asked the hon. Member for the Pollok Division of Glasgow, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he is aware that the amount of leave granted to gate porters such as are employed at Somerset House, etc., is much less than that granted to the men messenger staff; whether he can indicate the reasons for this differentiation; whether he will consider this matter with a view to gate porters being granted one day's leave per month as is given to the whole of the pensioner messengers staff employed by the Government; whether he is also aware that the pay of gate porters is less than that received by messengers; and whether he will have this matter looked into with a view to the scale of pay being brought into line with that received by the messenger staff?

I am aware that the leave and pay of gatekeepers are less than those granted to messengers. Their duties are not substantially the same, and for that reason they are not graded with messengers for purposes of leave and pay.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether certain doctors employed by the Ministry of Pensions have had a four years' service contract given to them?

The answer is in the affirmative. With the approval of the Treasury and after consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health a number of full-time salaried medical officers, whose employment had previously been subject to one month's notice, have been given a four years' contract, terminating on the 31st March, 1925.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he will give an undertaking that the services of those doctors at present employed under the Ministry of Pensions, who sacrificed their practices to join the Army and Navy at the outbreak of War and were on active service and are now dependent solely on their salaries, will be retained at the Pensions Ministry in preference to those who are already drawing big pensions in addition to their salaries and those who are being kept on who have never served abroad?

Practically the whole of the full-time medical officers of the Ministry served during the late War, and, other things being equal, preference for retention will continue to be given to medical officers who saw active service over medical officers in the same class who did not so serve.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he has received a petition from the temporary Government clerks employed in His Majesty's Sasine Office in Edinburgh praying that they be retained in their present occupation; whether it is pointed out that there will be no saving in having the work typewritten, and that in any case these men should have a chance to do such work; whether a number of the men suffered bereavement in the War and that members of the families of others were disabled on active service; and whether, in these circumstances, he will cancel the notices and continue the employment of these men at the present time?

A petition from certain temporary engrossers in the Sasine's Office, Edinburgh, has been received, and is now under consideration in conjunction with the Secretary for Scotland. A reply to the petition will be sent as soon as possible.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the opinion amongst women civil servants that their work is not being graded on the same lines as that of their male colleagues, he will arrange that the work shall be shown to the Treasury representatives who are examining it by an accredited representative of the women's organisations as well as by the official nominee?

The arrangements for applying to Departments the recommendations of the Reorganisation Committee of the Civil Service National Whitley Council make full provision for the head of the Department to ascertain the views of accredited representatives of the staff. When it is necessary for a Treasury official to inspect the work of any Department, it is his duty to take all necessary steps to satisfy himself as to the actual nature of the work performed, but I cannot give any undertaking that in his investigation he shall be accompanied by a representative of the staff associations.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he has seen the recent interim Report of the Lytton Committee, in which unsuccessful ex-service candidates in the Civil Service examinations of November and December last are recommended for re-examination, providing that they can secure the support of the chief of the Department; if so, will he confer with this Committee with a view to securing the inclusion of unsuccessful non-service candidates on the same terms; and, generally, whether it can be arranged, examinations apart, that a more considerate attitude shall be shown regarding the retention of non-service men, provided that the number of ex-service men is not brought below 70 per cent. thereby nor the efficiency of the Civil Service impaired?

I have seen the Second Interim Report of Lord Lytton's Committee. In paragraph 6 of that Report the Committee stated that in their next Report they would put forward a recommendation with regard to the position of those ex-service men who failed to reach the qualifying standard in the recent examinations for the clerical class. I regret that I do not see my way to suggest to the Committee that they should extend any recommendation which they may submit to cover the cases of non-service personnel.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty when it is anticipated that the balance of the prize money due to the Navy will be paid; how much money has there been already distributed; and how much of the total sum to which officers and men of the Fleet are entitled has been spent on legal expenses connected with this prize fund?

