asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that cases are occurring of men employed upon relief work being unable to obtain the full rate of pay of competent workmen in consequence of the failure of the local Employment Exchange to help in substantiating their claims; that at Letch-worth, for instance, a man named Grant was for five years working as a navvy, but prior to the period of unemployment which led up to the relief work served for 18 months as labourer in a foundry; that being now registered as an engineer's labourer he is unable to obtain the navvy's rate on relief work although he was formerly registered as a navvy; and whether he will issue instructions to the Employment Exchanges that in such cases the necessary evidence is to be supplied to the local authority?

The Exchange will on request supply any evidence in their possession and I am not aware that they have failed to do so. They cannot, however, relieve the workman of the responsibility for substantiating his claim. In the particular case of Grant I am informed that the Exchange has no evidence that he was ever employed as a navvy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether drainage schemes have been prepared in respect of the following rivers: Great Ouse, Yorkshire Ouse and its tributaries, Ancholme, Witham, Welland, Yare and its tributaries, Deben, Blackwater and Chelmer, Crouch, Wey, Lodon and Blackwater, Thame, Colne, Crane and other tributaries of the Thames not already under the Thames Valley Drainage Board, Beult, Avon and Stour, Upper Severn and its tributaries, Lugg, Clwyd, Dee, Gowy, Douglas Waver, the Essex Stour, and Mole and Birkett; the name of the officer of his Department responsible for the preparation of each scheme; the names of the persons by whom any inquiries have been conducted; and the approximate cost of carrying out the drainage schemes approved or in view, with the amount of the Government contribution thereto?

I assume that my hon. Friend's question refers to drainage schemes designed for the alleviation of unemployment. Schemes of this nature have been sanctioned in the case of all the rivers mentioned by my hon. Friend or tributaries of those rivers, except the Witham, Yare, Deben, Wey, Colne (Bucks and Middlesex), Beult, Stour (Dorset), Dee, Waver and Birkett. Such drainage schemes are not prepared by the officers of my Department, but by the drainage board concerned, or by the county agricultural committee, but they are subsequently examined by the Department's technical staff. In order to enable schemes to be examined on the spot, if necessary, before sanction is given, and to be inspected from time to time when once in operation, the country has been divided into six districts, each in charge of one of the Ministry's technical staff, who is responsible for making all such inquiries and for satisfying the Ministry that the Government grant is being properly expended. In reply to the last part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave yesterday to the hon. Member for Exeter (Sir R. Newman). Under the conditions laid down by His Majesty's Government in this connection, 25 per cent. of the cost is recoverable in the case of drainage board schemes, and 33⅓ of the estimated cost in the case of voluntary schemes submitted by county agricultural committees.

asked the Minister of Labour whether a sum of money has been granted by the Government in connection with the Torrington and Halwill Light Railway scheme; whether contracts have been entered into for the supply of materials; and, if so, at what date it is anticipated that a start can be made on this railway?

I have been asked to reply to this question. The North Devon and Cornwall Junction Light Railway Company has been informed that the Government are prepared, subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions, to contribute a sum not exceeding £125,000 towards the cost of the construction of the Torring-ton-Halwill Light Railway. I understand that the company hopes to execute a contract for the works in the course of this month, and that the contractors will be able to start work on the railway immediately thereafter, if the conditions above-mentioned have been complied with in the meantime.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether any arrangements are being made for the revision of rates for goods on railways; whether any arrangements are being made for a lowering of rates generally and the issue of cheaper tickets during the holiday; what is the nature of such arrangements; and when will the decisions be announced to the public?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on the 20th instant to a question by the hon. and gallant Member for Newcastle East (Major Barnes), copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Homo Secretary whether he proposes to withdraw the permission at the end of this month to tramcars and omnibuses in London to carry standing passengers on their various vehicles; whether any notice has been given to the owners of such tramcars and omnibuses; whether he proposes to renew the order permitting standing; and, if so, for how long a period?

asked the Home Secretary whether he will give further consideration to the question of strap-hanging on passenger-carrying vehicles in London; and, in view of the Regulation involving breach of the law (permitting the carrying of more passengers than the tramcars and omnibuses are licensed to carry), and incidentally inflicting great hardship upon the men employed on the vehicles, will he, in accordance with the promise made, allow the Regulation to lapse?

asked the Home Secretary whether, before coming to a decision to extend the period of straphanging on passenger-carrying vehicles in London, he will report to the House the result of the police inquiries into the matter; and whether, in view of the fact that the Regulation abrogating the law on the subject was instituted on account of the depletion of rolling stock, and that the deficiency has now been made up, he is prepared to give effect to the promise that straphanging should be abolished?

