asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will further consider the possibility of collecting Income Tax payable by employés through the instrumentality of the employers, in the same way as National Health Insurance payments are collected?

The machinery of collection will doubtless form one of the subjects to be investigated by the Royal Commission on the Income Tax which is now sitting.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if the Government recognise that the pecuniary conditions appertaining to the insured persons is a responsible factor in the decision of the insured person; if he is aware that the various insurance committees have passed resolutions urging the Insurance Commissioners to make such representations to Parliament as will secure a money grant under Section 1 of the 1913 Act in order that insurance committees may grant subsistence allowance in respect to the dependants of insured persons whilst the latter are undergoing treatment in sanatoria; and if he will take action in the matter?

I will refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for the Cathcart Division to my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter on the 15th April.

asked the Food Controller if he is aware that at least one dozen firms of distillers are forming themselves into a big whisky combine; if he is aware that the object of the combine are to proceed by easy stages to develop the monopoly in the supply of whisky; if he is aware that if such a combine is formed many of their managers and travellers will be discharged who have been working for the various distillers from periods ranging from ten to twenty-five years; if he is aware that the whole of them have reached middle age, and if such a combine is sanctioned will the interests of the travellers be safeguarded, and if he intends taking any action in the matter?

The Food Controller has no information as to the formation of any such combine as that referred to by the hon. and gallant Member, and he would be glad if the hon. and gallant Member would supply him with any information in his possession with regard to the matter.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty when the decision of the Admiralty upon the Jerram Report will be made public, having regard to the discontent and unrest which are occasioned in the naval ports in consequence of the delay which is taking place?

My hon. Friend will no doubt have already taken note of the fact that I stated yesterday, in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth North, that we have every expectation that the decisions of the Government on the recommendations of the Committee will be issued next week.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will press for the demobilisation of Gunner J. Emery, No. 961925, Royal Field Artillery, 391st Battery, 172nd Brigade Egyptian Expeditionary Force, seeing that he has been serving for three and a-half years in Egypt without leave?

If Gunner Emery's length of service is as stated by my hon. Friend, he is eligible for demobilisation unless he is serving under pre-war conditions, and his term of Colour service has not expired. If he is eligible he will no doubt be released as soon as circumstances permit.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Staff-Sergeant Thomas Fitzpatrick, No. 2614, Army Ordnance Corps, now at Mastapha Barracks, Sidi Gabea, Alexandria, Egypt, joined the ⅙th Gordons in September, 1914, and after recovering from wounds in France was sent to Woolwich for training, and subsequently appointed sergeant in the Army Ordnance Corps; that he was sent to Egypt in January, 1917; that when application was made for his demobilisation he was informed that he could not be released as there was no trace of his previous service in the Gordons; that these particulars have since been forwarded from the Record Office; and whether, in view of the fact that this man's father is, by reason of health, now unable to look after an extensive business of motor-car repairing, tractor repairing, and engineering, steps will be taken to release this soldier as early as possible?

Sergeant Fitzpatrick is not registered either as pivotal or for special release, nor is there trace of any application on his behalf having been received by the War Office. If he enlisted in 1914, as stated by my hon. Friend, he is eligible for demobilisation unless he is serving under pre-war conditions and his term of Colour service is not completed. If he is eligible he will no doubt be released as soon as circumstances permit.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the 1914–15 men in the East are to be demobilised now; and whether he will have demobilised Second Air-mechanic Joseph Stack, No. 671223, Aden Flight, Royal Scottish Fusiliers, Aden, Arabia, and 28, Vulcan, Street, Spring burn, Glasgow, who was a Territorial in 1914 and volunteered for and was sent to the East in 1915, and has had no home leave since and whose employers are anxious for his return?

