asked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the indignation it has caused, he will reconsider his declaration of 23rd March that he is willing to convert central schools into secondary schools; whether he has received any public demand for the proposed change, and for the abolition of the Cowper-Temple clause, the possible imposition of fees, the largely increased cost, and the loss by the scholars of other advantages of the Act of 1870, which the change he suggests would involve; and whether, seeing that the education given in some secondary schools is sometimes inferior to that given in some central schools, in accordance with Section 2 (2) of the Education Act, 1918, any change of status in the schools, if made on educational grounds, would be exactly contrary to that which he suggests?

My allusion to the possibility of converting central elementary schools into secondary schools had reference, on the one hand, to the fact that several such conversions have lately been made on the initiative of the local education authorities concerned, and, on the other, that an important authority has lately applied to the Board to authorise under Section 8 (5) of the Education Act, 1918, the retention of a large number of pupils in central schools beyond the end of the term in which they reach the age of 16. In view of the limitation imposed by the Education Acts upon the age to which children may be retained in elementary schools there will certainly be cases in which the educational development of a school would be facilitated by its conversion into a seconday school. I should certainly not favour such a conversion unless I thought it conducive to the better and more effective organisation of the public system of education.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, as stated in the London County Council Gazette for 11th April, 1921, page 275, the Board of Education have made regulations that children may not remain in public elementary schools after the end of the year in which they attain the age of 15 years; whether it is the policy of the Board to deprive children of full-time education in order to force them into part-time continuation schools; whether he has considered the views of managers of schools, as directed by Section 8 (5) of the Act of 1918; have these alleged regulations been published; if not, will he have them printed and put on sale so that the public may know their exact purport; and, if possible, will he quote in the same publication Section 22 (2) of the Act of 1902, and Section 8 (5) and Section 10 (3) of the Act of 1918, to make the information complete?

The Board have made no such Regulations. The period for which children may be retained in public elementary schools is determined by the statutory provisions to which the hon. Member refers. The Board are always prepared to consider applications for extension of age, and I read the notice referred to by the hon. Member in the London County Council Gazette as merely indicating that the London County Council are not, except in certain circumstances, prepared to make such applications. The other parts of the question do not arise.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the secretary to the Burnham Committee on teachers' salaries has written to the Dewsbury local education authority intimating that the scheduling of the appropriate scales to be paid by the various local education authorities will not be completed before June; whether such delay is likely to cause serious dissatisfaction amongst teachers who were anticipating that the payments under the new scale would be made during the month of April; and whether in areas where an agreement has been arrived at between the local education authorities and the teachers as to the appropriate scale for the area, and such agreement has been approved by the Burnham Committee, an immediate notification to that effect will be sent to the local education authority, thus enabling the new arrangements to take effect at once?

I have no knowledge of the communication referred to; but I have just received a report from the Burnham Committee on the allocation of standard scales. I can make no announcement to local education authorities until I have had time to examine the report, but I will do my best to expedite its consideration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his Department exercises any supervision over the private vaccine farms in this country in which vaccine lymph is manufactured, having regard to the fact that at least two outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in the United States of America have been attributed by the authorities to the use of contaminated vaccine lymph on private vaccine farms?

The Ministry exercises no supervision or control over private vaccine farms in this country in which vaccine lymph is manufactured. I may add that the Ministry has inquired into hundreds of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in this country since the report from the United States of America was published, but in no case has any evidence been obtained that foot-and-mouth disease has ever been introduced into Great Britain through the medium of vaccine lymph.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what leases of leasehold enclosures of Crown lands in Regent's Park have expired, or have been surrendered, since the 25th June, 1912, when the then President of the Board of Agriculture gave an undertaking to the House that there should be no further alienation of such land for the erection of public buildings without the House having the chance first of expressing its opinion on the subject; whether any of the leases of the private villas have been renewed; whether steps have been taken to throw into the park any, and, if so, which, of the sites where the leases have expired; and whether any sanction has been given for the extension of buildings in connection with Bedford College, or is in contemplation?

Since the 25th June, 1912, no leases of enclosures or villas within the park (bounded by the Outer Circle Road) have expired or been surrendered other than the lease of St. John's Lodge. On the expiry of that lease about 5½ acres that had been held with the lodge were, in accordance with arrangements previously made with His Majesty's Office of Works, thrown into the park and a new lease has been granted of the remainder of the premises. In connection with Bedford College, the demolition of South Lodge has been sanctioned and the erection on the site of new buildings that are not to exceed the existing lodge in area or height.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is now prepared to submit schemes to local authorities which will enable them to facilitate the planning and growth of grass squares with trees in industrial centres, as also the planting and proper care of trees in the streets of industrial towns, the poisonous atmosphere of which is now destroying all efforts in this direction and which also has the effect of shortening human life?

The nature of the information by my hon. Friend, so far as I understand his question, would seem to be advice as to the types of trees or shrubs which would be most suitable for planting in industrial towns where the atmosphere is bad. So far as this matter is concerned, I am informed by the Forestry Commission that the most suitable species generally are the broadleaved trees, but the precise species which is likely to do best in any particular case will depend on any number of factors, such as local climate, soil, character of fumes, etc. I am informed that the following are good smoke-resisting trees, namely:

And the best shrubs which would endure acid fumes are:

If there be any further information my hon. Friend requires, I would suggest that he should put a question to the Forestry Commission. So far as any question relating to the submission of schemes to local authorities is concerned, this would appear to be a matter for the Ministry of Health.

asked the Minister of Agriculture on what form and terms the undertaking to give to the miller 25s. a quarter for each quarter of British-grown wheat milled by him was communicated to the persons to whom such payments are to be made?

I have been asked to reply. The arrangements referred to are contained in instructions and Press announcements which are somewhat lengthy, and I will send copies to the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Prime Minister if the accounts of the Wheat Commission will be subjected to audit by the Controller and Auditor-General; whether, if there is a deficiency, the deficiency will be a charge on public funds; and whether, if there is a surplus, it will be an appropriation in aid of public funds?

I have been asked to reply. The answer to all three parts of the question is in the affirmative.

asked the Minister of Labour whether any estimate can be given of the total loss to the country occasioned by the joiners' strike in respect of wages, the number of ships under construction upon which work has been stopped owing to the dispute, the number of ships under refit upon which work has had to be stopped, and the number of ships which have had to be sent to foreign ports to complete their refit?

I have been asked to reply. There are no official materials on which a satisfactory estimate can be based of the total loss to the country occasioned by the joiners' strike, but the reports received show that this loss is a very serious one indeed to the shipbuilding and ship-repairing industry.

asked the Lord Privy Seal when it is proposed to put down the salary of the Minister without portfolio for discussion?

I regret that I am not yet in a position to name a date.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he can give a date upon which the House will adjourn for Whitsuntide and the date for its re-assembly?

I hope to make an announcement as to the Whitsuntide Recess next week.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what steps, if any, have been taken by the Government to give effect to the recommendations contained in the Report of the Select Committee on the Procedure governing Bills which involve Charges?

