asked the Attorney-General for Ireland under what statutory authority the police in Ireland seize motor bicycles?

The having, keeping, or using of a motor bicycle without a permit is prohibited by an Order of the Competent Military Authority made under the Defence of the Realm Regulations.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state the value of the ground rent for the city of Belfast and the land valuation; and whether he can also give any information as to the actual owners of both land and property in that city?

I am not clear as to the precise nature of the information which the hon. Member desires, but if he will let me have particulars, I shall be glad to inquire into the matter.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that poor people could not make jam owing to the prices of earlier fruits; and whether he will con- sider the possibility of encouraging the-manufacture of home-made jam from wild, fruits or from the hard fruits now obtain able by increasing the allotment of sugar from 50 per cent, to 75 per cent, of the amount originally intended to be issued for preserving purposes?

The issue of sugar for the domestic preserving of autumn fruits is being made at the rate of 50 per cent, of the quantities applied for, and, as the sugar issued for preserving soft fruits was in many cases in excess of the actual requirements, it is anticipated that, with the surplus from the earlier issue, the amount now available will be generally sufficient. I would add that the total issue of sugar for domestic preserving exceeds the amount originally allotted to this purpose and cannot be increased.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that divisional paymasters of the Ryoal Marines, who were specially promoted in August, 1918, to the rank of lieutenant-colonel on the half-pay list and received' the pay of that rank for good and distinguished service, now under the new rates of pay for naval and military officers-only receive the pay of a major although holding the substantive rank of lieutenant-colonel, thus depriving them of the benefit they received for services during the War; and whether these officers should be granted the pay and emoluments of their rank and appointment on account of their special promotion for good services and their very arduous and responsible work during the War?

Previous to August, 1918, these officers were in, receipt of a salary as paymaster, together with half-pay as major of 9s. 6d. a day. In August, 1918, they were given the rank of lieutenant-colonel, without increase to their salary as paymaster or to their rate of retired pay, but with increased half-pay of 11s. 8d.a day. Under the new Rules for pay, they receive full pay according to their seniority as major, in addition to such allowances as are applicable, and are eligible for the rank of lieutenant-colon el, without additional emoluments, after twelve years' service as major. Their pre sent emoluments vary from £439 to £414 per annum in excess of their previous emoluments, and it is not considered that a case exists for increasing their pay still further.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether his attention has been drawn to the decision of the sheriff at Dunfermline granting a decree of eviction against twelve tenants, all Admiralty workers, who have refused to pay rents which they consider excessive; and whether, in view of the fact that a large number of dock yard workers are affected by this decision, any steps are being taken or will be taken to endeavour to come to some arrangement in the matter under dispute?

The answer to the first part of my right hon. Friend's question is in the affirmative. The rents in question have been very carefully considered by the Admiralty, who cannot agree that they are excessive. As regards the last part of the question, the steps suggested by my right hon. Friend have already been taken. The Civil Lord of the Admiralty met a deputation from the Rosyth Ratepayers' Association on 30th June at Rosyth, and discussed the matter with them at length. The dockyard representatives claimed a reduction of 50 per cent, in their rents, and the Civil Lord declined on the part of the Admiralty to make any contribution from public funds to the Housing Company to enable them to make such a reduction. The deputation was informed that the rents are not considered unreasonable, having regard to the accommodation provided.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether there is still a certain number of clergy in the ranks, men who joined for fighting purposes as examples; and whether, now the actual fighting is over, steps can be taken for them to be demobilised, and allowed to get back to their spiritual duties?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Spelthorne on the 15th July, to which I would add that unless the demobilisation of the soldiers in question is provided for in the Memorandum recently published, I cannot take any steps to grant them priority of release.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether any distinction on demobilisation is made with regard to the amount of furlough and allowances between those men who have received their regular leave during the War and those who have been out of the country for three or four years at a stretch without any leave at all; and, if there is no difference, whether some provision can be made to deal more fairly with the latter class?

No distinction on demobilisation is made with regard to the amount of furlough and allowances, the grant of these being governed by conditions laid down in Demobilisation Regulations. Careful consideration has been given to the question of the granting of additional furlough to soldiers who have been abroad for two or more years with out home leave, but I regret it has not been found possible to grant any additional furlough in these cases.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the decision of the Chertsey Council to abandon the local housing scheme in consequence of the attitude of his Department; and whether he will make a statement on the matter?

With regard to both parts of the hon. Member's question, I would refer him to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for Wavertree on the 4th instant.

asked the Minister of Health what assistance he is giving to the establishment of public utility societies by the farmers so as to provide more cottages for their labourers; and whether any such societies have yet been formed?