Airmen who have been serving since 1914–15 are eligible for demobilisation and will be sent home from the East as soon as possible. But, owing to the climatic conditions and the consequent impossibility of sending out drafts to complete the reliefs, it has been necessary to retain many of these men in order to maintain the essential units as efficient fighting units in India, Mesopotamia and Aden. The demobilisation of these men will not, therefore, take place before August next at the earliest. No. 671223 2nd Air-mechanic Joseph Stack will be demobilised in his turn with other air men similarly situated as soon as circumstances permit.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the Army medical authorities are paying special attention to the health of those men in Eastern climes who, owing to long service often without leave, are gradually becoming debilitated; and whether, in these cases, consideration is shown to all thus affected, irrespective of age or length of service?

The health of the troops serving in tropical and sub-tropical climates is carefully considered by the medical authorities, special attention being paid to those who have served for a long period without leave. The men who are considered unfit for continued service in a particular country are transferred to England as soon as practicable, irespective of their age or length of service.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, with a view to encouraging recruiting for the forces still required, he will consider the desirability of establishing married quarters in the various military districts?

At the commencement of the War it was found necessary owing to lack of accommodation to use the married quarters of the various permanent barracks for the accommodation of officers and men. Orders have been issued that such married quarters are now to revert to their former use. The question of providing married quarters for officers and other ranks on an increased scale above that which existed before the War is under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for War if the Latchmere and Nine Elms Public Baths can now be demobilised; and, in view of the boon which these baths are from the point of view of the health and recreation of the overcrowded juvenile population of the neighbourhood, as early a decision as possible can be given in the matter?

I regret it has not yet been found possible to relinquish these baths, but I am making further inquiries and will write to my Noble Friend as soon as I am in a position to afford any further information.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether there were any casualties in the riot at Kantar a Camp, Egypt; and, if so, how many?

I am informed that there was some unrest in the camp last February caused by doubts in connection with the bonus and the uncertain prospects of release, but I have no knowledge of any riot or casualties.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that it is persistently given out by prisoners of war returned from Germany that there are many prisoners of war still hidden in the salt mines in Germany, in particular, it is asserted that Private Harry O'Hanlon, No. 201382, 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers, reported missing since 21st March, 1918, and Private Dugald Cameron, No. 10080, 7th Cameron Highlanders, reported missing since 27th March, 1918, have been seen in the salt mines; and, as these statements cause great anxiety to their relatives, including the brother of the first-named, P. O'Hanlon, 4, James Nisbet Street, Town head, Glasgow, whether he will cause an investigation to be made into such assertions and, if they seem well founded, send a commission to the salt mines in Germany to find the prisoners alleged to be detained and have them released?

All inquiries which have been made into alleged cases of prisoners of war being hidden in salt mines in Germany have so far proved such statements to be unfounded. If my hon. Friend will forward definite information in the two cases referred to and the regimental particulars of the soldiers furnishing it, I shall be glad to have the matter carefully investigated

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the admitted fact that 1,896 British prisoners of war in Germany cannot be traced, he has asked, or intends to ask, the German Government what explanation they are able to offer as to the fate of these men?

A list containing the names of all British prisoners of war not accounted for has been sent to our military representatives at Spa and at Berlin for communication to the German authorities. They were instructed to hand a copy of this list to the German authorities and to demand that every man mentioned should be accounted for. Our representative in Berlin has been further instructed to make a rigorous examination of all German records with a view to elucidating the fate of these men. The list as originally sent out in February contained, approximately, 2,900 names of prisoners of war who had not been accounted for; this has now been reduced to 1,662 on 23rd April.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the loss and inconvenience caused to sheep farmers by the instructions issued to shepherds attached to agricultural companies to rejoin their companies at the present time, arrangements can be made so that these men may be retained upon the land until the close of the lambing season?

It is regretted that these men cannot be retained on the land. They will be dealt with in the same way as other soldiers employed on the land, whose recall to military duties has been postponed for fourteen days.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether Sergeant Albert Edward Barker, No. 55825, Royal Field Artillery, was discharged on 13th January, 1919, under Special Army Order IV., dated 10th December, 1918; whether he re-enlisted under the same Army Order on 14th January, 1919; whether he was re-attested and duly sworn and taken before his colonel and approved; whether his discharge certificate contains an endorsement of the re-enlistment signed by the officer commanding records, Woolwich; whether he proceeded on the three months' re-engagement leave on the 1st February, 1919; whether he was recalled from leave on 25th February, 1919, and informed a month later that his re-enlistment had been cancelled; and, if so, will he issue orders to have this soldier at once taken back into the Service and granted the completion of leave?

