asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will state the number of convictions for indictable offences in Ireland for each year from 1886 to 1919, distinguishing between political and other crimes?

I regret that this information is not available, and it could not be obtained without a minute examination of all the circumstances connected with each individual case. It would take months to prepare, and its public utility would not be at all commensurate with the labour and loss of official time in its preparation.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty if he will ascertain the circumstances under which the Admiralty seriously damaged a fishing-boat belonging to Mr. George Kirkpatrick, Longhope, Orkney, and when such damage occurred; and if he will have the boat surveyed by an independent authority and payment made in respect thereof?

The Admiralty do not admit liability for damage sustained by Mr. Kirkpatrick's boat and are consequently unable to agree to a survey being made of the damage. They are prepared, however, to pay Mr. Kirkpatrick, ex gratiaand without prejudice, a sum of £20 in full settlement of his claim, and this fact was intimated to his solicitor in October last.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether a Colour-Sergeant-Instructor of musketry who was promoted to the rank of Company Sergeant-Major-Instructor of musketry under Army Order No. 194, of 22nd June, 1918, is entitled to the rate of pay appertaining to the rank to which he was so promoted; if he is not entitled to such rate of pay, what advantage has he gained by his promotion; and is it a fact that some persons so promoted have received such rate of pay while it has been refused to others?

A Company Sergeant-Major-Instructor of musketry is entitled to be paid at the rate laid down for that appointment in Army Order 325 of 1919. If the hon. Member is aware of any case where this is not being done, and he will furnish me with particulars, I will have it inquired into.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has been informed that a registered parcel addressed to the Postmaster-General, London, containing four parcels of diamonds to the reputed value of £23,000, which was on board the steamship "Lusitania" at the time of her destruction was salved from the sea some days afterwards by a fisherman named John Hayes and his crew on 11th May, 1915, and delivered up by them to the Receiver of Wreck at Baltimore through the Coastguards at Castletownshend, county Cork, and forwarded to the General Post Office, London; whether such action on the part of the fishermen enabled the postal authorities to deliver the registered parcels to the respective addressees in London thus saving the carriers and the postal authorities a heavy loss in compensation to the owners; whether he is aware if any and, if so, what steps have been taken by his Department or the owners of the property salved to remunerate the salvors for their valuable services performed at great peril to themselves; whether, in the event of no such compensation having been as yet paid, he will take steps to see that a substantial ex partia grant is made to the salvors; and whether he will, in addition, direct that the Solicitor to the Post Office take up the matter with the consignees so that they may be required to contribute to the salvage award either voluntarily or by compulsion?

I am aware of the circumstances in connection with the subject of this question, but the hon. Member seems to have been misinformed in regard both to the value of the salved parcel and to the risk or peril involved to the salvors. The Solicitor to the Post Office wrote to the legal representatives of the salvors in February last, but no reply has been received to his communication. If, however, any further representation is made, my right hon. Friend will be glad to give it further consideration.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if Sayed el Kholi. Bey, sub-moudir of Girga, Egypt, who has recently had his salary increased by £E110 per annum, is the same person who took an active part in the rioting and was interned with other political prisoners at Rafa; if so, if it is considered desirable that such a person should have his salary increased; and, if not, will he make representations to the Egyptian Government on the subject?

Sayed Fuad el Kholi, sub-moudir of Girga, was suspended from duty on 14th May and deported to Rafa. On his return the whole case against him was reopened on the advice of the Director-General of Public Security, a senior British official. After all available witnesses had been heard, the official who conducted the administrative inquiry reported that in his opinion there was no charge on which Sayed Fuad el Kholi could be brought to account. This conclusion was approved by the Director-General of Public Security, and the accused was accordingly reinstated as sub-moudir, a necessary part of this reinstatement being the grant of an increase of pay of £E110 per annum due to him in May, which he would have naturally received if he had not been deported. In view of these circumstances, I do not feel called upon to make representations on the subject to the Egyptian Government.