So far as can at present be foreseen, it is anticipated that payments of the balance of Naval prize money will commence early next year. A sum of £5,100,000 has already been distributed. As indicated in my reply of the 7th March last to a question of the hon. and gallant Member for Portsmouth (Sir B. Falle), legal expenses in connection with the Naval Prize Act are not chargeable to the Fund.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether any first writers or below were specially recommended for promotion during the War for meritorious services; and, if so, whether these recommendations will be taken into account when further promotions to warrant rank are made?

A number of writers were specially recommended during the War for exceptional War services, and some of them (including first writers and below) actually received accelerated advancement. This will naturally improve the position on the list of the men concerned and bring them at an earlier age into the promotion zone. These advancements, as well as any recommendations, will be taken into account when the question of their promotion to warrant rank comes up for consideration.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what the alterations in the compulsory kit of chief petty officers asked for by the advisory members to the 1919 Welfare Committee consisted of, observing that Item 50 of Admiralty Monthly Order 2,359 of 1920 merely states dress of chief petty officers to be altered, which does not convey any information to the chief petty officers of the Royal Navy of what the requested alterations consisted?

The alterations in the compulsory kit of chief petty officers, suggested by the advisory members of the 1919 Welfare Committee, were stated in paragraph 364 of the Committee's Report to be "broadly" as follow:—

( a ) Cap badges for all chief petty officers to be encircled with laurel leaves.

( b ) That chief petty officers of branches, whose officers wear distinction colour cloth, should also wear rings of those colours.

( c ) That executive chief petty officers should wear distinction badges encircled with laurel leaves, with crown above.

( d ) That regulating chief petty officers should wear distinction badges encircled with laurel leaves, with three buttons on each cuff.

( e ) Distinction badges to be removed from collars of chief petty officers' uniform in all cases, and where asked for, to be worn on the right forearm above any distinction cloth ring.

( f ) That no artificer, artisan, or stoker chief petty officer ratings should wear distinction badges, their branches being shown by the colours of the rings on their arms. Other chief petty officers should wear distinction badges, with crown above. Mechanicians, however, should have distinction badges, but not a crown.

Of these, ( a ) cap badges for chief petty officers, and the latter part of ( d ), namely, that regulating chief petty officers should wear three buttons on the cuffs of their jackets, have been approved. The remaining suggestions have not been approved. I am sending the hon. Member copies of Admiralty Monthly Orders Nos. 1314/20 and 3098/20, which relate to this subject.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that considerable unrest prevails amongst the staff employed on railway passenger boats, tenders, and dredging plant owing to the delay in the execution of agreements signed by representatives of the men and railway companies on 19th March last; and whether he is now in a position to sanction the payments authorised under the said agreements?

The railway companies concerned have been authorised to give effect to the agreements to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the Minister of Transport the extent to which third-class passenger coaches have recently been utilised upon the Great Northern express trains between King's Cross and Leeds which were self-contained, without corridor connection and lavatory accommodation, compartments with only plain wooden seating; why this service was inaugurated; and, if the practice has not already been discontinued, if he will take the necessary steps to have reasonable travelling facilities provided?

In order to maintain the best possible service during the existing coal shortage, it is desirable in the public interest that companies should reduce the weight of trains, and for this purpose the use of non-corridor stock is desirable. For long distance travelling upholstered stock, if available, would certainly be more desirable than that with plain wooden seats, and I am in communication with the Great Northern Company on the point.

asked the Post-master-General if he is aware that the new charges proposed to be levied on provincial newspapers having 24-hour private wires represent nearly double the cost of providing and maintaining such wires; whether the proposed increase is a very serious handicap on the provincial newspapers, which are already at a considerable disadvantage as compared with the Metropolitan Press; and whether he will consider the withdrawal or a considerable modification of the increased rates?

The new rates for 24-hour private wires do not represent more than the average costs of providing, maintaining and renewing the line plant, and I regret that I cannot hold out any prospect of their withdrawal or modification unless there should be a large decrease in costs. The disadvantage of the provincial as compared with the metropolitan Press in the collection of news is, I fear, inherent in the geographical position.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has taken into consideration, in fixing so early a date for the introduction of the 1½d. postcard rate of postage, the hard position of many small stationers and printers with large stocks of postcards; and whether it is possible to postpone the step for a rather longer period to help these traders in the present difficult times?