The recommendations of the Committee involve complicated questions of procedure and in certain instances legislation. My hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury is in communication with the Departments concerned and hopes to reach a decision very shortly.

asked the Home Secretary in which districts the muzzling order is still in operation; and when he hopes the restrictions imposed will be removed?

I have been asked to reply. The Muzzling Order is still in operation in (1) the Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith and the adjoining area in Middlesex of about 4 miles radius around Acton;

(2) an area surrounding Reading and Chepping Wycombe, comprising parts of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and the Basingstoke district of Hampshire;

(3) an area comprising the greater part of Hampshire, Dorset, and Wiltshire, and including the coast towns from Portsmouth to Poole; and

(4) Glamorgan (Cowbridge district).

Orders have been made which will take effect on the 1st May, withdrawing the Muzzling Order from Glamorgan and reducing considerably the extent of the areas numbered (2) and (3). Since the 1st January last, six cases of rabies have occurred in the Reading area (the latest case reported being on the 1st February) and eight in the Wiltshire, Hants, and Dorset area (the latest case reported being on the 19th March). Even if no further case occurs it will not be possible for the Ministry to withdraw the Order entirely from these two areas before the autumn. As regards the Acton area, it is proposed to revoke the Order about the end of June, provided that no further case of rabies occurs in the meantime.

asked the Minister of Agriculture why Portsmouth has been declared an area in which the muzzling of dogs is necessary; if any cases of rabies have been notified in the borough; and when this Order will be lifted?

When rabies appears in a centre it is necessary to restrict the movement of dogs within a considerable area round the place where the disease was actually detected, since the tendency of mad dogs is to wander for long distances. It is also necessary, for the same reason, to apply muzzling in the scheduled area since there is danger of rabies arising therein at any moment. No case of rabies has been notified in the borough of Portsmouth, but the Regulations referred to are applied to Portsmouth and district on account of the proximity of Southampton, which is a badly infected centre. It is not possible to say, at the present moment, when the Portsmouth district will be freed from the operation of the Order. No district, however, is kept under restrictions longer than is necessary for safety.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty when the second volume of the Naval History of the War will be published; and with exactly what period will it deal?

The second volume of the Naval History of the War will be published in the autumn of this year. It will deal with naval operations in all theatres from December, 1914, following on the battle of the Falklands, to May, 1915, inclusive.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many oil-carrying and other merchant steamers are at present being built in Royal yards; whether such steamers are being built for private owners under contract, at a fixed price, or on time and material basis; whether any of the vessels now being built are unsold; if so, how many are still unsold; and when are they expected to be completed?

Four oil carrying vessels are being built in the Royal Dockyards. Of these, two are being built for Admiralty service and two for private owners, under contract at fixed prices. The approximate dates of completion for the vessels are as follow:—

For Admiralty Service:

"Olna," about September, 1921.

"Oleander," about April, 1922.

For Private Owners:

"Nassa," about March, 1922.

"Nobia," about April, 1922.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether steps will be taken to permit of married naval ratings who are desirous of travelling with their wives and families on occasions when leave is granted, i.e., Christmas, Easter, etc., to do so by the ordinary passenger traffic instead of compelling the men to travel by special train and their wives and families by themselves; and whether he is aware that, while special travelling arrangements are necessary when leave is granted to large bodies of men, the number of married men affected is small, and would not entail any dislocation on the part of the railway arrangements?

The hon. Member will realise that special arrangements have to be made with the railway companies beforehand to cope with the sudden large increase of passengers, that without such arrangements the ordinary trains would be quite inadequate, and that the men would be unable to get away on the dates when their leave commences. To ascertain beforehand the number of married men in any particular party who might wish to travel by ordinary train with their families might involve difficulties, but I will make inquiry as to the practical possibility of adopting the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty when and where the opinion of the chief petty officers was obtained on the suitability of the new pattern chief petty officers' cap badge; and whether the opinion expressed was favourable or adverse?

I regret that the reply I gave to the hon. Member on the 20th April was based on a misapprehension. The badge was decided upon by the Board of Admiralty in the usual way. It was, in fact, discussed by representatives of the men who came up to the Admiralty, and was the subject of some criticism by them; but it was decided not to make a change in the pattern of the badge as the result of their representations.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether any other requests advanced by the advisory members of the 1919 Welfare Committee were omitted from Admiralty monthly Order 2359/20, in addition to the request for white woollen gloves for chief petty officers?

Neither the request to which the hon. Member refers nor any other request dealt with by the Committee was omitted from Admiralty Monthly Order 2359/20.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he has now considered the appeal of Stoker John Kane, of H.M. Submarine U 126, H.M.S. "Vernon," Portsmouth, for discharge on compassionate grounds, submitted to him on 18th April, and the same man s appeal for leave to visit his wife, owing to her dangerous state of health, submitted to him on 25th April; and whether he will give an early decision on both these appeals?

The King's Regulations require that no communication on subjects connected with the Naval Service, or with his particular duties or present or future employment, is to be made by any person in the Fleet, except through the proper channels to the Admiralty or to the Commanders-in-Chief abroad. This Regulation is necessary both in the interests of naval discipline and in those of justice. No application for the free discharge of Stoker Kane has been received in the Admiralty in accordance with these Regulations. If a recommendation for his release from the Service is received through the usual Service channels it will be duly considered, but it is naturally impossible to guarantee in advance that it will be granted. In the meantime the medical certificates and other documents forwarded to me in support of the case by the hon. Member have been transmitted to the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, with a request that the proper procedure may be pointed out to Kane by his Commanding Officer. The question of granting or withholding leave of absence rests entirely with the local naval authorities.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the Admiralty have decided to discharge 10,000 men from Portsmouth and other dockyards at the rate of 200 per week; if he is aware of the grave dissatisfaction that has been caused in Portsmouth and other dockyard centres about the matter; that 2,500 temporary men have already been discharged from Portsmouth; and if he can give any reasons for such wholesale discharges?

As indicated in the First Lord's statement explanatory of the Navy Estimates, the number of workmen employed in the Royal Dockyards is being gradually reduced from the inflated total of the War period to a figure—43,000—which represents the number of men for whom full-time employment on naval work is provided in this financial year. It may be observed that this number is largely in excess of the numbers employed in the dockyards in the years preceding the War. To reach this figure it is necessary to make reductions at not less than the rate stated in the hon. Member's question. At Portsmouth the number of men engaged temporarily under the short time scheme in all establishments was approximately 2,500, but, of these, only 355 had been discharged up to the end of last week. It will be necessary to discharge the remainder as and when it becomes impossible to provide suitable work for them. I can only add that the Admiralty greatly regret the hardships which may be involved in the process of making these adjustments to meet the post War naval requirements.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that many of the Civil Service pensioners in Plymouth, more particularly in connection with the Dockyard, have not yet received the amount due to them on the increased pensions scale from 1st April, 1920, and that some of them have made repeated applications for this increase; and whether he will take steps to have this matter adjusted at the earliest possible date?