I am making inquiries in this case, and will write to my hon. and gallant Friend as soon as I am in a position to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the total number of officers who have served in the Army since the outbreak of War till the signing of the Armistice, setting out the body to which they belonged and the number of commands and staff appointments gained in the Regular Army, the Special Reserve, the New Army, and the Territorial Forces?

This information is not readily available, and in view of the pressure of work in the department concerned I regret that the labour involved in its compilation cannot at the present time be undertaken.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction felt among men who enlisted in 1914 and 1915 but who, through no fault of their own, were not sent to serve abroad and are not entitled to the 1914–15 Star, and there being no difference as regards recognition between them and men who were conscripted; and whether he will consider the granting of a distinctive decoration to these men when dealing with the matter of medals to be issued for service during the present War?

My hon. Friend's suggestion will not be overlooked in the general consideration of points affecting the issue of medals for the present War.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether officers who at once volunteered in response to the Army Order of 29th January are receiving the bonus awarded from 1st February to officers who are compulsorily detained; and whether, in case there is any difference in respect to the dates from which the respective payments are made, he will explain the reasons actuating the course?

Officers who volunteer receive the bonus from the date of volunteering, if accepted.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the position of officers who had retired from the Army prior to August, 1914, on the conditions of pay and pensions then in force, and who rejoined for the period of the War, may be considered without delay, especially with regard to Army Order 316 of 1914?

Commutation of officers retired pay, to which Army Order 316 of 1914 refers, has again been opened under slightly modified rules, a copy of which I will send to my hon. and gallant Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for War what the pay and separation allowance is of a sergeant-baker serving in France who has a wife and one child?

A sergeant-baker draws regimental pay at 2s. 7d. a day, plus corps pay at 11d. a day, plus war pay at 1d. a day, for each year of war service. If definitely retained with the Army of Occupation or the military machinery of demobilisation, he draws from 1st February last a bonus of 14s. a week, in addition to these rates. If not so retained, but actually serving with the Colours on 1st May, he will draw the bonus from that date. The rate of separation allowance for the wife of a sergeant with one child under fourteen years of age is 25s. 6d. a week.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that dissatisfaction exists regarding the delay in settling wound gratuities, even after special boards have considered the cases; and whether he will expedite both correspondence and settlements?

I am not aware of any general delay. I shall be glad if my hon. Friend will bring to my notice any case which he has in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for India why the Government of India has undertaken to cash notes in rupees when no undertaking was given in this country to cash Treasury notes in sovereigns?

In distinction from British Treasury notes, the Government of India's Currency notes are enfaced with a promise to pay on demand. It has not hitherto been judged expedient in Indian conditions, which vary widely from those obtaining here, to alter the form of the note, now of many years' standing, so as to withdraw the present legal right of encashment. In regard to the details of this right, I would refer my hon. Friend to the second paragraph of my reply to his question on the 14th February, 1918.

asked the Secretary of State for India (1) whether the African ports in East Africa, South Africa, Somaliland, and the ports of Aden, Mombassa, Busra, and other places along the Indian Ocean are being supplied with food from India; whether the allotment for these ports is being deducted out of the allotment of the Bombay presidency;

(2) if famine conditions exist in the Bombay Presidency; whether the export of grain in India is still going on, or, if not, at what date it ceased; and whether rice is still being sent to Java and Sumatra from Burma?

Famine conditions exists in parts of the Bombay Presidency. The exportation of food grains from India has for some time past been prohibited except under licence. Export under licence is reduced to a minimum, and is practically confined to countries, including those mentioned by the hon. Member, in which there is a more or less considerable Indian population ordinarily dependent on India for much of their food. The limited export is not thought to affect materially, if at all, the food supply of the Bombay Presidency. From Burma no rice, I understand, at present is being exported to Java or Sumatra.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that soldiers in India who were formerly trade unionists in this country have been warned that they may be called upon to take the place of Post Office servants on strike in India; whether he is aware that the warning is creating a serious feeling of discontent among the troops; and whether he will take steps to ensure that the soldiers shall not be used for any such purpose?

