asked the Secretary of State for War if he will inquire into the case of Private Nathan Venitsky, No. 376,959, Royal Scots, who was born in England of Russian parents, and joined the colours when only just 18, in August, 1917; and whether, in view of the fact that this man saw service in North Russia, and when returning to England in June, 1919, was sent home on furlough, afterwards having special leave on account of his parents' illness, the Army Council will overlook the fact that the man did not return from this further leave before his battalion was demobilised a fortnight afterwards, and direct that arrears of pay and gratuity may be allowed to him on discharge?

I am having inquiries made, and will in due course communicate further with the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that Mr. W. Williamson and Mr. J. Knapper, of the Royal Army Service Corps Record Office, both disabled, and many others, are under notice when men who were specially enlisted as clerks and have never moved from Woolwich are retained; that many married men with families to support, who served overseas, are under notice; and whether he will take steps to compel his subordinates to carry out the Army Command Instruction 233 and the Interim Lytton Report in letter and spirit?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given on 1st instant to my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham (Lieut.-Colonel Pownall) on the subject of discharges from the Mechanical Transport Depot of the Royal Army Service Corps at Deptford. That reply was as follows:— The only eases in which disabled men have been discharged from this depot whilst homo service men were retained have been cases whole this course was necessary in order to secure the efficiency of the establishment. When barge reductions, in the interests of essential economy, are being necessarily made, this procedure is inevitable. Paragraph 17 of the Report of the Lytton Committee of 19th August, 1920, makes it clear that they regarded efficiency as an overriding consideration throughout. Precisely the same considerations apply in the case of the Royal Army Service Corps Record Office. The clerical staff of this office is in process of being reduced to one-sixth of its former strength, and this heavy reduction makes it essential to retain only the most efficient men. Every effort, consistent with economy and efficiency, is, however, being made to retain disabled men.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that in Chad-wick Road, Camberwell, on account of lack of housing accommodation, three ex-service men and their families are living under a sheet of tarpaulin, whilst close by is an empty house and an old disused brewery which could be converted into accommodation for several families; and whether he will make inquiries into this matter?

I have made inquiries, and understand that the case of these families has been investigated by the Camberwell Board of Guardians. The families are in receipt of Poor Law relief, and have been offered accommodation by the Guardians, which has been refused.

asked the; Minister of Pensions if since the death of Sapper Rd. Morris, No. 434149, Royal Engineers, which occurred in Grangethorpe Hospital, Manchester, on 15th January, 1922, no pension has yet been paid to Mrs. Morris for herself and two children; and if he will expedite the payment at once?

The late soldier died from a different disability to that for which he was pensioned, and it has not yet been possible to determine whether the cause of death was connected with service. The matter is, however, receiving urgent consideration.

asked the Home Secretary [ on Thursday, 9th March ] whether, seeing that of 294,569 aliens who landed at British ports during the 12 months ended 31st December last only 1,712 were refused permission to enter the country, and that the cost of rejecting these aliens was £58 per head, he proposes to take any action to reduce this burdensome expenditure?

has furnished the following particulars:

The effect of the control of alien immigration cannot be measured by the mere numbers of refusals of leave to land. But oven those numbers have a greater significance than the hon. and gallant Member's question would indicate. They represent a considerable percentage of the figure left after separating various classes of passengers not likely to be refused leave to land, such as 60,252 residents returning, 28,947 in transit to other countries, 107,310 visitors on holiday, etc., 66,789 business visitors, 13,752 seamen either under contract to join ships in British waters or returning to domicile, 6,584 diplomats or persons on Government missions, and 3,007 holding Ministry of Labour permits under Article 1 (3) ( b ) of the Aliens Order. The balance, who could not be placed in any of the foregoing categories, is 7,928. If the 1,712 who were refused leave to land are added to this 7,928, a total is reached of 9,640, of whom 1,712, or some 17 per cent, were refused. But the deterrent effect of this system of control is infinitely wider and saves this country from the incursion of many thousands of aliens whose presence here would cost the country, in various ways, far more than the total cost of the immigration staff.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to the statement of the French Minister of Public Works that in the event of the maintenance of summer time in France the widest liberty will be given to prefects of departments to make any necessary changes in the time-tables of local train and tramway services and in school hours, with a view to bringing the least possible confusion into agricultural affairs; and whether, having regard to the objections to summer time entertained throughout Great Britain by farmers and others, he will consider the propriety of extending similar consideration to British agriculture?