Except in a small number of instances where the cases are, by reason of the receipt of old age pensions, specially complicated and the necessary investigation has not yet been completed, all pensioners, formerly employed at His Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport, to whom the Pension Increase Act applies, have been granted from the 1st April, 1920, the increase of pension for which they have been found to be eligible. It is possible, however, that the hon. Member has in mind cases to which the Act does not directly apply and where further authority is necessary. This matter is at present under discussion, and it is hoped that a decision will be given shortly.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether there has been any joining together of medical appeal boards; if so, for what purpose; and under what powers such has been done?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. Perhaps my hon. Friend has in mind an administrative arrangement by which, in certain large areas, a number of boards may be grouped for supervision under one Deputy-Commissioner for Medical Services, each board, however, retaining its own chairman.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he is aware that Private John Kempson, No. 262859, late gunner Royal Field Artillery, was an inmate of the Whinney House Hospital, Shotley Bridge, County Durham, and under treatment by the Army authorities; was also an Army pensioner until he was removed by the relieving officer of that union on the request of the pension authorities to the Durham County Asylum from the 27th February, 1920, to 13th July, 1920; that the pension authorities have disclaimed liability for maintenance, and that the whole costs so far have fallen on the local rates, which is strongly resented by the Lanchester Board of Guardians, which they consider unjust; and if he will see that this liability is paid by the Government and not by the local ratepayers, as in the opinion of the Board of Guardians the illness was entirely due to military service?

The Pension Appeal Tribunal have found that the mental disability in this case was not due to or aggravated by service, and consequently the Ministry of Pensions cannot charge itself with the cost of the man's maintenance in the Durham County Asylum. I may add that the pension which was awarded to Private Kempson on his discharge from the Army was in respect of an entirely different disability. It has now ceased to be payable, the aggravation of that disability by service having passed away.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether, in the case of Ableseaman David Newall, J/1697, who was discharged on 15th September, 1920, through defective eyesight, this defect was caused by submarine service; and, if so, whether a pension has been refused?

Pension has been refused in this case on the ground that the disability was not due to or aggravated by service. This was the finding of the Naval Invaliding Board, and it was confirmed by the Ministry's medical assessors and subsequently by the Pensions Appeal Tribunal.

asked the Attorney General whether Private A. Ensell, No. 24520, Royal Army Service Corps, now residing at 59, Penfold Street, Darlaston, recently appeared before the appeal tribunal; whether he was not allowed to speak; and whether his appeal was dismissed?

I am informed that Private Ensell, 24520, R.A.S.C., residing at 59, Penfold Street, Darlaston, appeared before a pensions appeal tribunal on the 8th April, 1921, accompanied by his solicitor, and that every opportunity was given to Mr. Ensell to say anything he wished. He was examined in the usual way by the members of the tribunal and by his solicitor. After considering the whole of the evidence the tribunal disallowed the appeal.

asked the Attorney General the number of pensions appeal tribunals that have been set up and the number to which disabled men have actually been appointed?

I am informed that up to the present 12 pensions appeal tribunals for non-commissioned officers and men, and two for officers, have been set up, and that further tribunals are in the course of formation. All service members comply with the conditions laid down in the Schedule to the War Pensions (Administrative Provisions) Act, 1919. An ex-officer never sits as service member except on a tribunal appointed to hear the appeals of officers.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that passengers travelling on the Midland, London, Tilbury, and Southend Railway to Laindon and desiring to continue their journey to Pitsea are being charged an excess fare of 9d.; that the legal pre-War rate was 2d.; whether this new charge is in conformity with the decisions of the Rates Advisory Committee; and, if not, will he take steps to rectify this matter?

It appears that under the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway Act, 1882, Section 32, the company are empowered to charge fares to Pitsea and beyond, based on the mileage distance calculated via Tilbury, and on a throughout journey from London the difference between the fare to Laindon and Pitsea is 9d., although the local fare between the two stations is only 3½d. I am having further inquiries made and will afterwards communicate with the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he intends to ask the House to take the Second reading of the Transport Bill before the Whitsun recess?

It is hoped to introduce this Bill before Whitsuntide.

asked the Minister of Transport when it is proposed to pay to the local authorities the grant of 50 per cent. and 25 per cent. of cost of upkeep of first-class and second-class roads; and whether any conditions will be attached to the payment of these grants?

It is intended that the grants shall be paid in quarterly instal- ments, and I hope the first instalment will be paid to highway authorities in England and Wales during the month of July and to highway authorities in Scotland during August and September. The condition attached to the payment of these grants is that the estimates of expenditure shall be approved by the Ministry of Transport.

asked the Prime Minister whether the British Government has associated iself with the French Government in informing the Austrian Government that, if it does not nullify the present agitation in Austria for union with Germany, a stop will be put to the arrangements for assisting Austria; and, if so, whether it is the intention of the Government to make the economic recovery of Austria dependent upon its Government preventing the Austrian people from expressing a desire with regard to their own political future?

I can only refer the hon. Member to the replies which I gave to similar questions by the hon. Members for Bedwelty (Mr. Charles Edwards) and Acton (Sir H. Brittain) on the 25th instant.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Chinese representative on the Council of the League of Nations submitted to the Council any note or observations on the Anglo Japanese treaty of alliance; whether this note will be published; and whether the modification of the Clauses of the Treaty affecting China are now under the consideration of the British and Japanese Governments?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative; the second therefore does not arise. As regards the third, the whole matter is now under the consideration of His Majesty's Government.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the Council of the League of Nations approved the proposals of the Paris Conference relating to uniform charges for passports and visas; whether the British Government are in favour of the proposals; and, if so, what have they done to obtain the adherence of other governments?

I am aware that the Council of the League of Nations has approved of the Paris Conference relating to uniform charges for passports and visas. The British Government are in favour of the proposals, and propose to put them into force forthwith. It is hoped that other Governments who were represented at the Conference will take similar action, as presumably they have been communicated with on the subject by the League of Nations.

asked the Prime Minister if, failing an agreed Bill dealing with licensing reform, the Government intends to bring in a Bill dealing with the question next Session?

It is the hope of the Government that this question may be dealt with by general agreement next Session, and having regard to the success which has attended efforts to secure agreement on other contentious subjects in recent years, I see no ground at present for anticipating the failure of our hopes.

asked the Prime Minister what is the number at present enrolled in the Defence Corps; what is the cost of its maintenance per week; and what duties has it performed?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to reply. The approximate strength of the Defence Force (including officers) is 80,000. The estimated weekly cost is £400,000. Up to the present, portions of the Force have been employed on protection duties at Government Depots and other vulnerable points, and also, at the request of the civil power, on protection duties in certain colliery districts.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will give the number of military forces at present engaged on and about the premises of the Yorkshire Electric Power Company at Dewsbury; for what purpose these duties are being performed; at whose request and upon whose authority these forces are being so employed; upon whom the cost of these services will fall; and whether, having regard to the fact that the presence of these forces is quite unnecessary in that neighbourhood, he will arrange for them to be removed?

