asked the Secretary of State for War what grounds the separation allowance of 12s. 6d. per week granted to Mrs. Dunckley, 32, Berwick Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, in respect of her son, Corporal Dunckley, No. 3435475, 1st Lancashire Fusiliers, Dublin, was stopped on 4th October last; and what steps are required in order to secure her the continuance of such allowance?

Inquiries are being made, and I will inform the hon. and gallant Member of the result as soon as possible.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that many of the officers at the Army Signalling School at Mares-field have lost all their outfit and equipment in the recent five; whether the Government are liable to pay compensation for this loss; and whether, owing to the great expense to which these officers will be put, which they can ill afford, and the uncertainty of their position as regards compensation, he will make a statement on the position?

Provision is made in the Army Allowance Regulations for indemnification of officers who lose military kit by accidental fire, and the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Command has power to settle under those Regulations any claims which may arise from such cause.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if it is a fact that the Dundrum Asylum staff are employed on duty nearly 14 hours a day, as compared with a working week of six days; if he is aware that there is not an asylum staff, State or district, in the United Kingdom treated like that of Dundrum, both as regards hours of duty and general conditions of service; whether, if the staff is bound to work more than 48 hours per week, he will see that they get paid for overtime, as is done in the prison service; as the ration allowance is part of the attendants' salary, will he also see that they are compensated in cash when on leave or pass; will the promise of the Treasury, as far back as 3rd March last, to put the Dundrum staff on the same basis as the Broadmoor staff as regards pay and conditions of service be carried into effect without any more delay; is he aware that the local authority at Dublin Castle has recommended that attendants with over 20 years' service be paid their maximum pay as from 18th September, 1918, and no action has yet been taken; and if steps are being taken to apply the Whitley Council war bonus award for the Civil Service from 1st March last?

The Dundrum Asylum staff have a normal working week of seven days, and their average hours of duty are 12 per day. The staff has recently been increased in order to reduce the number of hours worked, and when the effect of this increase can be gauged, the staffing arrangements will be again reviewed. The pay and conditions of service at Dundrum are better than those in the district asylums, though the hours of work are longer, a reduction having been recently made in the district asylums. The question of payment for overtime will be considered when the assimilation proposals are finally settled. As regards these proposals and the increased war bonus payments, I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given by me to the hon. Member for Went-worth (Mr. Hirst) on the 26th October, and to the hon. Member for Clitheroe (Mr. Alfred Davies) on the 9th instant. These assimilation proposals will dispose of all question in regard to ration allowance, and in the new scales of pay previous service will decide the point of entry into the scale.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland how many retired Irish national school teachers have received no benefit from the Increase of Pensions Act; how many have received less than £10 per annum; how many have received £10 and less than £20; and can he give in respect of the above figures the number of such teachers whose pensions were £10 and under, £20 and under, £40 and under, and £60 and under, respectively?

The work in connection with the revision of pensions of National School Teachers under the Pensions (Increase) Act is at present proceeding, and until it has been completed it is impossible to give reliable statistics showing how these pensions have been affected. When all the claims put forward for increase have been decided, the figures asked for can be stated. Out of 2,700 pensioners, 1,241 have been granted additional pensions. At least 700 can receive no increase, because present pension exceeds pre-War pension, plus the percentage increase allowed by the Act. The remaining cases are under consideration. They include people who have not yet returned claims, those whose old age pensions make adjustment necessary, those whose total income is doubtful, and other cases requiring investigation.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what Regulations are in force in Ireland affecting printing and publishing; and what is their nature?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Restoration of Order in Ireland Regulations Nos. 27, 27C, 51 and 51A.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what Regulations are in force in Ireland giving powers of search; and what is their nature?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Restoration of Order in Ireland Regulations Nos. 51, 51A, 52 and 54.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what Regulations are in force in Ireland regulating the holding of public meetings; and what is their nature?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Restoration of Order in Ireland Regulations, Nos. 9A, 9AA, 51 and 6.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what Regulations are in force in Ireland providing for imprisonment without trial; and what is their nature?

The only Regulation in force in Ireland permitting imprisonment without trial is No. 14B of the Restoration of Order in Ireland Regulations. No person is at present interned under this Regulation. The provisions regarding persons awaiting trial for offences against the Restoration of Order in Ireland Regulations will be found in Regulation 56 (3) and (10). These provisions do not materially differ in effect from those regarding persons awaiting trial for offences against the ordinary civil law.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether any Regulations are in force in Ireland providing for deportation; and, if so, what are they and what is their nature?

I would refer the hon. Member to the Restoration of Order in Ireland Regulations Nos. 14B, 56 (10) and 78, Section 9 of the Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act, 1919, and Article 12 of the Aliens Order, 1920.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that, on Monday night. 25th October last, at 1.30 a.m., a party of uniformed men, who had come from Gormanstown in three lorries, forced their way into the house and business place of Mr. Joseph T. Dolan, of Ardee, Co. Louth, on the pretence of wanting an assistant of Mr. Dolan's; whether they made no attempt to question this assistant but, while the officer in charge of the party was speaking to Mr. Dolan, the rest of the party pillaged the shop, removing goods to the value of £300, including watches, electro ware, brandy, overcoats, boots, etc., while the officer himself took away with him an antique silver mace of the Corporation of Ardee, which Mr. Dolan had in his keeping; and what action he proposes to take in this matter?