A prospective increase in the rate of postage for inland postcards was announced in the Budget Statement of April, 1920, and in the White Paper then issued, and it was only deferred because the corresponding foreign rate, which was the same as the inland rate, could not be increased until after the Madrid Congress, which was held last Autumn. The postcard traders have already had long notice of the change, and in view of the necessity for increasing Post Office revenue, my right hon. Friend regrets not being justified in any further postponement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that inspectors of taxes are refusing to accept accounts in which stock-in-trade is valued at the current market price ruling at the date of the balance-sheet, and claiming that for the purpose of the final Excess Profits Duty accounting period, and for the purpose of the 1921–22 Income Tax assessment and claims for repayment under the 1890 Act, all stock-in-trade must be valued at cost, subject in the case of Excess Profits Duty only to any relief that may be subsequently claimable in respect of losses sustained in realisation of stocks during the next two years in the terms of the White Paper already issued, or to any further relief that Parliament may in future decide upon; whether the above claims are made with the sanction or under the authority of the Board of Inland Revenue; and, if so, whether he will instruct the Board of Inland Revenue that no alteration is to be made in the method of valuing stocks for taxation purposes at either cost or current market price which has been universally adopted ever since the imposition of the Income Tax, without the previous express authority of Parliament?

The general rule for the valuation of trading stocks for taxation purposes is that they should be brought into account at cost or market value, whichever is the lower. If my hon. Friend will furnish me with particulars of any case which he may have in mind I will cause inquiry to be made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the yield of Property and Income Tax, exclusive of Super-tax, for the year ending 31st March, 1921?

The Exchequer receipt of Income Tax in 1920–21 was £338,865,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will arrange to publish a statement comparable with Cmd. 224, of 1919, to show the approximate distribution of taxable income, allowances, etc., among taxpayers classified according to the amounts of their total incomes, together with the estimated number of incomes in each class, and the tax paid by each class, for the year ending 31st March, 1921?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply, a copy of which I am sending him, given to the hon. and gallant Member for Lewisham East (Lieut.-Colonel Pownall) on the 10th instant.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will carry out a recommendation of the headquarters of the South-Eastern Command, approved by the War Office, that, having regard to the loss occasioned to the occupier by the acts of the Government camp warden, a hut at Seaford in the occupation of Mrs. I Cameron be conveyed to her free of cost; and, if not, what compensation he proposes to grant to Mrs. Cameron for the loss she has sustained by the acts of the camp warden?

I have at present no knowledge of the circumstances of this case, but I am making inquiries and will inform the hon. Member of the result of them.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in connection with his circular letter dated 13th May, 1921, calling upon Government Departments to reduce public expenditure, he will state what saving to the public funds would be effected by the immediate abolition of the expenditure caused by the retention of the Central Control Board (Liquor Traffic)?

As stated in an answer given on the 1st March by the former Leader of the House to the hon. Member for Ilford (Mr. Wise), the operations of the Control Board are resulting in a financial gain to the State, since the surplus annually accruing from the Board's direct control undertakings at Carlisle and elsewhere exceeds, and has for some time exceeded, the whole of the expenditure of the Board upon all other purposes or branches of its work whatsoever. The form of the current estimate which makes provision under a single total for both capital and ordinary administrative expenditure may possibly obscure the actual position which the answer above referred to was intended to make perfectly clear.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he is aware that several specimens of metal work and embroidery have been withdrawn from their places in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum and are now exhibited in the Loan Court; and, if so, when is such arrangement to be rectified?

The replacement of the specimens in their former positions will be taken in hand so soon as the repair and renovation of the portions of the museum which were used by the Board of Education during the War have been completed.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he is aware that a large proportion of the objects in the Loan Court of the Victoria and Albert Museum are merely duplicate specimens of similar objects in the museum's permanent collections; and if he can see his way to direct that there should be some limit to the Museum's acceptance of loans, with the view of avoiding redundancy and thus of retaining more space for the exhibition of the permanent collections?