I have seen a report in the Press of the statement referred to. I understand that the local education authorities in this country already have power to vary the times of opening and closing their schools, provided the number of school hours be not changed. The alteration of tramway and railway services would be a matter for the consideration of the tramway and railway authorities, who would no doubt consider as favourably as possible any application made to them by the local agricultural interests.

asked the Home Secretary on what basis matrons are paid for the escort of female prisoners; and what is the comparative cost per diem of a matron escort and a woman patrol escort?

Matrons who escort female prisoners are paid according to the length of time for which they are employed, up to a maximum of 10s. for 24 hours' duty. The duty for which a matron would receive 10s. would cost in the case of a woman patrol, for pay, subsistence and lodging allowances, 29s. 11d.

asked the Home Secretary how many prisoners have been cautioned, and how many eases dealt with by women patrols, for any convenient period?

Prisoners are not cautioned by women patrols. As to the number of cases dealt with, the Commissioner proposes to give particulars of their work in his next annual report.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in the case of a man who serves for 15 years in the Civil Service, is then imprisoned for a year as a conscientious objector, and then serves another five years, he is entitled to claim 15 or 20 years' service?

Under present arrangements, Civil Service conscientious objectors suspended from permanent employment, and subsequently re-instated, would normally count service prior to and subsequent to suspension, subject to the proviso that in no case would service between the beginning of suspension and the let April, 1920, be counted. The greater number of conscientious objectors who were actually imprisoned were not eligible for re-instatement.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether Lord Dunedin's Committee on the System of Rating in Scotland have presented their Report; and, if so, when the Report will be made public?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I made on the 15th of last month to the hon. Member for East Nottingham (Sir J. D. Rees). I am not in a position to add to the information then given.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that great hardship is being experienced by agriculturists in consequence of the restrictions on the sale of stock under the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Order; and whether he will take immediate steps to remove such restrictions in areas where the disease has not existed, and particularly in Merioneth and the other counties of North Wales?

The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I am proposing next week to remove most of the restrictions from the area in North Wales to which my hon. Friend refers.

asked the hon. Member for Monmouth, as representing the Forestry Commission, whether the Forestry Commission is accepting the proposals of the decides Committee; if not, what are the administrative expenses for the coming year; which members of the Commission are in receipt of salary, and how much including expenses; and, whether the works could be carried on in Scotland without any paid Commissioners?

I have to refer the hon. Member to the statement made on the 1st instant by the Chancellor of the Exchequer as to the Government decision on the proposals of the Geddes Committee with regard to the Forestry Commission. The cost of salaries, wages and allowances of the Forestry Service for the coming year are estimated at £29,000. The members of the Commission in receipt of salary are the Chairman and the Technical Commissioner. That of the former is £l,650 per annum inclusive (of which he proposes to draw £350 during the coming year) and of the latter £1,200 per annum, plus Civil Service bonus. Travelling and subsistence expenses of both are on the Civil Service scale. The efficiency of the Commission's work in Scotland and elsewhere would suffer if carried on without any paid Commissioners.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is now in a position to state the result of his investigation regarding the fact that a firm of clothiers with several branches in London was violating the Trade Boards Act; and whether he will now state the reason why no action has been taken?

As I stated in my reply to my hon. Friend on the 20th February, this case will be taken as soon as an officer is available for the purpose.