I have no information on the matter, but will make inquiry.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the practice of his predecessor in office, he will reconsider his refusal to give the names of the British-born sponsors in the case of the naturalisation, after the commencement of the War, of Caroline Hanemann, now denaturalised?

If the hon. Member will refer to the answer given by my predecessor on the 25th October, 1917, in the case of Laszlo he will find that it was only on account of the special importance of the Laszlo case that an exception was there made to the general practice of not giving the names of referees. The case of Hanemann is not of the same order of importance as that of Laszlo. No Member, past or present, of this House was concerned with the naturalisation, and I see no reason for making an exception to the general practice.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any representations have reached him favouring the imposition of temporary restrictions on carpets and rugs, notably Indian and Japanese, which are now coming into this country; and whether he proposes to take any action thereon?

My right hon. Friend, on the advice of the Imports Consultative Council, has agreed to the importation of foreign carpets being restricted at present to 25 per cent. of the imports of 1917. Carpets of Indian origin are admitted freely, as being the manufacture of part of His Majesty's Dominions.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what effect, if any, the threat of a cotton stoppage has had upon the price of raw cotton in England and America; what were the official prices in Liverpool on 1st April and 8th April, respectively, for that class of cotton usually described as Middling American, and what were the official market quotations on the same dates for 32's twist; what also on the same dates were the respective figures for the Egyptian cotton usually described as F.G.F. Brown and the market quotations for 660's twist; and can he give, approximately, what were the margins on these two classes of yarn as compared with the raw material for the first week of April, 1918, 1917, 1916, 1915, and 1914?

As the answer is long and contains a number of figures, I propose, with the hon. and gallant Gentleman's permission, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

The following is the answer referred to :

I should doubt whether the fortnight's stoppage in the American section of the cotton-spinning industry has had any appreciable influence on the price of raw cotton either in this country or in America. One would expect that its effect, if any, would be in the diretion of reducing the price; but, in fact, prices, which had been rising for a month before the announcements of the stoppage, have continued to rise since.

There are no "official" market quotations for yarns, and the only available quotations relate to Fridays. I cannot, therefore, supply comparative figures for cotton and yarns for April 1st and 8th; but taking the nearest available Fridays—namely, April 4th and 11th, 1919—and the quotations for yarns appearing in the "Cotton Gazette," the figures are as follows:—On April 4th: Middling American Boweds, 16.24d.; 32s Twist, 27d.; F.G.F. Brown Sakellarides, 26.59d.; 60s Twist, 44d.

On April 11th: Middling American Boweds, 16.88d.; 32s Twist, 27d.; F.G.F. Brown Sakellarides, 26.59d.; 60s Twist, 42.50d.

As regards the last part of the question, exact comparison is rendered difficult by the fact that the grades of cotton referred to have been either sub-divided or modified during the course of the War; but taking Middling Boweds and F.G.F. Brown Sakellarides as approximations to the old Middling American and F.G.F. Brown respectively, the margins shown on the above basis for the first weeks of April would work out as follows:

Between 32s Twist and Middling American: In 1914, 2.58d.;in 1915, 3.25d; in 1916, 4.88d.; in a 1917, 4.31d.; in 1918, 19.80d.; in 1919, 10.76d.

Between 60s Twist and F.G.F. Brown Sakellarides: In 1914, 7.43d.; in 1915, 5.50d.; in 1916, 9.59d.; in 1917, 10.50d.; in 1918, 22.44d.; in 1919, 17.41d.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps are taken by the Labour Exchanges to transfer unemployed people from areas where it is alleged there is no employment for the unemployed to areas where there is plenty of employment?

