asked the Food Controller what steps are going to be taken to prevent profiteering in edible oils used in the fried-fish trade; and is he aware of a large quantity of such oil being held up by a firm now, in spite of the scarcity, to obtain a higher price?

With a view to preventing speculative dealings in edible oils, I have made an Order prohibiting purchases or sales of these commodities except under licence. In reply to the second part, I am informed that one firm holds a stock of 726 tons of cotton oil. This firm has distributed 713 tons during the eight weeks ended 26th June, and at this rate of disposal its stocks would be exhausted by the end of August. As no further supplies of cotton oil will be available from Egypt until December, the firm in question has decided, with the approval of the Ministry, to issue its supplies to customers in the fried-fish industry at the rate of 200 tons per month. This decision has been taken with a view to the conservation of supplies, and not in order to obtain a higher price.

asked the Food Controller whether the official in his Ministry holding a licence for the sale of Grade A milk actually sells milk to the public; and how many Grade A licences have been refused to other producers?

I am informed that the official referred to does not sell milk direct to the public. With the exception of a quantity reserved for the use of three personal friends and the employés on his estate, the milk produced on his farm is sold to a London dealer. With regard to the second part, ten applications for Grade A licences have been received; of these one was withdrawn, while up to the present five have been granted.

asked the Food Controller what are the names of the District Food Commissioners, and over what district does each commissioner operate?

The particulars of the Divisional Food Areas and names of the Divisional Food Commissioners are as follows:

asked the Food Controller if he will give a list of the articles of food which have been so reduced in price that the cost of living has, in an ordinary Household, been reduced by 4s. 9d.per week?

A statement explaining the basis upon which the reduction of 4s. 9d. per week since the Armistice is computed has recently been published in the Press, and I am sending the hon.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the troops who on their way home for demobilisation were detained in India are being used for garrison work in the interior of the country; whether there is in consequence great dissatisfaction; and whether, the situation having improved, he proposes to arrange for the sending home of these men, many of whom have been in Mesopotamia for three years and are now suffering from all sorts of ailments?

Owing to the situation in India, all men arriving in that country are being detained, some of whom are being used to meet the requirements of internal security. Individual cases of dissatisfaction have been reported. Regiments of post-war garrison are now being sent out to India, and it is hoped to be able to release men detained in India who are eligible for demobilisation as soon as the situation permits. As I said on Wednesday, these men from Mesopotamia will be brought home as soon as possible, and they are to foe the first troops to leave India.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the case of Private R. Blacklock, No. 323556, Royal Army Service Corps (Mechanical Transport), 1,039th Company, Auxiliary Petrol Company, Egyptian Expeditionary Force; whether he is aware that Private Black-Jock joined the Army on 29th November, 1916, was sent to Egypt on 13th December, 1917, and was admitted to hospital in Alexandria on 2nd November, 1918, suffering from disease unknown; that he underwent an operation on the ear and remained in the Alexandria Hospital till the end of January, 1919; that he has since been in a very weak state of health suffering from the loss of the use of one ear, and on account of the Egyptian climate not suiting him; that he is now again in hospital at Aleppo under treatment for the ear; that Private Blacklock's category was C 2 when sent overseas; that it is over two years since he was granted leave; that before joining the Army he was employed as an apprentice blacksmith at Littletown Colliery, county Durham, and that papers asking for his release were some time ago sent in by his employer; and whether, in view of the state of Private Blacklock's health, which is causing great anxiety to his parents, instructions may now be given for his release?

I am making inquiries, and will communicate the result to my hon. and gallant Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can now give a reply to the question put several weeks ago as to the demobilisation, on compassionate grounds, of Private W. L. Grounsell, M/303399, Royal Army Service Corps, with regard to which he stated he was making inquiry?

A letter was sent to my hon. and learned Friend, at the end of last month, stating that this case had been carefully considered, but it was regretted that the circumstances could not be regarded as such as to warrant the man's immediate release on compassionate grounds.

asked the Secretary of State for War why permission was refused to the demobilised officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the London Welsh battalions, who had recruited nearly 5,000 men at Gray's Inn, London, to take part in the march of the London troops through London on Saturday next?

The Lord Mayor's Mansion House Reception Committee decided that the march of London troops should be confined to units of the City and County Regiments and the Territorial Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Royal Army Service Corps, and Royal Army Medical Corps of the City and County of London. Funds were specifically raised for this purpose. If the Welsh battalions to which my hon. and gallant Friend alludes had been included, this would have meant the introduction of an entirely separate combination of troops which, although it happened to be raised in London, had no actual territorial connection with it. The Welsh battalions in question would be included in any similar function arranged by their own parent organisation.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he can now state the reply to his inquiries in India as to the health of the troops in the rest camp at Karachi; how many men are in hospital; what deaths, if any, have taken place owing to the heat; whether he is aware that the latest news from home received by soldiers there is dated January last; and whether their wives' letters are still being returned to England instead of being sent on to Karachi from Mesopotamia'?

