank steel for air engines, but that their reputation for good steel changed, and that owing to the bad steel supplied by this company the principal machining firm in Sheffield was occupied on machining 80 per cent. of defective stuff to the prejudice of the engine programme of the Air Board; whether any compensation in respect of bad steel paid to machining firms came out of public funds; whether an analysis showed that much of the steel was such that it never could have met the tests required; whether he is aware that in the middle of 1917 the chief steelmaker to Jonas and Colver left and that Mr. Robert Jonas is now in charge of the steel-making plant; and whether the Air Board has recently installed a Government steel specialist at the works, and what experience of steelmaking has this expert; and (2) Why, in spite of the repeated output of defective steel by Messrs. Jonas and Colver, they still have the largest allocation for the production of high-grade steel of any firm in Sheffield; and whether he will cause a full, independent inquiry to be made into the transactions of this firm since the War began?

I am informed that the firm mentioned had, previous to the War, one of the best reputations as steelmakers in Sheffield, and that so far as the Ministry of Munitions is concerned, the reputation of the firm as steel producers has not changed. It is incorrect to state that the firm was practically the only producers of aeroplane cranks and aeroplane crank steel in 1915 and the early part of 1916. Owing to the stringency of the specifications and the greater stresses which have to be endured by this particular steel all firms engaged in its manufacture have encountered considerable difficulties. These difficulties have now been overcome. The quality of Messrs. Jonas and Colver's products are quite equal to the average deliveries from other firms. It is possible that over a period of a few days' rejections might have been as high as 80 per cent., but the rejections over a reasonable period have not exceeded those usual in the trade. No compensation from public funds in respect of bad material has been made. The steel was correct to the analysis required at the particular stage of manufacture. The chief steel maker to the firm left in March, 1918, and not in 1917. He was succeeded by an expert from another Sheffield firm. An officer with steel-making experience has been watching operations on behalf of the Ministry and for purposes of advice. It is true that the allocation of orders for this particular steel to Messrs. Jonas and Colver is the largest in Sheffield, but I may point out that these allocations are made on the advice of a committee composed of representatives of the leading firms of steelmakers in Sheffield.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Holzapfel concern at Bergen, in which Holzapfels, Limited, of Newcastle-on-Tyne are interested, is largely under the influence of Mr. Max Holzapfel, a naturalised German who left this country at the outbreak of war, and whose connection with Holzapfel's firm in this country has been considered so objectionable that his interest therein has been eliminated; and, if so, will he state what steps the Government have taken, and will in future take, to prevent any supplies sent from this country to the Holzapfel firm in Bergen being directly or indirectly used for the benefit of the enemy?

I am informed that the Holzapfel concern at Bergen is not largely under the influence of Mr. Max Holzapfel; that he is not a director of that concern, but acts as technical adviser only in manufacturing matters if appealed to.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state what steps the Government have taken, or are taking, in order to make sure that the undertaking given by the Holzapfel concern at Bergen to Holzapfels, Limited, Newcastle-on-Tyne, is really effective in preventing any goods shipped by the English firm to the Bergen concern in which they are interested from being used, either directly or indirectly, to the advantage of the enemy?

As stated in answer to a question of the hon. Member on the 1st August, the undertaking referred to was not given to the Government, but to Holzapfels, Limited. Any question with regard to the steps taken by the Government to prevent goods shipped to Norway from reaching the enemy should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Blockade.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, under the arrangement for the release of British prisoners in Germany, British civilians who were employed in the cotton mills in Northern France, and who are interned in Germany, will be released?

The agreement recently concluded at the Hague, which sitll awaits ratification, provides for the repatriation of all British civilians in German hands.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he can inform the House as to the reason why religious emblems are prohibited by the Censor from being sent to prisoners of war in the enemies' hands; and whether, in view of the feeling caused at such prohibition and the relation of the grievance to enlistment in Ireland, the prohibition can be withdrawn or, at any rate, modified?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the oral reply which I gave to a question by my hon. and learned Friend the Member for South Donegal, a copy of which I am sending him.