asked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether it is a practice to submit workmen to medical examination before engaging them for work in the dockyards and elsewhere; if so, will he state the reason; whether he is aware that men who have worked for many years for Admiralty contractors and have never had to submit to medical examination are now being compelled to submit themselves in order to obtain work under the Admiralty; whether he is aware that if this practice were resorted to by private employers many men now in work would be thrown out and the volume of unemployment increased; and whether this practice will be reconsidered?

In accordance with the Dockyard Regulations, workmen proposed for entry in the Royal Dockyards or other Admiralty establishments are required to be passed by the medical officer of the establishment. The medical examination has been much simplified during the War, and now consists merely of a more or less superficial examination for the purpose of recording in a regular manner any serious physical defects of the entrants; and to ensure, as far as possible, that the men proposed to be entered are physically fit for their proposed employment. It is considered necessary to retain this method of procedure.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the circumstances warrant payment of inconvenience money to men that are employed at the Royal Naval Ordnance Depot, near Stirling, who live more than three miles from their work, which is paid to men similarly situated at Rosyth, Crombie, and Invergordon?

The matter has been looked into, and it is found that the circumstances do not warrant the payment of the allowance referred to except in the cases of those men who have been transferred from Crombie and were formerly in receipt of the allowance.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can see his way to demobilise Corporal James Borman, who is at present employed in the office of the Controller of Clothing Contracts, South Parade, Bangalore, South India, having regard to the fact that this non-commissioned officer is nearly fifty-five years of age, and that 106 men of his battalion were sent home in March of this year; and if he can say whether there is any special reason why this man was left behind?

I regret I have nothing further to add to the answer given to my hon. and gallant Friend on the 27th of March.

asked the Secretary of State for War if, when the huts at Hilsea, Portsmouth, now occupied by non-combatants, are vacated, he will allow the huts to be rented by workers from Portsmouth?

I am inquiring whether the huts referred to will be further required for military purposes, and will write to my hon. and gallant Friend later.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can state the number of men of the British Armies who have been executed since August, 1914, in pursuance of sentences of courts-martial; and at how many of the trials the prisoners were legally represented?

I regret I am unable to furnish this information.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the late Captain C. G. Hibbert, l/4th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, proceeded to France on 5th May, 1915; whether he was killed on 5th June, 1915; whether he is entitled to the 1914–15 Star; and, if so, why the medal, in spite of repeated applications, has not been sent to his next-of-kin?

Captain C. G. R. Hibbert was reported missing 16th–18th June, 1915, and his death has since been presumed for official purposes. He qualified for the award of the "1914–15 Star," and the decoration will be sent to his next-of-kin or legal representative when it is ready for issue.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can issue instructions for acting-paymasters to receive the bonus of the Army of Occupation, in view of the fact that other ranks in the same service are now in receipt of the bonus?

Under the existing Instructions, all commissioned acting-paymasters receive the bonus. It is not payable to civilian employés of any class.

asked the Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministry if he is aware that S. R. Williamson, No. 134984, Royal Air Force, who was demobilised on the 12th of January, 1919, has made five applications to the paymaster, the Royal Air Force, Woking, for a copy of his accounts, but has not yet succeeded in obtaining any reply except an acknowledgment, dated the 3rd of March, of the receipt of one of his letters; and that, although Williamson kept strict accounts while in the Service which show that at the date of his discharge he had a credit balance of £8 10s. 3d., he has been informed that there is a debit balance against him of £8 3s. 11d.; and if he will give instructions that Williamson shall be forthwith furnished with full details of his accounts to enable him to have the discrepancy investigated?

The matter is being investigated, and instructions have been issued for a complete statement of his account to be prepared and sent to S. R. Williamson.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he will supply the names and addresses of the people, bitten by alleged mad dogs; if he will inform the House whether the alleged microbe of rabies has ever been indisputably identified; if so, by whom, when, and where; how the results of the post-mortem examination of the carcase of an alleged mad dog differ from those of dogs suffering from any other form of acute cerebral irritation; and is he aware that there have been more than 3,000 deaths from hydrophobia in persons who have been protected against it by anti-rabic virus at the various Pasteur institutes?

The first part of the question should be addressed to the Local Government Board as the Department responsible for the treatment of people who have been bitten by rabid dogs. The casual agent of rabies was cultivated artificially by Noguchi at the Rockefeller Institute, U.S.A., in 1912. There are present in the brain of a mad dog specific bodies (negri bodies) which are diagnostic and which are not found in the brain of a dog suffering from any other form of acute cerebral irritation. The Board have no information as to the latter part of the question, but they are informed that the number of people who die after treatment is under 1 per cent., as compared with at least 16 per cent. of deaths among those who have been bitten, by rabid dogs and have not been treated.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will sanction the formation of girl guides to enable work, such as physical exercises and other duties belonging to their curriculum, being taught in rural schools for one hour per week to the older girls, if the local education authority give their consent?

I presume the hon. and gallant Member's suggestion is that the activities practised by girl guides under the auspices of that organisation during the ordinary school hours should be recognised as part of the school curriculum. It is not possible for me to express any general opinion as to the practicability of such an. arrangement, which could obviously not be confined to children belonging to this organisation only, and I can only consider it upon the application of a local education authority and in relation to a specific proposal supported by full particulars.