asked the Prime Minister what steps he is taking to convey public appreciation to those members of the Irish Constabulary who have so courageously carried out their duties in face of armed Sinn Fein attacks; and whether in all cases he is ensuring that the families of those who give their lives for the State are as generously looked after as those whose breadwinners made the supreme sacrifice in the War?

Every case in which specially meritorious duty has been performed by members of the Royal Irish Constabulary in connection with attacks made by Sinn Feiners on them, or their barracks, is brought before the Reward Board of the Force, who, with the approval of the Inspector General, grant appropriate rewards which take the form of special promotion, favourable records, money grants or the Constabulary Medal. The wives and families of men who lose their lives in the discharge of their duty receive the pensions or allowances sanctioned by Parliament in such cases, and the Criminal Injuries (Ireland) Act, 1919, enables them to obtain substantial compensation from the Local Authorities.

asked the Prime Minister whether any statement can yet be made concerning the proposed delegation of Russian co-operative representatives to this country?

A delegation from the Supreme Economic Council has been in Copenhagen conducting preliminary negotiations with the Russian Trade Delegation, with a view to facilitating and expediting their passage to London. No further statement can usefully be made at present.

asked the Prime Minister whether steps can be taken forthwith to collect, collate and publish statements from all the refugees now returning to this country from Russia so that the public may learn at first hand what the exact nature of Bolshevist rule has been and is?

Action on the lines suggested in this question is already under consideration.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he is aware that Private F. Barlow, No. 10,108, late Northumberland Fusiliers, was discharged with more than 20 wound marks upon him, and that the Pensions Issue Office authorities have only granted him £30 as a gratuity, refusing him a pension, and if he will give this case his early reconsideration?

Mr. Barlow was demobilised on 14th October, 1919, and made no claim to pension on Army Form Z22. He applied subsequently for a pension under Article 9 of the Royal Warrant, in respect of hernia, wounds and neurasthenia, and was examined by a medical board on 12th February. The board reported that Mr. Barlow had numerous small superficial signs of shrapnel wounds, which were all healed, and that he had a suitable truss for the hernia. His disability was assessed at less than 20 per cent., and the gratuity of £30 which has been awarded corresponds to the board's finding. If Mr. Barlow is dissatisfied, he should apply to his Local War Pensions Committee, who will take steps to bring him before a Medical Appeal Board.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether there is any check in Ireland on the spending of allowances granted to discharged men for the purpose of treatment; whether it is the experience of the Minister of Pensions that such men sometimes retard their improvement by either prematurely leaving the institutions to which they have been sent or by being discharged for breach of discipline; whether he is of opinion that such cases are sufficiently covered by the regulations recently embodied in the handbook; whether greater discretion should be given to Committees in such cases; and whether, when a local committee makes a definite recommendation to him in respect of such cases, he will at once give effect to such recommendation?

The administration of Article 4 of the Royal Warrant, under which pension can be reduced for refusal to accept treatment or for such misconduct as is deemed to constitute refusal, is in the hands of the Regional Commissioners of Medical Services of the Ministry, to whom recommendations are made by the Local War Pensions Committees. The instructions given to the Committees in their handbook, and to the Commissioners of Medical Services are generally found to be satisfactory, and I do not consider that they need to be amended. I am aware that the local administration of pensions in Ireland is beset with difficulties which are not experienced in other parts of the United Kingdom, but I am not aware that those difficulties relate, in any disproportionate degree, to the matters to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the War Office whether his attention has been drawn to the case of A. E. Piper, late No. 35,291, Battery Sergeant-Major, Royal Garrison Artillery (Hants), who made application for one year's bounty, ration allowance, and pay under Army Council Instruction 633/1919; whether he is aware that this claim has been refused as this warrant officer did not come within the scope of the Military Service Act of 1916 owing to his age; that this warrant officer was sent home from France with valvular disease of the heart and was transferred to Class W Reserve, through, this disability, on August, 1917; and whether, in view of this fact, he will have further inquiries made into this case?

Inquiries are being made into this case and I will let the hon. Member know the result in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for War and Air if any gratuity has been awarded to the members of the Military Massage Service; and if he has received any petition on the subject?

As I have previously stated in answer to questions on this subject, the members of the Military Massage Service are not eligible for gratuity. I have received representations on the subject and have been in communication with representatives of the service, who have been informed of the decision.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the German wireless telegraphy stations are still under Allied control; and, if so, who is the senior officer in charge of this control?

I have been asked to answer this question. The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative; the second, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether negro troops are being used in the French Army of Occupation in Germany; and whether His Majesty's Government have made any representations on this subject?