A guard of one platoon from a Defence Force unit was mounted at the Electrical Power Station mentioned, on the 20th April for the purpose of protection in response to a request from the Chief Constable, Dewsbury.

asked the Secretary of State for War what action he intends taking on the letter received from Sir I. Owen, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol, which points out the importance of university students being released from the Defence Force at the earliest possible moment?

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will take measures to secure the prompt demobilisation of those university students who are still retained by their colonels in the battalions of the Defence Force, when the large majority of such persons have been granted leave to return to their studies and examinations, as cases of great hardship are being reported by university authorities?

It is not possible to give leave to students from the Defence Force without, at the same time, giving leave to others who may desire it on urgent grounds. It is hoped, however, that the present negotiations will lead to a speedy settlement, when steps will be taken to demobilise the Defence Force.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to a leaflet, entitled "Save the Mines," which is being widely circulated, and which does not bear the name and address of the printer; whether those responsible for its distribution are guilty of an infringement of the Act dealing with imprints; and whether any proceedings have been taken against them?

The leaflet entitled "Save the Mines" was printed in the Government Printing Works at Harrow at the public cost and it bears the Harrow imprint. In regard to the second part of the question I would refer the hon. Member to 2 and 3 Vict., Ch. 12, sec. 4. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is now in a position to state the cost of publishing and circulating the pamphlet, "The Case for the Nation"?

The accounts for printing and circulation of official matter in connection with the present emergency have not been completed.

asked the Prime Minister whether the exclusion of foreign coal, while financially beneficial to the mineowners, must be vitally injurious to the whole nation; whether he is aware of the avowal of the executive of the Federation of Transport Workers that they had sent telegrams to kindred organisations to cause the workers in Europe and America to stop all coal supplies for Great Britain; that this has been done in direct defiance of Regulation 19 of the Emergency Regulations, which lays down that any person is guilty of an offence who attempts or does any act calculated or likely to impede, delay, or restrict any measures taken for securing and regulating the supply or distribution of fuel; and whether the Government has been furnished with copies of the communications sent out by the executive to the International Transport Workers' Conference at Geneva and the American longshoremen urging the blockade and starvation of this country in regard to coal supplies?

I have been asked to reply. In the event of the stoppage continuing, there can be no question but that the exclusion of foreign coal must be gravely injurious to the nation, seeing that services essential to the life of the community cannot be maintained indefinitely out of the stocks of coal avail- able when work ceased in the pits. I have seen in the Press the statements referred to as to the action of the Federation of Transport Workers, but until more precise information has been received on the subject, it would be unwise to express any opinion on the latter part of my hon. and gallant Friend's question.

asked the Secretary for Mines if he will arrange, whatever the outcome of the strike, for an official report on the damage to the pits, both in volume and cost, so that the public may realise for their guidance in future what a policy of this nature entails?

I shall be glad to consider my hon. Friend's suggestion when it is possible to form some estimate of the extent of the damage.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that many householders in Manchester are entirely without coal and find it impossible to obtain any; is he also aware that, in view of the general belief that there are ample stocks of coal at the pit-heads, this state of affairs is causing grave dissatisfaction; and will he give instructions that equitable distribution of these Supplies is made to those districts so urgently in need of coal?

I would remind the hon. Member that no coal may be supplied except in pursuance of a permit from the local authority, and that, in view of the limited supplies available, a recommendation has been issued that such permits should not be granted except where there is no other means of cooking food, or in cases of illness or infirmity. Special assistance has, however, been given to Manchester from stocks of coal held elsewhere, and the further needs of that city will be borne in mind.

asked the Prime Minister whether the ships of the Bulgarian Navy have been destroyed or distributed; if so, in what proportions; whether the Bulgarian commercial fleet has been distributed or is to be distri- buted among the Allied and Associated Powers; and, if so, in what proportions?

The vessels of the Bulgarian Navy have, with two exceptions, been left in Bulgarian hands, the majority being damaged or worthless.

The ships left in Bulgarian hands are as follow:—

( a ) Four torpedo boats, first class, of which three are damaged. They are to be used for police purposes and armament is to be limited to one light gun.

( b ) Six motor boats, of which four are damaged.

The exceptions are one gunboat, which is being sold for the joint benefit of the Allies, and one submarine, which has been allocated to, and will be sold for the benefit of, Great Britain. The Treaty of Peace with Bulgaria makes no provision for the distribution of her commercial fleet among the Allied and Associated Powers.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Reparations Commission has reported to the Allied and Associated Governments that Germany has been guilty of voluntary default under the reparations provisions of the Treaty of Versailles; if so, in what the alleged voluntary default consists; and whether the Commission has made any recommendations as to the action to be taken against Germany?

I have already given full information to the House as to the German defaults under the Treaty of Versailles.

asked the Prime Minister whether, under paragraph 12, Annex II, Part VIII, of the Treaty of Versailles, the Reparation Commission has authority to interpret the provisions of that part of the Treaty; and, if so, whether the Reparation Commission has reported that the measures referred to in paragraph 18 of the Annex include a further occupation of German territory, and that such measures can be taken by individual Governments, acting alone, without the concurrence of the other Allied and Associated Governments?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; the answer to the remainder is in the negative.

asked the Prime Minister the total amount of the payments made in money or in goods by the German Government to His Majesty's Government under the Treaty of Versailles and the Armistice Agreement?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to a similar question by the hon. Member for Stoke Newington (Mr. G. Jones) on the 28th February last. It is not possible at the moment to give any later figures.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Reparation Commission has determined the amount of the damage for which Germany is liable under the Treaty of Versailles and notified the same to the German Government; and, if so, the amount?

The Reparation Commission yesterday unanimously fixed the total of Germany's obligations under Article 233 of the Treaty at 132 milliard gold marks (£6,600,000,000 gold). This total is exclusive of the sum due in reimbursement of Belgium's debt to the Allied and Associated Powers assumed by Germany under Article 232, the amount of which will be the subject of a subsequent decision. (I understand that this amount is in the neighbourhood of £250,000,000.) The decision of the Reparation Commission has been conveyed to the German Government's Reparation Representative in Paris.

asked the Prime Minister the amount which has been delivered by Germany under Article 235 of the Treaty of Versailles; how much of this sum has been appropriated to the cost of the Armies of Occupation and to the cost of food and raw materials delivered to Germany; and how much has been reckoned towards liquidation of the amounts due for reparation?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for the West Division of Leyton (Mr. Newbould) on the 4th instant.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that large consignments of German goods have been rushed into our ports in order to escape the imposition of the levy under the sanctions which came into force on the 14th of this month; and what is being done to secure the proper payment of the levy?

