asked the Home Secretary whether an exception can be made in the case of a mine manager holding a first-class certificate, who sat at the examination for sub-inspectors and was high in the list, who is anxious to sit for the junior inspectors' examination although he is row over thirty-five years of age; and whether he will consider the desirability of raising the present age limit for men who have had long practical experience as mine managers?

There is no power to make any exception in individual cases to the limits of age prescribed by the Regulations for these appointments. An alteration of the Regulations would be required, and having regard to the conditions of the service, I do not think it would be advisable to appoint as junior inspectors senior men who would in the ordinary course be unable to reach the higher posts until close on the time of their retirement, if at all. I may add that special care is taken, in selecting men for these appointments, to secure that they are fully qualified in respect of their practical experience.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the good offices of the Overseas Department established by the Foreign Office and the Board of Trade in the City to assist and further overseas trade are not utilised to remedy mistakes when pointed out in the case of passports bearing the endorsement "No return"; and if he will give directions that facilities be accorded to that Department to expedite the removal of grievances where a primâ facie case for action is presented?

The hon. Member appears to be misinformed. There is con- stant communication between the Home Office and the Department of Overseas Trade as to the grant of facilities to aliens to enable them to visit this country for business purposes.

asked the Home Secretary whether the practice of the Home Office of issuing passports to foreign subjects resident in this country to proceed to Holland marked "No Return" was employed until recently to discourage travelling, consequent on the absence of shipping facilities, even when the record of the applicant for a permit afforded no sufficient ground for considering him to be an undesirable alien; whether he is aware that the holders of such passports who seek to proceed from Holland to Siberia, Japan, and thence to the United States as travellers for British houses to promote overseas trade in favour of this country are in practice refused the visé of the United States Consuls to proceed, by reason of such Consuls interpreting the "No Return" stamped on the passports as indicative that such holders are undesirables; and whether, in view of the present improved facilities for travelling between this country and Holland, he will direct that passports stamped as aforesaid shall in future not be issued, and will authorise the issue through the medium of British Consuls to present holders of British passports against whom no complaint rests of new passports, on which the words referred to shall not appear?

The system of controlling passenger traffic from this country which was found requisite in the exigencies of the War and under which the permits to leave the United Kingdom issued by the Home Office were when necessary made subject to the condition of "No return during the War," came to an end in February last. I have no information to the effect stated in the second paragraph of the question, but instructions were issued some months ago to British Consuls abroad that in granting visas for the United Kingdom the condition of "No Return" should be disregarded unless in any particular case there were serious personal reasons to the contrary.

asked the Home Secretary why Regulations as to restrictions on headlights were introduced under the Defence of the Realm Act, since such action was not prompted by air raids; and whether he is aware that he has been wrongly advised as to the safe driving at ordinary speeds at night, especially when it is wet?

The present restrictions were imposed in the interests of public safety, and are maintained for that purpose pending Regulations on a permanent basis. I believe the Order to be suitable for the purpose.

asked the Home Secretary if he can state the reasons for ordering the deportation of Mr. Louis Leipovitch, chairman of the United Ladies' Tailors' Trade Union, 10, Great Garden Street, E. 1, and Mr. G. M. Schkolnikoff, 1, Osborne Street, E. 1; whether he, is aware that these two men have taken no part in politics or political agitation of any kind; and whether he will reconsider the decision in these two cases?

Mr. Louis Leipovitch has, as I understand, volunteered to go to Russia, and arrangements are in progress under which he will be at liberty pending his departure. Mr. Schkolnikoff, who is known as an associate of Russian extremists, is being sent to Odessa, the place from which he came in 1914 to the United Kingdom.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if he is aware that at the Imperial War Conference on 26th April, 1917, the President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries stated that, so far as the English Board of Agriculture was concerned, they were in favour of the removal of the embargo on the importation of Canadian cattle, and that he did not believe that there was then or had been for a good many years past the slightest ground to exclude Canadian cattle on the score of disease, and that a resolution moved at that conference that the embargo of Canadian cattle should be removed as speedily as possible was accepted by the President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries; and, in view of the foregoing, if he will say when it is proposed to take the necessary steps to fulfil that pledge and have the embargo removed?

With respect to the first three parts of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the detailed answer given by the President of the Board on25th May and 25th October, 1917. As to the last part, Canadian cattle can be imported into this country for slaughter at the port. But legislation would be required to permit their importation as stores. If imports could be restricted with absolute certainty to cattle, born and reared in Canada, and leaving that country for the first time by direct shipment to a British port, it would be impossible to exclude them only on the ground of diseases from which they are exceptionally free. But the Board is not of opinion that importation would be to the advantage of the agricultural community of this country, and has no intention of introducing legislation in the sense asked for by the hon. Member.