It is not practicable within the limits of an answer to describe the somewhat complicated arrangements for keeping touch between an unsatisfied demand for work in one locality and an unsatisfied demand for workpeople in another locality. The hon. Member may, however, rest assured that such arrangements exist as part of the everyday working machinery of the Employment Exchanges. Railway fares at half the ordinary rates are advanced to workpeople travelling to take up work at a distance which has been found for them through the Exchanges. I should add that there are many practical difficulties which to some extent militate against the migration of labour. Among them I may mention the dearth of housing accommodation in many of the places where workpeople are most wanted, and the unwillingness of certain employers to engage workpeople from other localities.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) who is responsible for the administration of the Ministry of Labour Employment Office, 28, Broadway, Westminster; if he is aware that applicants to that Department receive the invariable reply from the attendants to their requests for dispatch that if they will fill up and leave a form their application will be considered in fire or six weeks; whether he will direct that some official other than attendants possessing requisite qualifications should customarily receive applicants; if he will state the constitution of the Committee sitting from time to time to consider applications; how frequently such Committee sits; and whether continuous sittings in the City will be arranged to meet the needs of commercial houses for prompt attention;

(2) Whether he has considered the handicap under which commercial houses labour in the City as compared with foreign houses domiciled abroad in competing for international trade, who are hindered for the space of five or six weeks by existing Regulations of the Ministry of Labour of bringing heads of Departments and others to this country; whether the visé of British Consuls abroad, possessing abundant information as to an intending traveller's credentials, may be substituted for that of a Committee of the Ministry of Labour sitting at infrequent intervals; and whether he will take steps, in conjunction with the Foreign Office, to remove the block placed on passports issued to persons abroad seeking to travel to this country of requiring that the visé of the Ministry of Labour should be obtained as a condition precedent to such passport becoming available for use, and the expediency of accelerating steps judged to be requisite?

I will answer these two questions together, on the assumption that the first, like the last, relates to applications for permission to introduce alien employés into the United Kingdom,, which is the only matter with which the Ministry of Labour deals in relation to the subject of the hon. Member's question.

The Controller-General of Civil Demobilisation and Resettlement, who is responsible to me for the work of the Employment Department in Broadway, informs me that arrangements have recently been made for competent officers to interview all applicants, and that, whatever may have been said to applicants by attendants, the interval between the receipt of an application and a decision has not as a rule been so long as five or six week. For the reasons indicated below some delay is inevitable; but I hope that in future it will not exceed three weeks at the most.

The Committee which deals with applications consists of representatives of the War Office, Board of Trade, Ministry of Reconstruction and Ministry of Labour. It now sits twice a week. Continuous sittings of the Committee in the City would be impracticable, and would not prevent delay because it seldom, if ever, happens that a Committee can allow an application without preliminary inquiry; e.g., they must satisfy themselves that the particular aliens asked for are not individuals whom it would be undesirable to admit into the country, and that their introduction would not displace British labour.

The hon. Member will realise that this latter factor is of special importance at a time like the present, when unemployment at home is so acute. The fact that British Consuls abroad do not, and cannot, possess the detailed information required for a decision on this aspect of an alien's admission into the United Kingdom is for the present a conclusive reason against altering the existing machinery in the manner which the hon. Member suggests.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the fact that during the War trained nurses have rendered very valuable services to sick and wounded soldiers who have been restored to health, that many of the nurses at a number of the hospitals are very badly housed and cannot be provided with suitable accommodation for each nurse in consequence of a shortage of funds, and that it will take about £350 to provide a nurse with a separate bedroom and all that appertains thereto, he is prepared to make a Grant to the various hospitals with a view to providing suitable accommodation to the nurses?

My right hon. Friend agrees that it is highly desirable in the interests of efficient nursing for the patients, as well as in the interests of the nursing staff themselves, that adequate accommodation should be provided in all cases. The matter must receive early consideration.

asked the Attorney-General whether allotment holders renting or otherwise obtaining their allotments from a county, borough, urban district, or parish council, are eligible for election to such county, borough, urban district, or parish council?

An allotment holder who is renting or otherwise obtaining an allotment in the usual way from a county, borough, urban district, or parish council, is not, in my opinion, by reason of such holding, ineligible for election.