The Act does not apply to goods imported before 15th April under a contract entered into before 8th March.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has received any complaints from Manchester regarding the action of the authorities in holding up in the Customs for the past three weeks goods from Germany; whether he is aware that the firm of Furness and Voyce have supplied documentary evidence and sworn testimony that the goods consigned to them were ordered before 8th March; that the goods referred to are artificial flowers already sold, but being seasonable goods if not released at once will be left on the hands of the importers; that the Customs authorities have refused to release the goods except on receipt of the total amount charged against them under the German Reparation (Recovery) Act; and whether, in view of the fact that the firm have already paid in full for the goods and cannot afford to pay the extra amount demanded by the Customs authorities, he will have immediate inquiries made into the matter?

The Board of Customs and Excise have not received any complaints from Manchester on this subject, but I may say that in the case of goods claimed to be exempt from the operation of the German Reparation (Recovery) Act, by virtue of a contract entered into before the 8th March, the Board made arrangements from the outset whereby delivery could be obtained, pending examination of the evidence, on the importer entering into a bond to pay the amount of the levy should he fail to substantiate his claim. Messrs. Furness and Voyce have claimed the benefit of the exemption referred to in respect of certain importations, and were informed by the Board on the 16th instant of the possibility of obtaining delivery under bond without making a cash payment.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many French negro troops are at present stationed in Europe; and upon what date were the last of these troops withdrawn from the occupied areas in Germany?

I have been asked to reply. I am informed that there are no French negro troops at present stationed in Europe except two battalions of Senegalese at Constantinople. French Senegalese troops were withdrawn from the occupied area in Germany in April, 1920.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether applications for visas by Finns to visit this country are ever, and, if so, when, submitted to Mr. Donner, the Finnish agent in London, with the result that those Finns of whom the present Finnish Government disapproves are not permitted by the British Government to come to England?

I have already given my hon. and gallant Friend a definite assurance on this point.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what decision was come to at the recent meeting of the Central Rhine Commission in regard to the construction of the proposed canal between Basle and Strasburg; if any of the British representatives on this Commission are engineers and fully able to consider the technical points in the construction of the proposed canal; if they have special qualifications for securing that the large British commercial interests involved are properly safeguarded at all stages of the construction of the canal; the estimated time which would be occupied in the construction of the canal; and will he draw the attention of the British representatives to the importance of not only maintaining the present facilities of the river channel, but at once improving and regularising that channel for the benefit of shipping desirous of using the all-water route between Great Britain and Switzerland?

The proposal to construct a lateral canal on the left bank of the Rhine, between Basle and Strasburg, was referred by the Central Rhine Commission to a committee of seven members, of which the British representative was appointed president. An expert engineering adviser has been appointed to assist the British delegation, the Members of which are, in the opinion of His Majesty's Government, fully competent to secure proper consideration of the British commercial interests involved. It has been estimated that the projected canal would take at least 25 years to construct in its entirety. The committee will also consider the best means of improving and regularising the present river channel on that portion of the Rhine.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreigin Affairs whether his attention has been called to the circumstances under which a number of British emigrants to Peru returned recently to this country, many of them in a state of destitution on account of the promises of employment in Peru not having been fulfilled; whether he is aware that many of the emigrants, having sold their homes and belongings before leaving this country, are now homeless and destitute; and whether, if the Peruvian Government is responsible for the deception practised on the emigrants, compensation will be demanded for the loss and hardship they have endured and an allowance made pending the settlement of the amount of compensation to those emigrants, who are in urgent need of assistance?

I have been asked to reply to this question. My attention has been called to this matter and representations have already been made to the Peruvian Government with the object of securing the payment of compensation at an early date to those who have suffered losses through the breakdown of the Peruvian emigration scheme. I would also refer the hon. Member to the answers returned to previous questions on this subject; particularly to my answer to the two questions asked on the 25th instant by the hon. Members for Mansfield (Mr. W. Carter) and Stratford (Mr. Lyle).

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the increasing urgency of the question arising from the de-nationalisation of the children of British fathers, such fathers being born in a foreign country, owing to the fact that they cannot be registered as British subjects, attention will be given to this question, either by raising the matter at the forthcoming Imperial Cabinet, or by such other effective step as will remove this injustice to these children?

The question is receiving urgent consideration, in consultation with the other Departments concerned.

asked the Minister of Health when it is proposed to issue the educational food leaflet, the draft of which was submitted early in March, with a memorial on this subject from medical, scientific, health, and other associations; and will he deal with the matter as one of urgent importance, having regard to the present general distress and the consequent necessity for disseminating knowledge of healthy, nourishing, and economical foods?

The matter is receiving attention, and I will see whether any useful purpose can be served by issuing any such pamphlet.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the statement contained on page 219 of the annual report of the chief medical officer of the Ministry for the year 1919–20 that cases of small-pox do not occur after recent successful re-vaccination, if he will state how recent re-vaccination should be in order to be absolutley protective; and what are the characteristics represented by the word successful?

I am advised that the protection against small-pox infection by efficient vaccination is practically absolute during the early years following the operation, and that in the great majority of cases the protection remains effective up to the tenth or eleventh year after vaccination. The evidence of successful vaccination is the production at the seat of inoculation of the characteristic lesions followed by well-defined marks.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in considering the Report of the inspector of the Ministry of Health on the Leeds and Bradford extension schemes, he will have due regard to the emphatically expressed opinion of the Kintore Committee on the Birkenhead extension scheme that sanction should not be given to extension schemes in opposition to the clearly expressed wish of the inhabitants of the districts affected by them?

The opinion actually expressed by the Kintore Committee was that subject to special considerations of public advantage the substantial support of the ratepayers in areas proposed to be incorporated should be a condition precedent to an extension. It is the invariable practice of the Department to give most careful consideration to the views of local authorities and the general public in the areas concerned, but considerations of economy and efficiency in local government must clearly have the first place.

asked the Minister of Health whether his Department have received a letter from the Region Department, Buchanan Buildings, asking for information as to the reasons why Messrs. Chapman, of Puckeridge, refuse to pay their labourers the district rate of wages, as this firm are paying 4d. per hour less than good employers in the district; and, if so, what action he proposes to take?

I am informed that the employers mentioned are the only contractors carrying out building work in the district. I am not aware, therefore, on what ground it is suggested that they are paying less than good employers in the district. In case the hon. Member has any further information, I should be glad if he would bring it to my notice.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that in the Willesden area there were 1,200 applications for the first 30 houses completed; whether the Ministry have refused sanction for the building of more than 190 houses; whether he is aware that in the parish of St. John's, Kilburn, 400 families live in basements, paying a rent of 11s. 3d. a week for two rooms; that in a large proportion of cases there are four or five families living in one house; and that there is one house in which 59 persons are living; and will he have these matters inquired into?

I have refused to approve of a tender for 76 houses at Willesden, because I consider the price too high. Contracts have already been made by the Council for the erection of 199 houses; and I hope that these houses will be completed with the utmost despatch. If the Noble Lord will give me particulars of the cases of overcrowding to which he refers, I will have inquiries made.

asked the Secretary of State for War what has been the cost of the maintenance of the Crown forces in the martial law areas in Ireland since the declaration of martial law?

