asked the Postmaster-General if dissatisfaction exists among the members of the Post Office staff who served in the special sections of the Royal Engineers during the late War; if, but for the immediate response of the civilian telegraphists in 1914, the Army would have been without an adequate and efficient signal service: and will he, therefore, consider the advisability of granting to those men a special war gratuity?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for South Nottingham (Lord H. Cavendish-Bentinck) on the 22nd of December.

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to the fact that in one of the highest skilled trades in the country sufficient men are not obtainable to cope with the present demands, and in spite of this the union which controls this industry, the Engravers' Union, are refusing to allow the employers to give work to discharged men who can be taught one branch of the trade in three months; and whether he is aware that a shortage of men in this particular industry will lead to a stoppage of the export trade in printed goods?

It is not clear whether the hon. and gallant Member refers to press-engraving or to engraving for textile or for wall-paper printing. If he would give me more precise information as to the industry and process to which he refers, I shall be glad to make enquiries.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture whether the desirability of repealing the Rabbits Order of 1917 has been considered; in how many war agricultural executive committees in England such Order is being put in force at the present time; and whether occupiers of land are entitled to be informed of the manner in which the rabbits taken on land in their occupation have been disposed of, to have an account of the proceeds of the sale thereof, and payment of the balance handed over to them?

The Rabbits Order, 1917, has been of great use in enabling Agricultural Executive Committees to take steps to prevent the wastage of crops by rabbits where their numbers are excessive and the owners or occupiers of the land fail after due notice to reduce them. The Order will lapse on the termination of the present War, and Part IV of the Corn Production Act, 1917, which confers on the Ministry similar powers to those in the Order will thereupon come into operation. I am unable to say in how many counties the Order is being enforced at the present time as Committees are not required to report their action to the Ministry unless it involves expenditure from public funds. Occupiers of land whose rabbits are taken are not entitled to the information indicated in the last part of the question, or to payment of the balance of the proceeds of sale after deducting the expenses. They may, however, claim compensation for loss actually sustained in consequence of the exercise of powers under the Order.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he is aware that the present shortage of coal stocks to gas undertakings involve the danger of a cessation of public lighting and of the only means of cooking and lighting in use in a number of working-class homes; that there is a possibility that the public, in view of this risk, will revert to the use of raw coal as fuel; and whether, in view of the fact that this would entail very considerable waste of heat energy and a still further demand upon the coal resources of the country, he will take such steps as are necessary to remove the possibility of these risks; (2) whether he is aware that, although the output of coal has greatly increased since the Armistice, the supplies to gas undertakings are less satisfactory than those maintained during the War; that since December, 1919, when the rebate of 10s. per ton was allowed to domestic consumers, the supplies to gas undertakings have decreased still further; and that there are over 400 gas undertakings with less than one week's supply; and what steps can be taken to improve this state of affairs, in view of the fact that colliery owners naturally prefer to obtain the full price from sales for industrial purposes rather than to have to wait to obtain from the Government the amount deducted in respect of coal used for domestic purposes?

I will answer these questions together. I am aware that certain gas undertakings have experienced difficulties in obtaining adequate supplies of coal, and it was partly on this account that the scheme outlined by the Leader of the House on the 16th February, in his answer to the question by the hon. and gallant Member for Holborn, was formulated. Under this scheme, which is now in operation, household and domestic coal, and coal for public utility undertakings, is given priority over coal for industrial use. I have no evidence to show that the difference in the charge made for industrial, household and domestic coal is responsible for the shortage to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that gas undertakings carbonise not more than 20,000,000 tons of coal per annum; that this must, however, be of a type suitable for carbonisation: that if this quantity were treated as a separate item in the amounts allocated to public utility undertakings the gas undertakings would have no difficulty in obtaining it; and whether, in view of the fact that public utility undertakings are to be given priority of supply over railways and all industries, he will make the separate allocation suggested above in order to render the priority of supply referred to?

I am fully aware of the facts mentioned in the question, and, so far as possible, the quantities of coal allocated to gas undertakings are already dealt with separately.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Shipping if he has recently granted any licences to vessels for the purpose of carrying coal to whaling stations in Shetland?

Vessels engaged in the trade referred to in my hon. Friend's question are not required to apply for licences in respect of their voyages.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Shipping, in respect of each week of the month of February, the, number of steamers over 500 tons waiting at each of the six principal coal-shipping ports for cargo; and, if there is congestion, will he set free a larger percentage of tramp tonnage to trade abroad?

I attach a statement showing the number of steamers over 500 tons waiting at each of six principal ports for coal cargoes in respect of each week in the month of February. I may point out, however, that this statement includes both British and foreign ships, and that, so far as the congestion may be due to ships waiting for outward cargoes to foreign ports, this is not due to the system of licensing or direction by the Shipping Controller, as he only uses his powers in this matter for the purpose of utilising ships to bring homeward cargoes. It is always open to owners to sail in

SHIPS OVER 500 TONS WAITING FOR COAL CARGOES IN THE PORTS NAMED FOR MONTH OF FEBRUARY, 1920.
Ports.	Week ending 7th. Daily average.	Week ending 14th. Daily average.	Week ending 21st. Daily average.	Week ending 28th. Daily average.	Daily average for Month.
Leith (Forth)	—	—	—	—	—
Cardiff (Bristol Channel)	50	50	50	50	50
Swansea (South Wales)	49	43	72	78	60
Port Talbot (South Wales)	36	36	36	36	36
Newcastle (Tyne)	21	22	17	20	20
Goole	—	—	—	—	—
		Average total waiting daily			166

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Shipping what action has been taken to assist the Agent-General of Western Australia, by the provision of the necessary shipping space to enable full advantage to be taken of the Western Australian Government's recent offer to take as immigrants, free of expense, 200 war orphans between nine and 14 years of age, 500 war orphans between 14 and 16 years of age, war widows with or without children, and assisted passages to an unlimited number of domestic servants and farm workers?