The Housing Commissioners have instructions to render every assistance in the formation of public utility societies by farmers and others; and they have received a number of inquiries from agricultural areas. As far as my information goes, no societies have at present been promoted by farmers alone. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the pamphlet issued by the Department dealing with the formation of public utility societies and the assistance that will be given to them under the Housing Act.

asked the Minister of Health whether the average cost of brick houses of approximately 10,000 cubic feet contents, now being erected by local authorities under the new Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, is 1s. 1d. per cubic foot; whether houses of the same type and contents are being built in concrete at a cost of 8¾d. per cubic foot; and, if so, what steps he is taking to bring to the notice of local authorities the economies that can be effected by utilising concrete instead of brick wherever material for making concrete is available locally?

The average cost of brick houses is at present about 1s. 1d. per cubic foot. Houses of a very simple type are being built in concrete as an experiment, and the cost of these houses has been estimated at about 8¾d. per cubic foot. The building of cottages in concrete blocks is being encouraged where suitable; materials are available at or near the site, and information regarding their experi- ments will be published from time to time in "Housing," the Departmental Journal, which is sent to all local authorities.

asked the Minister of Health whether his Department has opened training classes for the purpose of training women as house and housing inspectors; and whether he will direct that ex-Service men be trained for this purpose in view of the suitability of this employment for a partially disabled man?

Training classes of the kind mentioned have not been opened by my Department for women or for men. I understand that the training branch of the Ministry of Labour has special arrangements for training discharged men in sanitary work.

asked the Minister of Health whether the price of red bricks has been advanced by 12s. and blue bricks by 15s. a thousand; and, if so, whether those advances are being permitted on the bricks in stock before the recent 6s. advance on coal?

I have been asked to answer this question. The Ministry of Munitions is not purchasing bricks of the types to which I understand my hon. Friend to refer. I should add that the price of bricks is not controlled.

asked the Minister of Health when the Committee which is now considering the position of old age pensioners under the existing law, is likely to report; whether, in consideration of the continued high cost of living, he will reconsider his decision to await the Report of the Committee before taking any action to relax any of the present restrictions, which often inflict much unnecessary Buffering on the aged poor; whether, as a temporary measure to meet some pressing cases, steps could now be taken to permit guardians of the poor to grant out-relief to old age pensioners without disqualifying the recipient from continuing to receive the old age pension; and whether the yearly means which entitles a person to receive an old age pension could be raised from £31 10s., an amount fixed in pre-war times, to a sum in keeping with the pre sent purchasing power of money?

I understand that the Committee hope to Report early in the autumn. The answer to the remaining parts of the question is in the negative.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the fact that guardians of the poor were authorised to make, and in a great number of cases did make, an extra grant to persons receiving out relief, and were authorised to make and did make modifications in diet and in other ways incurred additional expenses in connection with persons in workhouses, in order that these people might be able to participate in the rejoicing over the Peace, a grant of, say, 5s. might be given, to old age pensioners, thus showing these old people that the State were not unmindful of them in the hour of great national rejoicing?

I fear the answer must be in the negative.

asked the Minister of Health whether a woman who was on the register as a Parliamentary and local government elector as the wife of a man who is on those registers ceases to be on the registers in the event of her husband dying although she becomes the occupier of the house on her husband's death, or whether she is put on the first new register published after the death or her husband?

My right hon. Friend has no jurisdiction to determine the questions raised, but I may refer the hon. Member to the terms of Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1918, under which every person registered is entitled to vote. The qualification for registration is acquired during the qualifying period, and is not affected by any event after that period. On a new register being prepared, the qualification of every person to be registered is re viewed in relation to the new qualifying period.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to a resolution by the Midland Counties Veterinary Medical Association. at a meeting held in Birmingham, to the effect that it is essential in the public interests that provision be made for the oppointment of at least one member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on every consultative council to be set up under Clause 4 of the Ministry of Health Act, which may have to deal with matters relating to the hygiene and health of animals; and whether he will take the matter into favorable consideration, with a view to making appointments as suggested in the resolution?

My right hon. Friend has received a number of resolutions on this subject, and I would refer the hon. Member to the terms of the reply given to a similar question by the hon. Member for Wellingborough on the 10th July, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Health if he will now give instructions for statistics regarding the number of people receiving Poor Law relief and the amounts of such relief to be furnished annually or biennially by the different authorities to the Local Government Board in accordance with the pre-war practice?

My right hon. Friend proposes to obtain, as early as possible next year, full statistics as to the number of persons in receipt of poor relief and the cost.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the increasing difficulty of local authorities in maintaining their public libraries by reason of the limitation placed on expenditure for such purposes, he will at an early opportunity introduce legislation for the purpose of removing the present limitation of expenditure for library purposes?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Aberdare on the 30th July on this subject, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Health whether any further consideration has been given to the question of the forth coming municipal elections; and, if so, whether the arrangements made to govern the same will include a general retirement of the whole of the sitting members?