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the cost of the maintenance of the Army in Ireland during the year ended 31st March, 1921?

The cost is estimated at approximately £13,500,000, inclusive of capital charges and pensions.

asked the Secretary of State for War the numbers and cost per month of the military forces in Ireland at the present time?

I do not think in the present circumstances it is desirable to give the number of the military forces in Ireland. The monthly cost is approximately £1,250,000.

asked the Chief Secretary what were the total casualties to Crown forces and civilians, respectively during the week 10th to 23rd; and what captures were made by the forces of the Crown and the Sinn Fein forces, respectively?

The casualties to the Crown forces during the period in question were 18 police and two military killed, 36 police and 11 military wounded, and two police taken prisoners, of whom one was disarmed and released and the other subsequently rescued by a party of Crown forces. In addition a district inspector is missing and his fate is still unknown. Civilian casualties, including rebel casualties so far as they can be ascertained, were 27 killed, 32 wounded, and nine rebels were taken prisoners in armed conflicts.

asked the Chief Secretary whether any inquiry has taken place in the death of a young man named Joseph Taylor, at Glencar, on the 27th February last; and, if so, what was the result of the inquiry?

The finding of the military court of inquiry in lieu of inquest in this case was that the deceased was shot and mortally wounded by the police while attempting to escape from custody, and that no blame on account of his death attaches to police who fired in the execution of their duty.

asked the Chief Secretary the number of women murdered, kidnapped, and wounded, respectively, by Sinn Feiners in Ireland since 1st January, 1921?

The numbers are:—

These figures are exclusive of women who have been killed or injured as the result of bomb attacks made upon police and military lorries in the streets of Cork and Dublin and of attacks made upon railway trains carrying civilian passengers.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he has received the reports of the inquiries made into the treatment at the hands of Crown forces of the following persons elected to represent Irish people, namely, Councillor W. Allen, of Tipperary, who was visited at his business premises on 23rd October by auxiliary police, who flogged him and his son; County Councillor P. Forde, Loughrea, County Galway, who was taken from his bed and beaten by constabulary on 1st November; Councillor J. Brennan, who was taken from his bed at Kilkerrin, County Galway, and beaten by constabulary on 5th November and sent home naked; County Councillor J. Harte, of Leitrim, who was taken from his bed by constabulary and beaten on 5th November; Councillor W. O'Grady, of Rathdrum, County Wicklow, who was taken from his bed and flogged by constabulary on 18th December; and Councillor W. Loughrey, Killala, County Mayo, who was taken from his bed at 2 a.m. on 28th January and flogged by the constabulary, who beat him about the head and shoulders with Indian clubs belonging to his children; and, if so, whether he is prepared to make any statement with regard to them?

All the incidents mentioned in the question occurred several months ago, and I have therefore called for a fresh report in each case, giving the results of the investigations made since the case was first reported. If the hon. Member will repeat the question on Thursday of next week I hope that I shall then be in a position to furnish him with a reply.

asked the Chief Secretary whether any inquest or inquiry has been held into the deaths of James Mons, a Protestant farmer, and Patrick Conry, a farmer's son, who were taken from their homes at Castlerea, County Roscommon, by Crown forces after midnight on 6th April, and whose bodies were subsequently found dead riddled with bullets in a field; and, if so, what was the result?

Military Courts of Inquiry in lieu of inquests have been held to investigate the circumstances of the death of James Mons and Patrick Conry. In each case the Court found that the deceased was killed by a person or persons unknown, against whom they returned a verdict of wilful murder.

asked the Chief Secretary whether any members of the Crown forces have been dismissed or punished in respect of the fallowing offences: the burning of Lahinch and the murder of Joseph Sammon in September last, the burning of Ennistymon and the murders of Connole and Lynch, the burning of O'Brien's Bridge and violence to women and children in November, the burning of Feákle in October, the two murders at Balbriggan, the burning of creameries, and the shooting of the inn proprietor at Castle Connell?

If the hon. and gallant Member will repeat next Thursday this question, which involves a number of separate inquiries, and of which I received notice only the day before yesterday, I will endeavour to furnish him with a reply.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the postmaster of Navan was recently murdered; and, if so, whether he can give the circumstances attending the crime?

The military court of inquiry in lieu of inquest held into the circumstances of this man's death found that he was wilfully murdered by some person or persons unknown. According to the evidence given at the inquiry, Mr. Hodgett was taken out of his house in Navan by a party of unknown men on the night of the 17th–18th February, and his body was discovered in the river below the Blackwater Bridge on the 25th ultimo. I regret to state that the police investigations, which are still proceeding, have not yet resulted in any arrests being made in connection with this crime.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the house of Mr. David Clancy, of Kilfinane, county Cork, was destroyed in the month of February by military or police as a reprisal for the burning of an aeroplane which had descended close by; and whether, in view of the admission by the police that the house was burnt without authority, the £900 compensation awarded by Judge Lawsmith at the Limerick Quarter Sessions will be paid by the Treasury?

This incident is still the subject of inquiry. As regards, the last part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Attorney-General to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton East (Mr. G. Thorne) on the 14th instant.

asked the Chief Secretary the result of the trial by court-martial of the men concerned in the incidents at Ballymacelligott on 12th November last?

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the similar question asked by my hon. Friend on Tuesday, the 19th instant.

asked the Chief Secretary whether Mr. Basil Clark admits or denies that he is the editor of "Weekly Summary"; whether there is any person named Darling engaged in Dublin Castle; and, if so, in what capacity?

As I have already explained in reply to previous questions on the subject, this publication is prepared by the police authorities in Dublin for distribution to the police in Ireland. As regards the remainder of the question, I presume the hon. and gallant Member is referring to Captain Darling, M. C., who is employed in the office of the Chief of Police.

asked the Chief Secretary whether Captain Hardy is still engaged in any duties in Dublin Castle; if not, whether he has been transferred to any other, and, if so, what public Department; whether he has been at any time during his service in Dublin Castle under arrest, and, if so, under what circumstances; and whether this is the same Captain Hardy who is accused of having threatened and ill-treated Father Dominic and Father Albert when under arrest?

In regard to the first, second, and third parts of this question, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the replies given to previous questions concerning this officer in which the same points have been raised. In regard to the last part, I have no knowledge of the accusations referred to by the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he has had brought to his notice a document, publicly circulated and in the form of a funeral card, commemorating the death of six men: Patrick Moran, Thomas Whelan, Francis Flood, Bernard Ryan, Thomas Bryan, and Patrick Doyle, executed in March, 1921; whether he is aware that this document asserts that these men were innocent of any crime; and for what crimes they were executed?