I beg leave to refer the hon. and gallant Member to an answer given in the House to a similar question on this subject on April 14th.

asked the Prime Minister whether any steps are being taken by the Allies in general, or His Majesty's Government in particular, to bring pressure to bear on the German Government to stop the White Terror and massacres of German workmen?

His Majesty's Government are not at present in possession of information which would justify them in intervening in the internal affairs of Germany.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Government has now abandoned any intention of making further efforts to bring the ex-Kaiser to trial, and what has been the tenour of the last Dutch reply to the latest Allied note on the subject?

I have nothing to add to the answer which I gave on the 12th of April to the Noble Lord the Member for Battersea South (Viscount Curzon).

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has yet received a Report of the Milner Commission in Egypt; and, if so, when it is likely to be available for Members of the House?

I have at present nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Rothwell (Mr. Lunn) on March 25th.

asked the Secretary of State for War if a soldier who was discharged in 1902 and placed on the reserve as first class, and who in 1916 re-enlisted, and within eight weeks was in France with the Expeditionary Force, is entitled to Class 1 proficiency pay?

The answer depends upon the terms of service. Perhaps the hon. Member will let me have particulars of the case to which he refers.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether a general routine order of the British Expeditionary Force has laid down a special allowance of nine francs per day for officers stationed at Antwerp; whether such order has ever been cancelled and, if so, on what date if such cancellation has any retrospective effect; whether the base commandant at Antwerp has authority to cancel or vary such order; if not, will he take steps to annul a distinction made by the base commandant between officers allowed to live in the town and those compelled to live in the embarkation camp, seeing that the expenses of living are approximately the same in both cases, while officers living in the town are much better housed and live under much more comfortable conditions; whether, among the officers quartered in the said camp, certain Royal Army Service Corps officers have obtained payment of the special allowance while others placed in identical circumstances have been hitherto refused payment; and, if so, will he ensure that the remainder are dealt with on equal terms, keeping in view the serious depreciation of the franc since the allowance accrued?

I am having inquiries made, and will inform the hon. Member of the result.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he can now state when the long-promised bronze scroll to the memory of our fallen heroes will be sent out to their relatives?

432,042 scrolls have been completed and despatched. AS regards the bronze plaque, I am informed that the number distributed, or ready for distribution up to "late, is about 16,000. As stated in my reply on 23rd December last to the hon. Member for Frome (Mr. Hurd), it is estimated that between eighteen months and two years will be-required to complete the distribution. The unforeseen circumstances which have delayed the distribution of the plaques referred to in my previous answer, have now, I understand, to a large extent beern overcome.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is now in a position to state the policy of the War Office with regard to the continuation and encouragement of cadet corps in the United Kingdom?

The whole question is under consideration, and I am not yet in a position to make an announcement or" the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that the premises, 21, Berners Street, W., are urgently required for commercial purposes, and that the officers in charge state they could vacate at forty-eight hours' notice; and, seeing that the sole reason for the long delay is the failure of the War Office to come to a settlement with them, will he take steps to expedite this?

I am making inquiries into this matter, and will communicate with the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the Air Ministry is still appealing for recruits; and, if so, why it is discharging the men now in its employ without notice and without any allowance?

The answer to the first part of the question is, that the Royal Air Force have a shortage of men in certain trades and a surplus in others, and that, in consequence, recruits are being accepted for the former trades while men are being discharged from the latter classes. The answer to the second part is, that men are only discharged on the termination of their engagements, except in the case of those who enlisted or extended their engagements under the terms of what is called the Army of Occupation Scheme, by which a man undertook to serve for one year after the termination of the War or for such less period as his services may be required. If a man enlisted for the first time under this scheme after 11th November, 1918, he is not entitled to demobilisation benefits. The principle is that no man is allowed to draw demobilisation benefits twice, nor is any man discharged for misconduct entitled to these benefits.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture if he will consider the advisability of including private gardeners under the recommendations of the Agricultural Wages Board?

Fresh legislation would be necessary to bring private gardeners within the scope of the provisions of the Corn Production Act relating to the wages of agricultural workmen.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture whether he is aware of the serious unrest amongst agricultural labourers in Essex because of the low minimum wage of £2 2s. 6d. weekly which has been fixed; and whether, in view of the increased prices granted to farmers, he is prepared to take action with a view to getting the Wages Board to reconsider the whole question of the remuneration of the labourers?