A reply has not yet been received from India, but as I stated on Tuesday last I will let my hon. Friend know as soon as I am in a position to give him the information asked for.

asked the Secretary of State for War; whether he can now give an approximate date when the use of private cable codes will again be permitted between Great Britain and the British Dominions and between Great Britain and the United States, so as to minimise the cost of cabling under present conditions, which constitute a handicap to British trade?

As stated in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Moray and Nairn on Tuesday last, it is hoped that circumstances may soon render relaxation in this direction possible.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the increased cost of living, he will consider the advisability of increasing the pensions of teachers who retired before the War so that they may receive pensions on the same scale as teachers retiring now?

I may refer the hon. and gallant Member to my reply to a question by the hon. Member for Kettering on the 30th June last.

asked the Minister of Health whether his Department is taking any action in regard to the recent death of a girl in St. George's Hospital while undergoing treatment for congenital syphilis; what drug was used in this case and whether it had received the approval of his Department; whether he proposes to continue to approve of the use of such drugs; whether it is a fact, as stated by a medical witness at the inquest, that there had been a crop of such cases at Cambridge and Dublin during the War; how many deaths of this description have occurred in England and Wales since the beginning of the War; and whether he will make arrangements for the immediate report to his Department of all such deaths, both among soldiers and ex-soldiers and in the general population, in order that careful records may be available for reference?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative The case referred to is under inquiry by the special committee appointed by the Medical Research Committee to investigate the results of the treatment of syphilis by salvarsan and its substitutes. I understand that the drug used in this case was novarsenobillon, which is one of the drugs approved by my Department for the treatment of syphilis and tested under arrangements made by the Medical Research Committee. I am not aware of any sufficient reason for discontinuing the approval of the use of this and similar drugs. In this connection I may add that I understand the coroner's finding at the inquest on this case was that this drug was properly administered and in proper amount.I understand that there have been, several fatal cases following, though not necessarily caused by, the administration of these drugs in military hospitals at Cambridge and Dublin during the War, and these cases, also, are under investigation by the Special Committee. No precise information is at present available as to the number of deaths of this description which have occurred in England and Wales since the beginning of the War, but the total number is, of course, very small, especially in proportion to the very large number of injections of such drugs taking place daily.The suggestion in the last part of the question will be considered with the report of the Special Committee when it is received. Already my Department have been considering the desirability of requiring special reports direct to the Ministry of all exceptional results following the administration of these drugs.

asked the Minister for Health if it is intended that the National Insurance Audit Department, which it is presumed is under Treasury control, is to remain a separate Government Department outside the scope of the Ministry of Health, or is it to be now or at any future date transferred and attached to the said Ministry?

There is no intention of transferring to the Ministry the powers and duties of the National Insurance Audit Department, which will, accordingly, remain under the control of the Treasury.

asked the Postmaster General whether he is aware that a telegram from Angers, France, notifying Messrs. Glendinning and Sons, Newcastle-on-Tyne, of the dispatch of a valuable consignment of goods, was sent on the forenoon of 21st June and was not delivered until 24th June, and that in consequence of such delay, as the boat arrived before the telegram, there was no opportunity for insurance; and whether any explanation can be given of such dilatory Post Office methods?

This telegram was not received in London until the evening of the 23rd June. Owing to interruptions on the French land lines and great pressure of traffic, Paris has had to send a considerable number of telegrams by train in order to obviate the greater delay which would arise if they had been retained for transmission by wire. I am having inquiry made as regards the treatment of the telegram after its receipt in London, and will communicate the result to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary for Scotland how many schemes for the creation of new small holdings have been carried through by the Scottish Board of Agriculture under the Small Landholders (Scotland) Act, 1911, by negotiation or compulsorily; what is the acreage comprised in these schemes; and how many schemes, with the acreage involved, have been abandoned on account of excessive cost before and after the valuer has made his award?

Arrangements have been made to proceed with 169 schemes under the Small Landholders (Scotland) Act, 1911, comprising 116,179 acres. Of these 154 schemes providing for 629 new holdings and 476 enlargements on a total area of 84,911 acres are in operation. Seventy-five schemes comprising 70,669 acres have been abandoned by the Board on account of excessive cost before compensation awards, and 10 schemes comprising 14,331 acres after compensation awards.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether superintendents or other officers of reformatory and industrial schools are included in the provisions of the Education (Scotland) (Superannuation) Act, 1919, or any of the superannuation schemes at present lying upon the Table of the House?

The present superannuation scheme, like the former, extends to all persons in the employment of industrial and reformatory school managers (including superintendents) who fulfil two conditions (1) that they are qualified as teachers in terms of the scheme, and (2) that they are actually giving whole-time service in connection with education in Scotland. The question of the admissibility of certain classes of officers for recognition as "teachers" in terms of Article 1 (6) (iv.) of the scheme is under consideration.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture what is the salary and any allowances of the deputy-surveyor of the Forest of Dean?

The deputy-surveyor receives an inclusive salary on a scale of £650—£20—£850 — his salary for the year ending 30th September, 1919, being £730,together with the appropriate temporary war bonus on the scale fixed by the Conciliation and Arbitration Board. He also receives travelling expenses incurred on official business, including the usual allowances for use of his own motor or horse and trap.