asked the Prime Minister by whose authority paragraph 18, Annex 2, Part 8, of the Treaty of Versailles was recently waived; whether the Allies were previously consulted; whether it was a result of strong representations from German banking, industrial, or other interests; and what advantages, if any, will accrue from such voluntary release of British rights under the treaty?

These questions were covered by the answer which I gave on the 28th ultimo to the right hon. Member for the Camborne Division. I will send my hon. Friend a copy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give comparative particulars of the coal industry in 1913 and 1920 showing the quantity and total pit-head value of disposable coal produced; and totals paid respectively for wages, profits, royalties, salaries, and other expenses, with percentage increase or decrease, the 1920 figures to be based on the latest available returns?

The latest statistical information available giving the details to which the hon. and gallant Member refers is that, published in the two quarterly summaries which have been issued under the Coal Mines (Emergency) Act, 1920. No similar statistics exist for the first six months of 1913, but from certain information placed before the Coal Industry Commission relating to the year 1913, the particulars given below have been calculated on a six-monthly basis in order to facilitate a comparison.

—							Amount 1913 (six-monthly basis).	Amount 1920 (First six months).	Percentage Increase (+) or Decrease (-) as compared with 1913.
							Tons.	Tons.	Per cent.
Quantity of disposable coal produced					…	…	132,000,000	108,000,000	- 18
							£	£
Pithead value (including proceeds of miners' coal)							73,000,000	192,700,000	+ 164
Wages	…	…	…	…	…	…	45,500,000	129,800,000	+ 185
Royalties	…	…	…	…	…	…	3,000,000	3,400,000	+ 13
Salaries and other expenses				…	…	…	13,000,000	37,200,000	+ 186
Adjustments in respect of variation of capital since the pre-war period.							Nil.	2,000,000	—
Profits	…	…	…	…	…	…	11,000,000	20,300,000	+ 85

About £11,400,000 of the 1920 profits is estimated to be required to meet the profits (after deduction of Excess Profits Duty) which enure to the colliery owners under the Coal Mines (Emergency) Act, 1920.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether his attention has been called to resolutions of municipal councils asking that where men, who on enlistment into the, Naval, Military, or Air Forces, were passed fit for service, have been discharged and are still suffering from some disability, caused or aggravated by active service, they should continue to receive a pension and not have to apply for Poor Law assistance, and become chargeable to local rates, but their claims to pensions when disputed should be dealt with by Local War Pensions Appeal Tribunals established for the purpose, and that with a view to alleviating cases of hardship there should be closer co-operation between the Local Insurance Committees and Local War Pensions Committees, and Local War Pensions Committees should be allowed increased discretionary power in dealing with border-line cases, and that a town fund should be established for the relief of cases which would otherwise go to the Guardians; and whether he can indicate that the matter will be dealt with on the lines suggested?

The attention of my right hon. Friend has been called to the resolutions referred to. I would ask my hon. Friend's attention to the replies given yesterday by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for the Eastern Division of Islington (Mr. Raper), and also to the replies given by the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for West Bromwich (Mr. F. O. Roberts). Broadly speaking, up to the stage at which the Ministry, after medical examination of the man, often by more than one Medical Board and full consideration of the evidence produced by him in support of his claim, decide that the disability for which he claims pension is neither attributable to nor aggravated by his War service, there is provision for a cash advance in cases of need being made by the Local War Pensions Committee so long as there is any reasonable likelihood that his claim will mature, but once that decision has been reached by the Ministry and an appeal to the Statutory Appeal Tribunal is made, no further payment can be made out of public funds nor would such payment be, in my opinion, justifiable.

I am, however, aware that in certain cases of appeal some time may elapse before a final decision is arrived at, and I recognise fully the importance of minimising the possibility of such delay, especially in those cases where there is actual pecuniary need. It has accordingly been decided to ask the Departmental Committee of Enquiry, which, as my right hon. Friend recently announced, has been appointed to investigate the machinery of pension administration, to make that branch of their subject which is concerned with the claims under Article 9 of the Royal Warrant and procedure on appeal in the case of rejected claims for pension prior to transmission to the tribunal, one of the first objects of inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Rifleman M. H. Stoker, No. 40,470, 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade, is under 18 years of age; that the authorities were twice warned before his enlistment as to his correct age; and, seeing that they accepted him under age without his parents' consent, if he will consider the advisability of releasing him?

Inquiries are being made into this case. It would, however, facilitate the investigations if the hon. Member would furnish me with further particulars as to the warnings alleged to have been given regarding the soldier's correct age before the enlistment.