Inquiries have been made, but, so far as can be ascertained, no funeral card containing an assertion that these men were innocent is being publicly circulated. With regard to the latter part of the question, Patrick Moran was executed for the murder of Lieutenants Bennett and Aimes at 38, Upper Mount Street, Dublin, on the 21st November, 1920, and Thomas Whelan for the murder of Captain Baggally at 117, Lower Baggott Street, Dublin, on the same date. Francis Flood, Bernard Ryan, Thomas J. Bryan, and Patrick Doyle, were executed for levying war against His Majesty at Drumcondra, on the 21st January, 1921.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he has received a Report of the burning, by the forces of the Crown, on Friday last, at Ballymacelligot, of a creamery, five farmhouses, a parochial house, and a cottage; whether these burnings followed immediately after the murder in the neighbourhood of Major Mackinnon; whether they were by order of His Majesty's Government; and, if so, why these particular buildings were selected for destruction?

I am still awaiting a report from the Commander in Chief with reference to this matter.

asked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been called to the fact that the Prime Minister has stated publicly, in his letter to the Bishop of Chelmsford, the exact figures as to the strength and distribution of the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary; and whether, in view of his statement that it was not in the public interest under present conditions to give information with regard to the strength of the Royal Irish Constabulary, he can say whether the Prime Minister consulted his Department before issuing his letter to the Press?

The total numerical strength of the Auxiliary Division had already been disclosed in replies to questions in this House before information showing the need in the public interest of greater reticence in such matters had come into the Government's possession. Such information was given in the Prime Minister's letter with regard to the counties in Ireland where companies of the Division are stationed is obviously of a character that admits of no concealment, even if concealment were desirable. In regard to the last part of the question, the hon. Member may rest assured that the Department for which my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary is responsible is consulted by the Prime Minister on all matters with which it is concerned.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Auxiliary Division, Royal Irish Constabulary, are still entirely without any medical staff or ambulances; and whether, in view of the dangerous work and heavy casualties which their units are now sustaining, he will consult the Director of Medical Services as to the advisability of attaching to each company one motor ambulance, one medical non-commissioned officer, and two medical orderlies?

As stated by my right hon. Friend the Attorney General in reply to a question on this subject on the 14th instant, the Auxiliary Division is not provided with its own special medical transport, but ambulances and other necessaries of medical equipment are borrowed from the Regular Forces as and when required. I have inquired into the working of this arrangement, and am assured that it is found to answer satisfactorily as the whereabouts of neighbouring military stations are well known and can be communicated with easily in the event of casualties occurring.

asked the Chief Secretary whether any arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Mr. Lumley, of Holycross, near Thurles, in which a coroner's inquest returned a verdict of murder against the forces of the Crown?

No arrests have been made in connection with this man's death. The verdict returned by the jury at the coroner's inquest was completely at variance with the actual facts of the case. Lumley was shot owing to being caught in the line of fire of a party of police who had been fired upon, and were defending themselves from attack. Although it subsequently transpired that Lumley was not one of the ambushers, the responsibility for his death does not rest upon the police, who only fired in self-defence.

asked the Chief Secretary from what funds the compensation given by General Crozier to those who had suffered from the looting at Trim was paid; and whether similar compensation can be paid to others who have suffered at the hands of the Crown forces?

No compensation from public funds has been made in this case, but I am informed that a member of the Auxiliary Division paid the sum of £30 out of his own pocket to one of the sufferers.

asked the Chief Secretary what was the expenditure on the Dublin Metropolitan Police, the Royal Irish Constabulary and the Auxiliary Division, respectively, in the year 1920–21; and whether he can give the monthly cost of these forces at the present time?

The expenditure on the Dublin Metropolitan Police for 1920–21 was £398,952; this figure, how- ever, being still subject to audit. The present monthly cost of that force is approximately £34,200. As regards the Royal Irish Constabulary and the Auxiliary Forces the expenditure for 1920/21 is not yet available, but it is believed that the figure will be approximately equal to the amount granted by Parliament for that year, namely, £6,093,214. The present monthly cost of the permanent Royal Irish Constabulary is about £430,000 and of the Auxiliary Forces about £155,000.

asked the Chief Secretary whether, in view of the sworn statement made by Captain Hardy at the trial of Captain King, that the evidence which he gave on oath at the trial differed from that which he gave at the secret military inquiry into the deaths of Murphy and Kennedy, he will see fit to publish the proceedings of the inquiry?

The trial of the three police officers for the murder of Murphy and Kennedy was held in public, and was fully reported in the Press. In these circumstances, I am not prepared to adopt the unusual course suggested in the question.

asked the Chief Secretary whether any inquest or military inquiry in lieu of inquest has been held on the body of Patrick Cloonan, of Maree, Oranmore, County Galway, who was taken from the house of Laurence Donoghue, for whom he worked, by members of the Crown forces at 3 a.m. on the 5th April, and shot by the seashore a quarter of a mile from his residence; and, if so, what was the result of the inquiry?

I have not yet received the report of the military Court of Inquiry in lieu of inquest in this case. If the hon. Member will kindly repeat the question, of which I received notice only yesterday, on Thursday of next week, I hope then to be able to furnish him with a reply.

asked the Chief Secretary whether any inquiry has yet been held into the circumstances which led to the death of Mr. O'Donovan, landlord of the Shannon Hotel, Castleconnel, on 17th April; and whether his attention has been drawn to the statements of an absolutely independent witness who was present at the hotel at the time, and is now in London, as to the state of discipline and general behaviour of the auxiliaries on this occasion?

A military Court of Inquiry is at present investigating the circumstances of Mr. O'Donovan's death.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he has yet received the Report of the court of inquiry which is investigating the circumstances under which a hostage on a police lorry was wounded; whether it is still part of the Government's policy to carry hostages on police or military lorries; and, if so, whether he will order that a record be kept of all occasions on which hostages are thus carried and of the circumstances attending each case?

I have not yet received the report of the court of inquiry in the case mentioned in the first part of the question. In regard to the latter part of the question, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply which I gave him on Thursday of last week.

asked the Chief Secretary when it is proposed to issue the report of the military inquiry held in lieu of inquest on the body of Christopher Reynolds, who was killed on the night of the 1st-2nd April while a prisoner in a motor lorry in charge of the forces of the Crown?

This inquiry is not yet completed. It was adjourned owing to the fact that several of the witnesses were also witnesses in another case, but I am informed that it will be resumed in the course of a few days.

asked the Chief Secretary whether Thomas Barnett, of 14, Barrow Street, an employé at Boland's Mill, Dublin, was arrested last December; on what charge was he arrested; and was he afterwards admitted to Richmond lunatic asylum, Dublin, and certified as insane on 26th December, 1920?

The answer to the first and third parts of the question is in the affirmative. Barnett was arrested on suspicion of having taken part in the murder of a number of officers in Dublin on the 21st November, 1920.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Thomas Barnett was visited at the Bridewell by his landlady, Mrs. Mann, who found him lying on the floor of the cell in a dying condition, scarcely able to speak and apparently in terrible fear; that at her urgent representation to the sergeant in charge of the Bridewell that he should be in hospital an officer in an armoured car removed him to Kilmainham gaol; and that Barnett was unable to walk at the time and was therefore carried to the car; and whether he will make any inquiry into this case?