I am not aware of such duplication, but if the hon. Member will furnish me with instances I will consider them. In considering offers of loans regard is always had to the points mentioned in the second part of the question.

asked the President of the Board of Education if any further monopolisation of space in the Victoria and Albert Museum is contemplated for temporary loan exhibitions; and, if so, can he direct that in future prior consideration shall be given to the proper exhibition and release from the present congested and disordered arrangement of much of the invaluable collections belonging to the nation?

I do not propose to extend to other parts of the Museum the special reservation which applies to the North Court. I am anxious that the arrangements for the exhibition of the permanent collections shall become normal as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is yet in a position to state the result of his inquiries regarding the Brentford Board of Guardians having appointed their clerk to the additional position of Superintendent Registrar?

I have considered fully the representations which have been made to me regarding this appointment, and am satisfied that there are not sufficient grounds for my intervention in view of the saving of £300 to £400 a year on the rates.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the decision he made in January last, that until 100 houses are erected on the Ports-down Hill site, four miles from the centre of the borough, he will not sanction the erection of further houses in the old part of the borough, has had the effect of checking the provision of housing accommodation; that, in addition to the 500 houses sanctioned by him prior to January, site plans and applications for upwards of 1,000 houses, lodged with the local authorities by various builders, are being held up by his decision; and whether, having regard to the need for accommodation and to assist in relieving the great amount of unemployment in the district, he will now reconsider his decision and give authority for the construction of the houses for which plans have been deposited?

The decision to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers was arrived at in consultation and agreement with representatives of the local authority. My Department have as a matter of fact investigated proposals for the erection of a considerable number of additional houses by private builders in the borough, but the prices quoted were unreasonably high.

asked the Minister of Labour whether there was a plan put before him by the employers in some of the manufacturing districts at the beginning of the present grave unemployment for the disbursement of unemployed pay to their workers by the old channels through which they had received their wages; what were the objections to this plan preventing its adoption; and, seeing that the present system of payment, involving long waiting in queues at the Employment Exchanges, is profoundly demoralising to the recipients of unemployed pay, will he reconsider his decision?

Arrangements for paying unemployment benefit at the employers' premises to workpeople on short time or temporarily suspended have been in operation for several months. There were nearly 7,000 such arrange- ments in March, and this number has since been substantially increased. The Department is prepared to apply these arrangements up to the fullest extent for which there is staff available at the local employment exchange for supervising them.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is now in a position to state the result of the discussions that have taken place between representatives of the hairdressing trade in England and Scotland relating to the establishment of separate Trade Boards for England and Wales and for Scotland?

I have received from the secretary of the Employers' National Organisation concerned a report written subsequently to his discussions with representatives of the trade in Scotland, and I am at present considering the proper action to take in the light of the views held by the employers and workers concerned.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has yet reached a decision on the subject of establishing a Trade Board for the optical industry; and, if so, the result of his deliberations?

I will communicate my decision to my hon. Friend as soon as it has been reached.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the Report of the Profiteering Sub-Committee on the Cost of Building Materials as to the existence of rings and combines among manufacturers and builders' merchants; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent the consequent inflation in the price of building materials?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on the 26th may to the hon. Member for Plaistow (Mr. W. Thorne), a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Government has entered into a contract with Mr. P. Hearn, a carriage hirer in London, for the sale of all surplus Army cycles; whether the contract price is 30s. a cycle; how many cycles have been sold at this price; how many cycles are included in the sale without any price being charged for them on the grounds that they are defective; and whether such defects precluded such cycles from being sold on the market even as scrap?

I have been asked to reply to this question. A contract was entered into with Mr. Patrick Hearn for the sale of all surplus Army pedal cycles, the contract price being 35s. a cycle. 18,573 pedal cycles have been sold at the contract price. No cycles as defined under the terms of the contract have been included in the sale without any price being charged for them on the grounds that they are defective. The last part of the question does not therefore arise.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the United National Friendly Assurance and Collecting Society has not yet paid Mr. William Davidson, Esk Winning, county Durham, the amounts due to him on the policies of his deceased son, Frederick Davidson, the same having been due over two years, and the number of the policies being 25,149 and 25,052; and will he use his powers to get them paid to Mr. Davidson, who is an old man over 70 years of age?