My right hon. Friend has had this matter under consideration, but he does not propose to introduce legislation for the purpose referred to in the question.

asked the Minister of Health if he has received re quests from approved societies to increase the administration allowance to approved societies; and what he proposes to do in the matter?

Yes, Sir; and the matter has been the subject of close investigation. My right hon. Friend cannot yet state what form the legislation may take which would be necessary, if changes of the kind referred to in the question were made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that on the 1st July the Gloucester shire County Council were 50,000 tons short of their requirements for road materials; whether the same condition applies in regard to many other councils; whether the trouble is largely due to the lack of railway wagons; and whether, seeing that road-making is the best work for unskilled labour, he will arrange for wagons to be sent to quarry-owners as soon as possible in order that this necessary work may be done?

I am not aware of the precise circumstances in which the Gloucestershire County Council find them selves with regard to their requirements for road-repairing materials, but I know generally that many quarry-owners do not at present possess sufficient wagons to enable them to deal with the whole of their output. Railway companies are not bound to supply wagons for this traffic, and, as my hon. Friend will be aware, they are at present finding great difficulty in meeting the demands made upon them for the supply of wagons for other urgent requirements. If, however, I am furnished with further particulars of the cases to which he refers and the names of the quarries concerned, I will see whether anything can be done in the matter.

asked the Post master-General in what year the office of Engineer-in-Chief to the Post Office was created; what was the initial salary attached to the office; in what years and by what amounts the salary has been in creased; and the number of the staff and the value of the plant now under his control?

The office was created in 1870 with the scale £1,000-£50-£1,200. The scale was reduced to £900-£50-£1,100 in 1878, and raised again in 1887 to £1,000-£50-£1,200. It now stands at that level, with the addition of the usual war bonus. The staff under the Engineer-in-Chief's control numbers 24,500, including 2,900 still on military service, and the value of the plant, as new, at pre-war costs is estimated at £42,000,000, excluding plant constructed for war purposes.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that Mans field, Notts, a town of 56,000 population, and a commercial and industrial centre, has only two deliveries of letters daily, namely, in the early morning and at 2 p.m., and the latest dispatch at 8,15 p.m.; and as trade and commerce are suffering owing to the inadequate postal facilities, will he take the necessary steps to improve the same?

Arrangements have been made to provide three deliveries of letters at 7 a.m., 11 a.m., and 4.45 p.m., and two additional collections in Mansfield on and from the 18th of this month. The time of the last dispatch, namely 9 p.m., for which letters can be posted up to 8.15 p.m. is, I think, sufficiently late to meet the reasonable requirements of the town.

asked the Postmaster-General if he can state the number of members of the permanent and temporary staff at the East Central district office whose wives are also working at the same office; and will he take into consideration the advisability of stopping the large amount of overtime being worked, with a view to employing a larger number of discharged and disabled soldiers?

There is no record available, but the number of women in the Eastern Central District Office who are wives of members of the male staff is believed to be small. Most of the work performed on overtime either is not suit able for disabled soldiers or is of a purely temporary character. A considerable number of disabled soldiers is being employed in a temporary capacity in London, but it would not be desirable to admit more than there is a prospect of absorbing later on into the permanent establishment.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been drawn to the case of J. Snow, who, in 1912, was dismissed from the engineering department of the Post Office for striking his foreman in the heat of a political argument; whether he is aware that since then Snow has served four and a half years in the Army, and was recently discharged from the Royal Engineers as a senior non commissioned officer with an exemplary character; that after four and a half months of unemployment he obtained a berth in the General Post Office on the 2lst July last; that on the 23rd July he was dismissed, the reason given being that his offence in 1912 had been discovered; and whether, in view of the ser vices rendered by this man during the War and the lapse of time since the offence was committed, he will reconsider the case with a view to the man's rein statement?

In view of Mr. Snow's record in the Army, I am prepared to sanction his re-employment in an un-established capacity as before, and instructions will be given to that effect.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that Mr. C. J. Banks, of 6, Clyde Road, Tottenham, and Mr. J. E. Clark, of 32, Arnold Road, Tottenham, made application to the Military Service (Civil Liabilities) Department, several months ago, for Grants to re-establish them in business; why so much delay has taken place in the settlement of their claims; and if he will expedite a decision in both cases?

I am aware that applications have been made in the cases mentioned by the hon. and gallant Member. Mr. Clark was informed by the Commissioner who saw him on the 30th June last that he should apply to the local war pensions committee, who are the proper body to deal with his application in the first instance. No report has yet been submitted to me by the local committee; but I am making inquiries into the matter. A decision has been given in Mr. Banks' case and communicated to him. I am taking steps to expedite decisions upon all applications of this nature.

