Written Answers
Wandsworth Prison (Injured Warder)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Mr. Ernest Taylor, one time warder at Wandsworth Prison; whether he is aware that this man was the victim of an assault by one of the prisoners and sustained severe injuries; that, as a result of these injuries, Taylor is subject to epileptic fits, and was for some time totally incapacitated from following any employment; and whether, in view of the fact that this man is on the verge of destitution, he will consider his claim to some compensation?
The case has been repeatedly considered by successive Home Secretaries who have satisfied themselves that Taylor's state of health is not attributable to any injury sustained when he was in the prison service. I concur with this view.
General Mannerheim
asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware of the present whereabouts of General Mannerheim; whether he is aware that General Mannerheim is taking a prominent part in secretly organising reactionary forces in Stockholm, Paris, Berlin, and other capitals of Europe with a view to bringing about a restoration of a united Czarist Russia, including the reabsorption of the Baltic and other border states which have been liberated; whether he has received any information on these matters; and, if so, if he will take the earliest opportunity of publishing it?
General Mannerheim is at present at Helsingfors. The information in the possession of His Majesty's Government does not bear out the statements made by the hon. and gallant Member in regard to General Mannerheim's activities, and they do not propose to publish any papers on the subject.
Demobilised Officers (Unemployment)
asked the Secretary of State for War if he can give the number of demobilised officers who are out of employment; what recent action has been taken by his Department to find them work; if any part of the War Office staff devotes its energies to finding openings for these men, many of whom are married and are suffering serious hardships; and how many such officers have been found berths in Government Departments during the last 12 months?
I have been asked to reply to this question, as the resettlement in civil life of officers and others requiring professional and business appointments is entrusted to the Appointments Department of the Ministry of Labour. The number of ex-officers excluding other ranks now on the books of the Department requiring employment is 7,318. As regards the action recently taken to find work for these gentlemen, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the long statement which I made in an answer given to the hon. Member for South Islington on the 18th February. The number of ex-officers who have been placed in Government Departments since May last, apart from those employed in the Appointments Department, is 2,489.
British Army
Officers' Furniture Allowance
asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the fact that furniture allotted to officers under the regulations in lieu of allowance does not include a bed; and, if so, whether this error will be corrected?
A bedstead is included in the furniture allotted to officers in lieu of furniture allowance; the question of supplying bedding is at present under consideration.
Royal Navy
Cadets (Osborne And Dartmouth)
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of naval cadets at Osborne and Dartmouth, respectively; whether it is proposed to reduce the number and, if so, to what extent; and if he will, in making any regulations, give the elder boys the option of remaining on and take what steps are necessary to mitigate the anxiety on the subject in the minds of parents and guardians?
I will deal with this matter in my statement explanatory of the Navy Estimates.
Ireland
National Health Insurance (Sickness Benefit)
asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that John Long, of Cappry, Ballybofey, county Donegal, has been in communication with the National Health Insurance (Commissioners, Dublin, for some months with reference to his claim for sickness benefit since September, 1919; that the Commissioners have ceased replying to his letters; and that he has obtained no benefit although he was not in arrears; and will he explain the circumstances of the case?
A complaint from Mr. Long as to non-receipt of sickness benefit was received by the National Health Insurance Commissioners on the 1st December, 1919, and he was referred to his Society as to the reason therefor. A further letter was received at the end of December showing that his Society (The National Union of Railwaymen) had refused benefit on the ground that he was suspended from benefit owing to arrears, no stamped contribution cards having been received for the contribution year ended June, 1918, credits during which contribution year determined the rate of benefit payable during the year November, 1918, to 4th January, 1920. Enquiry was then made from Mr. Long by the Commissioners as to the disposal of the cards, and he stated that the card for the second half-year of 1917 fully stamped had been posted on 20th January, 1919, to the agent of the Society at Strabane, and that no card had been stamped for the first half-year, 1918, owing to Mr. Long's incapacity for work. As it appeared that the card for the second half, 1917, had not reached the Society it was ne essary to make enquiries from the employer as to the stamping and from the Society's agent as to the non-receipt of the card. The Commissioners have agreed to replace the card and are in correspondence with the Society as to crediting the contributions. The Commissioners have, however, no power under the Regulations to direct any revision of the rate of benefit for any period earlier than the date upon which notice of the loss of the card was received and Mr. Long has been so informed.
British Colonies (Grant Of Concessions)
asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonics who has the power in each colony to grant concessions, and upon what conditions concessions are granted, to companies formed for the development and export of colonial products?
The grant of concessions is governed by the law of the colony concerned, and the terms of the law and the conditions imposed differ in various colonies.
Education
Elementary School Teachers (Recruitment)
asked the President of the Board of Education if he will state what is the present number of local education authorities in England who do not train any teachers, or not in sufficient numbers to make good their annual wastage; what steps will the Board take to compel such authorities to train their proper quota; and why the Board does not calculate grants for higher education on the same basis as for elementary education?