The society is registered as a collecting society under the Friendly Societies Act, and comes under the cognisance of the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies, who has no power to enforce the carrying out of contracts between members and the societies. Other complaints have been received from persons who have been unable to obtain payment of their claims against the society, and it is understood that execution for judgment debts have remained unsatisfied for the want of assets.

asked the Home Secretary how many of the persons arrested under the Emergency Powers Act are members of the Communist party and how many are members of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain?

I have not details of all the cases. Charges of disorderly conduct, intimidation, &c., are prosecuted by the local police, and Scotland is outside my jurisdiction. I must, therefore, confine my answer to the cases under Regulation 19, in which the Director of Public Prosecutions authorises the prosecution. He informs me he has prosecuted in 21 cases. In one of these cases he has since learnt that the man was a miner, though he was unaware of this at the time. Two other cases against miners were brought to his notice, but he did not think the circumstances justified him in instituting proceedings. He thinks that in every case the offender professed himself a Communist.

asked the Home Secretary the result of his communications with the Devon Standing Joint Committee on the subject of supplementing the pension of ex-Constable R. A. Johns?

I understand that the Devon Standing Joint Committee will consider the case of ex-Constable Johns among others at their meeting to-day. I will inform the hon. Member when I hear the result of that meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether lands in Rhodesia, in the vicinity of areas alienated by the British South Africa Company to itself, have obtained on the market as much as 80s. per acre; whether the amount offered by the British South Africa Company in return for lands alienated to itself is less than 2s. per acre; and whether His Majesty's Government proposes to adhere to the recommendations of Lord Cave's Commission that such lands should be valued before the deductions were made?

I cannot say whether the figure given in the first part of the question is correct, but it does not appear to have any bearing on the value of the land to be taken in estimating the deductions. This must be the value as at the date of the first definite act of appropriation of the land in question to the Company's purposes. The Company's valuation varies from 1s. 6d. to 30s. an acre, averaging rather under 2s. His Majesty's Government adhere to the view that the land must be valued.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that in 1907 the late Mr. Bouchier Hawkesley, acting as the attorney for the British South Africa Company, made the announcement in Buluwayo that no land in Rhodesia would be sold for less than 3s. per morgen; and whether the total land alienated by the company for considerations other than cash and to itself exceeds 10,000,000 morgen, and is of a total value upon the company's lowest basis exceeding £1,500,000?

As far as I am aware it was proposed by the company, in 1907, to reduce the minimum price of land to 1s. 6d. per morgen. I do not think that the area exceeds 10,000,000 morgen, nor do I know any authority for a valuation of £1,500,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many inspectors he has dismissed for neglect of their statutory duties by certifying in writing unfit horses for shipment to the Continent; what are the names of such dismissed inspectors; whether criminal proceedings have been taken, or are contemplated, against them; and, if not, why not?

The names of the three veterinary inspectors whose employment under the Ministry has been discontinued are:—

Mr. W. Longhurst,

Mr. T. P. Young,

Mr. A. Wilkinson.

They committed errors of judgment as to the fitness of certain horses to travel and work, but they did not commit any offence in respect of which criminal proceedings could be instituted.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can say anything further with regard to the negotiations with European countries as to the worn-out-horse traffic, and whether he has come to any decision upon the representations made by a number of societies in favour of the imposition of an export tax upon horses?

The future policy with regard to the export trade in horses cannot be definitely settled until the negotiations which are now proceeding in Paris between representatives of the Belgian and Dutch Governments and the Ministry have been concluded.

asked the Chief Secretary whether on the night of 7th May, between 10 and 2 o'clock, a party of military or police attacked the town of Youghal, County Cork, breaking windows in about 150 houses and raiding several shops and looting their contents; whether this is to be regarded as a reprisal for an attack on a military party in the neighbourhood; whether curfew was in force during those hours; and whether any arrests have been made?

As this refers to the martial-law area, I have asked the Commander-in-Chief for a report, and shall be glad if the hon. Member will postpone his question for a few days.