If difficulties arise in connection with the provision of shipping for the settlement in Western Australia of children, whose best interests would, in the opinion of those in charge of them, be served by starting in life overseas, every effort will be made to ensure that these difficulties are surmounted. The same observation applies to persons in the other categories mentioned in my hon. Friend's question.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Munitions the ballast if they wish to do so. Steps have already been taken to influence ships awaiting coal cargoes to proceed in ballast to foreign ports to bring essential raw materials to this country.

Negotiations are now proceeding for the sale of the National Projectile Factory at Dudley by private treaty, and in the circumstances it would not be in the public interest to give the information asked for in the question.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Munitions whether he can cite any precedent which justifies the British Government from investing funds in the British Cellulose Company and allowing them to open up as competitors, with Government backing and finance, against existing manufacturers in this country?

The British Government did not invest money in the British Cellulose Company for the purpose of enabling the company to open up its ordinary trade. As I have stated before, money was advanced to this company during the War to enable it to provide the Government with certain materials which were vitally necessary for war purposes, and advances were made for the same purpose in a great number of cases. As previously explained by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, after careful consideration it was thought that the best manner of securing repayment of the sums advanced to the company was for the Government to accept shares in lieu of the debentures and other charges which it already held. I may add that, as I instanced yesterday, the Government became shareholders in several companies during the course of the War.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Munitions whether his attention has been called to the fact that Mr. C. J. Hankinson, the Sueprintendent of the Archives Registry of the Ministry of Munitions, has been dismissed from his post and deprived of his authority within 24 hours of pressing for an impartial inquiry into charges of grave irregularity on the part of a subordinate official; and can he make a statement on this matter?

In common with a large number of temporary officials, Mr. Hankinson is being released with full notice in order to effect reduction of staff. Mr. Hankinson asked for the enquiry referred to, not prior to his release, as suggested in the question, but five days after he had received notice of the termination of his temporary appointment. This notice was in no way connected with the subject of the enquiry. In order to ensure the efficient carrying on of the work it was necessary to appoint a successor as soon as possible, and this was done four days after the date on which the request for the enquiry was made.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether it is intended to raise the amount prescribed in Article 6 (2) of the Regulations for Substantive Grant for Public Elementary Schools, which at present stands at 27d., and by reference to which the increased grant in highly-rated areas is calculated?

The devaluation of money necessarily involves a considerable increase in the public expenditure on education, and necessarily affects rates as well as taxes; and since assessable values have not, generally speaking, been raised so as to correspond with the change in the value of money, increased rates are unavoidable. The grant under Article 6 of the Regulations was intended for the relief of exceptional areas, and it is obvious that if there is a general rise in the education rates throughout the country so that the rates in a very large number of areas exceed 27 pence, it is no longer possible to regard a rate in excess of that amount as exceptionally high. Estimates of the expenditure of Local Education Authorities in 1920–21 are not yet available, but in view of the uncertainty of the position, and of the fact that the Regulations for 1920–21 have now to be issued in advance of the commencement of the year, and that they will also affect the Estimates of the year after, it has been considered necessary, in order to secure the principle on which the Special Grant was based, to raise the limit to 48 pence. Areas whose expenditure falling on rates exceeds that limit will be entitled to exceptional relief as highly rated areas.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the continued increase in the cost of lunatic patients chargeable to the board of guardians and maintained in the lunatic asylums, he is prepared to reduce the heavy burden on local rates; and whether he will introduce an Amending Bill to the Local Government Act, 1888, to provide for repayment to boards of guardians of at least half the actual cost to thorn of every lunatic patient maintained in a county asylum, with that object?

I can only refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a similar question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. T. Davies) on the 1st instant.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what increased liability would, according to official esti- mate, have to be incurred by the State were pre-war State pensions in general brought up to the level of the present scale; and if, in furnishing such information, he can allocate the extra charge among the different classes of pensioners?

It is not possible to give more than a very rough estimate, but it has been calculated that the direct initial charge on the Exchequer would certainly not be less than £7,000,000 a year. In round figures this sum would be distributed as follows:—

			£
Civil Service	…	…	2,000,000
Army	…	…	1,500,000
Navy	…	…	1,000,000
Police	…	…	2,100,000
Teachers	…	…	400,000

In addition, heavy burdens would be thrown on local funds. The annual cost would, of course, diminish gradually as the number of pre-war pensioners is reduced by death. The present value of the total cost may be put at not less than £50,000,000.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies how many casualties occurred among the natives as the result of the fire of the police in the recent conflict between the natives and the police at the Village Deep Mine in South Africa?

I fear that I can only refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply returned to a similar question on 2nd March.

asked the hon. Member for the Newbury Division, as representing the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, whether the Commissioners have been approached with a view to contributing the share proportionate to their holding of land in Lakenheath Great Fen to pay off a mortgage of £5,000 to the Norwich Union Company; whether they have refused; and, if so, whether they are aware that, as the largest landowners in the fen, their action may probably make it impossible to continue the necessary drainage, and may cause the land to go out of cultivation?

The Commissioners have not been asked to contribute a share, but to provide by advance the whole of the sum necessary to pay off the mortgage and this they have declined to do. No scheme has been submitted to the Commissioners, or, so far as they are aware, prepared for discharge of the mortgage by proportionate contributions among landowners and for making provision for the continuance of the drainage.