The latest tabulated figures available as to the recruitment of elementary school teachers are those published last year in List 170, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy. It is difficult to ascertain the annual wastage of teachers in particular areas, but very few authorities have so far been able to recruit intending teachers up to the figure indicated as necessary in the Board's Circular 1,134 of August last, namely, roughly 10 per cent. of the number of teachers employed in the public elementary schools of the area. As regards the second part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to Section 1 and Section 2 (1) (c) (ii) of the Education Act of 1918 and to Article 27 (1) (a) (i) of the Code of Regulations for Public Elementary Schools. The importance of the subject has been brought to the attention of local education authorities on many occasions and will be pressed upon them individually in connection with the schemes submitted by them under the Act of 1918. As regards the last part of the question, the establishment of a comprehensive grant for higher education on the lines of that for elementary education raises very difficult and complex questions. The matter has been engaging the Board's attention for some time past, and I am doing my best to advance the solution of the problem.
Food Supplies
Live-Stock Distrirution (West Riding, Yorks)
asked the Minister of Food is he is aware of the unequal distribution of live stock, especially sheep, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, whereby some towns are obtaining a much larger supply than they are entitled to, and as a consequence other towns suffer from great scarcity and the slaughtermen in such places are unable to make a living; that additional cost of transit is incurred by the removal of the dead meat by rail or road, thus causing double carriage, and will he insist in future that livestock shall be more equally distributed so that each town or area gets its fair proportion?
I am not aware of any general inequality in the distribution of live stock between towns in the West Riding of Workshire. The fact that farmers have the option of selling their stock either on the live or the dead weight basis does from time to time put difficulties in the way of distribution, since there is no means of estimating in advance the numbers coming forward on each basis, and it occasionally becomes necessary to supply live stock permit holders with home-killed dead meat. If, however, such inequalities do occur in any one week, every endeavour is made to rectify them during the week which follows.
Silver Coinage
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the per capita circulation of silver before 1910; and how much it is now as shown by the Mint Returns?
The per capita circulation of silver coin in the United Kingdom is estimated at about 11s. in 1910 and about 27s. 6d. now.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the profit to the Treasury in 1915 and 1916 on the coinage of silver; what will be the profit when the amount of the silver is reduced in the coinage under the Silver Coinage Bill when passed; and whether 5s. notes would sufficiently achieve his purpose and yield a large profit in addition?
The profit on silver coinage was £4,094,378 in 1915 and £4,445,586 in 1916, the issues in these years being exceptionally large. It is not possible to say what it will be on the new coin, as that depends on the amount of coin issued in any given year and the price at which the necessary silver can be obtained. Five shilling notes would not obviate the necessity of coining smaller denominations of silver coin, and would be open to many objections which do not apply to metallic currency.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered the effect of the introduction into the Nigerias of a five-tenths in place of a nine-tenths English silver coinage; and whether he will make up any loss to the native holders of English coins saved up by them when the contemplated new English silver coinage is introduced into those colonies?
These are matters for the consideration of the West African Currency Board, which is responsible for the currency of Nigeria, and to whoso reserves profits on existing West African silver coinage accrue. It is not likely that any of the now British silver will be bought by the Board for issue in West Africa.
District Audit Clerks (Ex-Service Men)
asked the Minister of Health whether, in making arrangements with the Treasury for the establishment of district audit clerks, he will take steps to ensure that no clerks who have served in the armed forces during the War are prejudicially affected and that special consideration will be given to any clerks who sustained injury by reason of their War services?
I can assure the hon. and gallant Member that special consideration will be given to district audit clerks who have served with the armed forces of the Crown.
Uncertifiable Mental Cases (Sanitoria)
asked the Minister of Health what steps he intends to take in regard to the provision of sanitoria for uncertifiable mental cases; and whether, for the encouragement of voluntary patients, such homes shall' be kept on a hospital footing, that is, free from detention and wholly unconnected with lunacy administration, so as to prevent their being regarded as half-way houses to asylums?
Any scheme on the lines of my hon. Friend's suggestion, with which I am entirely in sympathy, would require legislation. The question is under consideration, but I am not yet in a position to state when the necessary legislation will be introduced.
Roads (Damage By Government Traffic)
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the great damage done by the Government timber contractors to the roads of this country; whether the Government accept responsibility for this; and, if so, what action he proposes to take in order that these roads may be placed in a good state of repair with as little delay as possible?
I have been asked to reply to this. The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second, authority has been given to the Joint Roads Committee to settle on an ex-gratia basis claims for damage caused, prior to 31st July, 1919, by extraordinary traffic for Government purposes, subject to adjustment with the Local Authorities and the hauliers of the expenditure incurred. The damage is being repaired as rapidly as possible.
Wages And Hours (Rates)
asked the Minister of Labour if he will make a statement of the average or prevailing rates of wages and hours in July, 1914, and at the present time, of representative classes employed in the following industries, trades, and callings: coal mining; iron and steel trades; transport railway service; shipbuilding; carting; house building; dock labour; agriculture and fishery; boot and shoe manufacture; paper making; food production; printing and bookbinding; cotton, woollen, and hosiery industries; distributive trades; and clerical and teaching professions?
A statement is being prepared giving such particulars as are available, and it will be sent to the hon. Member within the course of a few days.
Baking Trade (Night Work)
asked the Minister of Labour whether he will give effect to the Report of the committee of inquiry into night work in the baking trade by introducing, during the present Session of Parliament, the Night-baking Prohibition Bill, in accordance with the promise given by the Ministry on behalf of the Cabinet during the recent disputes in the baking trade?
I would refer the hon. Member to the reply on this subject given to the hon. Member for Ealing on the 3rd March, in which I stated that the question was under consideration by the Home Office and my Department. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.