According to an official report which I have received in this matter Mr. Dolan's home was searched by a party of police from Gormanstown on the night in question, but the search was conducted in an orderly proper manner, and there is no ground for the suggestion that any article belonging to Mr. Dolan was taken away. I understand that a mace belonging to the Corportion of Ardee is missing. The officer in charge states that this article was examined and replaced in his presence, and as Mr. Dolan admits that its loss was not discovered until the following day I see no reason for connecting it with the visit of the police.

asked the Minister of Health whether a number of music halls, picture palaces, etc., are being erected in North London; and whether he is taking any steps to discourage the building of these at the present moment in view of the shortage of working-class dwellings?

I have made enquiries and am informed that a certain number of buildings of this character are in course of erection in the North London and adjoining districts. The duty of deciding whether action should be taken to prohibit such buildings rests at present entirely with the local authorities. I have issued a memorandum for the guidance of local authorities, and I will send the hon. Member a copy. I may add, how- ever, that in my view the existing powers require strengthening, and the Ministry of Health (Miscellaneouos Provisions) Bill now before Parliament contains provisions to this end.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that Sergeant T. Hunt, ate No. 158817, Royal Army Service Corps, of Nottingham, is unable to obtain occupation of the house at Carlton, Nottingham, which he bought after his discharge in April, 1920, although it has since been unoccupied by the tenants except at holiday times; whether he is aware that Sergeant Hunt has offered the tenants, two in family, three alternative premises; that his own family consists of four persons, and that the only accommodation which he has been able to obtain necessitates his sleeping on a sofa, getting up at 3 in the morning in order to be at work at 4 o'clock, and walking from Nottingham to Carlton in all weathers; and whether, in the circumstances, Sergeant Hunt is entitled to obtain occupation of his property?

My attention has not been previously drawn to this particular case. Section 5 of the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1920, contains special provision for a landlord who became landlord after service in the Forces during the War, but the enquiry in the last sentence of my hon. Friend's question can only be answered by the Court. I have no jurisdiction in the matter.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the unused buildings at the Coal Aston Aerodrome, near Sheffield; and whether, in view of the present shortage of houses in the district, some habitable use can be made of them?

I understand that the buildings in question are still being used by the Air Ministry, but that they will be available for disposal at an early date, and I am making inquiries as to the possibility of using them for housing purposes.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that at the Isleworth Hospital, under the control of the Brentford Guardians, there are always a number of children suffering from various complaints in the nature of tuberculous affections of the limbs and other maladies, the treatment of which is almost invariably considerably prolonged, whereby the children are debarred from receiving elementary instruction for a long period and when they could best acquire it, and whether in order to meet these circumstances, the Ministry will take steps, either alone or in conjunction with the Education Department, or will endeavour to induce the latter Department, to make a grant for the appointment of a nurse teacher who can impart elementary instruction to the children, and so aid their education whilst they are retained in the hospital?

Yes, Sir, and I have informed the guardians that in my opinion it is desirable that such an appointment should be made. There are, however, no funds out of which a grant could be made by the Ministry of Health, nor am I able to certify that any sum is due in respect of the arrangement proposed from the Exchequer contribution account of the county council.

asked the Minister of Health whether a county medical officer of health has any rights of supervision over or responsibility for the work of district officers of health; and, if not, whether he proposes to introduce legislation to make any change in this respect?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The last part is being considered in connection with the future health services of the country.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (onMonday, 8th November) whether he can furnish a statement showing the character, quantities, and values of the goods, wholly or mainly manufactured, exported from the United Kingdom to Germany

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been drawn to the resolution passed by the Nottingham Chamber of Commerce urging the need of standardising

I have received various representations to this effect, including one from the Lace and Net Finishing Trade Board. I am advised that I have no power which would enable me to make a special Order under the Trade Boards Acts extending the protection of these Acts to middle-women who are not employed persons within the meaning of those Acts. I would remind my Noble Friend that this class of worker is not peculiar to the lace trade, and I am bound to have in mind the circumstances of the other trades which would be affected by any legislation. But I can assure him that the matter is engaging my close attention.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the coroners throughout the country, more especially those under the county councils, have a serious grievance in that they are the only class of public officers whose salaries have not been raised to meet the increased cost of living; and what steps he is prepared to take to remedy this state of affairs?

The salaries of county coroners are fixed by agreement between them and the county councils under an Act of 1860, and coroners are entitled to have the amount reconsidered at the end of every five years. I believe that salaries have been raised in order to meet the increased cost of living to a considerable extent, but the matter is ordinarily one for settlement between the coroners and the local auhorities and, except in the event of disagreement and appeal by the coroner, I have no authority to intervene.