Thomas Barnett was visited by his landlady in the Bridewell, as stated, but no other allegation in this question has any foundation in fact. In a written statement Mrs. Mann says that Barnett never made any complaint to her against his treatment in the Bridewell, and that she did not think he could complain, as he seemed to be well treated. She adds that she never complained to any person about his treatment because any such complaint would have been untrue. On the morning of the 21st December Barnett displayed symptoms of insanity, and he was therefore at once removed to Kilmainham. He was perfectly capable of walking, and did, in fact, walk to the car. I see no ground in the circumstances for making any further inquiry.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Thomas Barnett was afterwards removed from Kilmainham to the George V Military Hospital; that he was then found to have a wound at the back of the head, blood round the eyes, and a number of bruises on the body; and, if so, how, and for what purpose, these injuries were inflicted?

This prisoner was admitted to King George V Hospital on 25th December, 1920. He was examined on admission by the commandant and by the medical officer on duty. He showed no sign of injury of any kind whatever.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware of a bomb exploding at Newbiggin-by-Sea, Northumberland; if so, what was the damage done, if any; was there any carelessness on anyone's part; and has compensation been paid to those who may have had their property damaged?

So far as can be traced, no report of any such explosion has been received in the War Office. If the hon. Member will furnish me with any details in his possession, I will have further inquiries made.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that officers of the Special Reserve have received no pay since they were called up on the occasion of the present national emergency; that they have been informed by their respective paymasters that they have no authority to issue pay, and by Messrs. Cox and Company that they are not acting as pay agents; and whether he will take immediate action to remedy this grievance?

Arrangements were made for advances to be issued to officers of the Special Reserve recalled during the present emergency, by Officers Commanding Units, Formations, etc., and subsequent payments to be made by Command Paymasters. Further instructions have now been issued to ensure that these arrangements are being carried out.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the War Office if an officer on the Reserve is called on, when mobilsed for service, to sacrifice the whole of his Reserve pay; whether, in the case of a major, this would reduce his pay for active service to a net sum, of about £330 per annum; and whether this is consistent with the principle that Reserve pay is deferred pay, an officer's claim to which is not affected by the question whether he resumes his service or not?

I presume my hon. Friend's question refers to re- tired pay. For the purposes of the present brief emergency, it was decided, after full consideration, that it would suffice to restore an officer called out to the full pay and allowances of his rank.

asked the Secretary of State for War, in view of the fact that charges have been brought in a recently published book, "At the Supreme War Council," against Field-Marshal Sir William Robertson of having divulged the military plans of the Allies in Palestine for 1918, and in view of the fact that the Field-Marshal is not taking legal proceedings of any kind, whether he will bring the matter, including all evidence in the possession of the Government, before the Army Council in the interests of the Army?

I have nothing to add to the full replies already given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he can state the result of the official inquiry into the collision of two aeroplanes near Cairo whereby four men lost their lives; and whether it is possible by greater care to avoid these very regrettable occurrences?

The report of the inquiry which is being held on this case has not yet been received. Upon its receipt, I will communicate with my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he has now completed his inquiries into the allegations that the Bristol Aeroplane Company have discharged men workers and have reengaged women who were fully employed elsewhere, some women with husbands in employment; that such dismissed men are workless and have been compelled to seek help from the Lord Mayor of Bristol's Fund; and that as contractors to the Air Ministry this company is bound by the fair wage Clause and should be pressed to retain men workers in preference to engaging women already employed in domestic service and shops?

It has been found, as a result of the inquiries made in this case, that the company has not been guilty of any breach of the fair wages Clause. The firm has stated that the women in question were employed by them owing to the necessity for increasing the output of their trimming department, and are engaged entirely on women's work in connection with the machining and sewing of fabric. The rates of wages paid to the women are fully in accordance with the recognised district rates. The Air Ministry has no power to require contractors to engage unemployed men to perform what is essentially women's work, nor can they stipulate that no women, other than those who are unemployed and unmarried, shall be engaged for work on Air Ministry contracts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can supplement the official figures of 11,104 ex-service men settled on the land by the Government land settlement scheme with the figures of ex-service men who have left this country under arrangements with the Dominions or Crown Colonies for settlement on the land?

I have been asked to reply to this question. The total number of Imperial ex-service officers and men accepted up to date as suitable settlers by the Governments of the Dominions and Colonies is upwards of 23,000, the majority of whom have already proceeded overseas. It is calculated that at least 75 per cent. of this number intend to settle upon the land.

asked the Minister of Pensions how many ex-service men have completed their training in institutions maintained by the Ministry; how many are now in training; and what is the number still awaiting admission into these training centres?

The number of men who have completed a course of combined treatment and training under the Ministry is approximately 900, and there are also 550 men at present awaiting transfer to the Ministry of Labour for further industrial training. The number of men now in training in the Ministry convalescent centres is 2,339. There are approximately 2,000 men on the waiting list, but this number will probably be reduced as the result of a re-examination for which arrangements are now being made.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that in the summer of 1919 the Ministry of Labour took over from the Ministry of Pensions the industrial training of ex-service men, and shortly afterwards set up industrial training councils for various areas; that the war pensions committees, employment committees, and education authorities in the county of Essex were invited to nominate representatives to sit on the Essex Industrial Training Council, and from that time onwards much useful work has been performed by the council on behalf of ex-service men; that the council has now been disbanded by the Ministry of Labour; and the members of the council feel that this step has not been taken in the interests of ex-service men; whether a protest has been received from the West Ham Local War Pensions Committee; if he is aware that an application has been made to the Ministry of Labour to receive a deputation from the Essex Industrial Training Council; and if he will take action in the matter?

The facts are as stated in the question. A deputation from the Council is to be received at the Ministry of Labour to-day.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether among the employés at the Royal Gunpowder Factory, Waltham Abbey, who have been recently discharged, or who have been given notice of discharge, there are several ex-service men who have been, and in some cases are now, in receipt of disability pension; and whether it is not the intention of the War Office to retain ex-service men in the factory in preference to civilian employés who were only engaged since 1914?

Discharges at the Royal Gunpowder Factory, Waltham Abbey, are now taking place among pre-War employés, all other classes having left in the order already announced in the House. Men with shortest service are due for discharge first. I believe eight of these men are in receipt of Army disability pensions. There are no civilian employés in the factory who have been engaged subsequent to 1914. Three men of this class are employed in the office, whom it has not been found practicable to displace by any of the men due for discharge.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether appointments as officers of Customs and Excise are being offered to 25 of the 113 ex-service men who passed the qualifying examination in December, 1920; whether similar appointments will be offered to the remaining 88 ex-service men as vacancies occur provided that their character and health are satisfactory; and whether he will give an assurance that this list of 88 ex-service men who passed the qualifying examination will be exhausted before a further examination is held for candidates who are not ex-service men?