The new minimum rate of 42s. 6d. per week for male workers aged 21 and over employed in agriculture in Essex represents the same increase of 4s. per week as the Agricultural Wages Board have made in all areas in which the weekly minimum was previously 38s. or more, and was approved by a majority vote of the Essex District Wages Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether Syed Hassan, or Hussein, a member of the Indian Caliphate delegation recently visiting this country and professing to speak for their co-religionists in India, has recently, at the instance of Pundit Moti dal Mehru, been accused of the abduction and forcible proselytisation of the latter's daughter?

I have no information whatever as to this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for India when the promised Government of Burma Bill is likely to be introduced?

A despatch containing the final proposals of the Government of India is now on its way, and in the meantime I have allowed it to be published in advance in India and Burma to elicit public opinion on the proposals. I hope to introduce a Bill this Session I cannot at present indicate an exact date.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he will explain why nurses temporarily attached to the Indian Army nursing service, who have done such good work on active service both in hospital ships between Mesopotamia and German East Africa and Bombay and have served in Mesopotamia, have been refused a gratuity by the Pay Department in India whilst members of the Indian Army nursing service have received such gratuity, in spite of the fact that the temporary nurses did their full share of work and had to put up with many discomforts in the discharge of their duties?

The Government of India were authorised on the 11th March to issue the gratuity to the temporary nurses, and payment will be made as soon as possible.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether any workmen of the building trade, either skilled or unskilled, are being employed by the Board in any other capacity, either at the Board's offices or elsewhere; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take to encourage the return of such men to the work of their own trade, in which they are urgently needed?

The answer to the first part is in the negative. The second part does not therefore arise.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the conference convened by the Mayors of the Metropolitan boroughs to consider finance and housing; whether he is aware that his Department has refused leave to various Urban District Councils to pay delegates' fees to attend this conference; and whether he will state the reason for this objection?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. It appeared from the programme that the conference would be concerned with general proposals involving fresh legislation, rather than with the existing duties of local authorities; and, in accordance with the practice in such cases, it was intimated that the Department were not prepared to sanction the payment of delegates' expenses out of the rates.

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses building in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales under the Housing Act at 1st April, 1920, the number of houses completed, and the number of houses in occupation; and also the number of houses for which construction is sanctioned, and the number for which sanction of building is pending?

I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy of the answer which I gave yesterday containing the figures for England and Wales. As regards Scotland and Ireland, I must refer him to the Secretary for Scotland and the Chief Secretary respectively.

asked the Postmaster-General whether several vacancies in the overseers' class on the telegraph side at Glasgow have been in existence for some considerable time; whether one of these vacancies fell due in March, 1919; whether in December, 1919, the Post Office authorities stated that the necessary steps to fill the vacancies were being taken; and whether, in these circumstances, he will issue immediate instruction for the positions to be filled?

I am having inquiry made, and will communicate later with the hon. Member.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether there are certain temporary chemical assistants in the Department of the Government Chemist over 30 years of age whose dismissal is pending under the regulation governing the appointment of such temporary chemical assistants; whether the male temporary chemical assistants in question were refused permission to join the Army, have discharged their duties satisfactorily for many years, and were retained up to and beyond the age of 30 in the Department during the War; whether such assistants are debarred from obtaining the new-scale of pay recently granted to temporary chemical assistants as a consequence of the enforcement of the age-limit regulation; whether the volume of work in the Department necessitated the engagement of several new temporary chemical assistants in the early part of this year, notwithstanding the formal and informal notices of dismissal served on the older trained temporary chemical assistants in January last; and whether, in the above circumstances, he will assent to the retention of the older temporary chemical assistants until the matter can be discussed by the Whitley Council?

There are at present two of the Temporary Chemical Assistants referred to over the age of 30, the age at which they are due to retire under the terms of their engagement. The senior of these received informal notice over a 12-month ago and is now under definite notice to leave. He was classed as B.1 and owing to the exigencies of the times, was retained in the Government laboratory to perform such routine work as could be entrusted to him. He is paid on the new scale recently granted to his class. New temporary chemical assistants have been appointed this year, but only to fill vacancies which have occurred.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the amount of the Excess Profits Duty for the financial years ending 1917–18, 1918–19, and 1919–20?

The particulars of the Excess Profits Duty (and Munitions Exchequer Payments) are as follow:—

asked the Lord President of the Council if it is his intention to appoint a committee to inquire into the supply of spectacles and eyesight glasses generally by vendors not qualified by examination, on the same lines as those of the recent inquiry into unqualified dental practitioners?

I have been asked to answer this question. The recent inquiry was not limited in scope to the unqualified practice of dentistry, and the conditions prevailing, which rendered it necessary, have no parallel in the circumstances connected with the production of optical appliances.