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to the action of the employers in the furnishing trades in locking out their workmen in the districts of Bristol, Bath, Birmingham, High Wycombe, Nottingham, Leicester, Barn staple, and part of West Bromwich; and whether any action is being taken by his Department in the matter?

I am aware of this dispute, which has been watched by my Department. At present it is in the hands of the Joint Industrial Council of the furnishing trade, a meeting of which takes place to-morrow. I sincerely hope that the council will be able to reach a speedy and satisfactory settlement.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he will state the result of his representations to the Epping Forest Commissioners on the subject of the tenure of the allotments on Wanstead Flats; whether the Commissioners have agreed to receive a deputation from the allotment holders and the local authorities to consider the matter; and whether, seeing that other authorities have granted extended tenure of allotments, and in view of the provision which would enable authorities to retain such allotments for two years from the termination of the War, he will take appropriate action with the Epping Forest Commissioners with a view to securing these extensions of tenure?

With reference to the first part of the question I must refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the question addressed to me yesterday by the hon. and learned Member for Upton. As regards the latter part of the question the powers which enabled local authorities to retain certain lands for two years after the termination of the War are not applicable to the land at Wanstead Flats, which was already in the possession of the City Corporation before the Defence of the Realm Regulations came into operation.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that on a farm situate partly in Cambridgeshire and partly in Suffolk for equal hours, for five weeks, which is the average duration of harvest in this district, the harvest wages as fixed by the Agricultural Wages Board amount to £23 5s. per man in the former and £17 12s. 6d. in the latter county; and can he explain what steps a farmer should take under these circumstances when work in one field is supposed to be worth 30 per cent, more than the same work in an adjoining field?

Cases such as that adduced by the hon. and gallant Member are not frequent. Strictly speaking the man should be paid at the rate of each district for the proportion of the time he spends at work in that district. As such a procedure is somewhat impracticable the Agricultural Wages Board suggest that an agreement should be reached between the employer and the men in each case as to the fair rate to be paid, having regard to the extent of the land in each district. While such an agreement might not be valid for a particular man or a particular period it is unlikely that any attempt would be made to upset it.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that there is a real danger of a heavy loss of foodstuffs occurring in Hertfordshire through the serious disputes respecting harvest wages caused by the failure of the Agricultural Wages Board to make suitable arrangements for this county; and whether he will take action to procure such a Board as will more adequately carry out its duties?

I am advised that an agreement has been reached between the farmers and the labourers in Hertford shire, and that the threatened strike was thereby avoided. The Agricultural Wages Board have fixed special rates for harvest in all cases in which the district wages committee have recommended them to do so. The Hertfordshire and Middlesex District Committee discussed the matter, but made no recommendation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that Mr. Henry Morgenthau, head of the American Commission now in Poland, has declared that it is not his intention to investigate the pogroms and other outrages against the Jews in that country but merely to inquire into the general Jewish conditions; and whether he will therefore arrange that the British Commission which is to proceed to Poland shall act independently in its task of investigating the anti-Jewish outrages?

In answer to the first part of the question asked by the Noble Lord a dispatch has been received from His Majesty's Minister at Warsaw stating that the inquiries instituted by M. Morgenthau's Commission will not only embrace the charges of actual ill-treatment of the Jews in Poland, but also their economic situation which is closely connected with the general economic condition of the country. The answer to the last part of the question is that the British Mission will act independently of M. Morgenthau's mission in investigating the position of Jews in Poland.

asked the Attorney-General what sums have been paid or are due in respect of the costs incurred in the case of the Cannon Brewery Company v. the Central Control Board (Liquor Traffic), during the various stages of the litigation, namely, in the High Court of Justice, the Court of Appeal, and the House of Lords, respectively, distinguishing the sums paid to or awarded for costs to the brewery company (plaintiffs and respondent to the appeals), and paid or incurred on be half of the Central Control Board (Liquor Traffic) (defendants and appellants)?

I am informed that the total estimated cost is £3,700, of which £2,018 3s. 7d. has so far been paid. The taxed costs of the Cannon Brewery Company are as follows:

asked the Attorney-General whether the surface owner has any property in the oil beneath his land?

This is a difficult question, upon which opinions may easily differ. Personally I incline to the view that the surface owner is the owner of the oil beneath his land in the sense that he alone has the right on his land to search and bore for oil and becomes the owner of the oil if and when he gets it. This right, however, is subject to the provisions of the Petroleum (Production) Act, 1918 (8 and 9 c. 5 c. 52) which prohibits any per son other than a person acting on behalf of the Crown, or holding a licence under the Act for the purpose, from searching or boring for or getting petroleum within the United Kingdom. Licences may be granted under the Act by the Minister of Munitions on such terms and conditions as the Minister thinks fit.