I would refer the hon. Members to the replies which I gave on the 13th and 21st instant. I am not at present in a position to add anything to them.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has received any protests against the new form of accounts prescribed to the local education authorities in December, 1921; whether he is prepared to postpone for the current year the use of this new form; and whether he will have copies of the form and the accompanying circular placed in the Vote Office for the information of Members of this House?

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the new form of annual statement which is required in consequence of the provisions of the Education Act, 1918, Local education authorities have been informed that the Board of Education will be prepared for the current year to accept returns if they are made as complete and accurate as existing accounts will permit, and to waive such of the details as cannot be readily given by any particular authority. I shall be happy to comply with the request contained in the last part of the question, and, if my hon. Friend wishes, to discuss the question with him generally.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the London County Council obtained Parliamentary powers in 1914 to secure an option on a site for a school in substitution for the Gideon Road elementary school, Battersea, and that last year the London County Council were seeking an extension of the option; and whether, having regard to the congestion in the Gideon Road school, he will take steps to secure that site on which the London County Council have an option may be made available for the purposes of a school?

The powers conferred on the London County Council by the Education Board Provisional Orders Confirmation (London) Act, 1915, of acquiring the site in question under the provisions of the Lands Clauses Acts have been extended by an Order of the Board of the 24th January last until the 28th July next.

asked the President of the Board of Education if his attention has been drawn to the letter that is being sent by the Leeds University authorities to all applicants seeking admission as King's scholars to the university in October, 1922, informing them that the Board of Education cannot sanction any further admissions of recognised students for next session; and, if so, the reason for the Board's action in this matter?

Yes, Sir. I understand that the Leeds University authorities have already promised admission for next October to a number of new applicants, which will be sufficient to bring the total accommodation of the university training department next year above the number which has been recognised by the Board for grant in previous years. On the information before me I do not see any sufficient reason for sanctioning any further expansion in the numbers of the university training department.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether all the money allocated under the Profits of the Navy and Army Canteen Fund has now been distributed to the ex-service men for whose benefit it was set aside on a percentage basis: and whether he is able to make any statement as to the general effect of the directions in which this money has been employed?

As stated in the Report of the Committee, presided over by my hon. Friend the Member for the Ecclesall Division of Sheffield (Sir S. Roberts), the total amount available for transfer to the United Services Fund is expected to reach £7,000,000. Of this total, £3,849,000 has already been paid over to the fund, which was specially constituted under the Chairmanship, at present, of Lord Haig, to administer the money for the benefit of ex-service men and their dependants. Inquiries as to the use which is being made of the money should be addressed to the Organising Secretary of the Fund at 29, Cromwell Road, S.W.7. The disposal of the balance, which has not yet been paid over to the fund, is still under consideration, but I hope to make a statement on the subject at an early date.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, under the proposals of the Government for adopting certain of the recommendations of the Committee presided over by Sir Eric Geddes, some 120,000 ex-service men will be adversely affected; and what steps the Government will take to prevent any hardship resulting to these men?

I should be glad if my hon. and gallant Friend would specify the proposals which he has in mind. I am not aware of any proposal for adopting recommendations of the Committee which could have such a result.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what are the peculiar qualifications (pre-war) of the following non-service men employed at the Kid-brooke depot which make them indispensable: Messrs. Stenning, Nutt, Dougherty, Glenister, S. Jones, and Rampley; whether Mr. H. W. Biggs, who has been acting in a supervisory capacity, and Mr. H. T. Jones are not competent to fill vacancies in the Department; why they are under notice; if their long service in the Army, rendering them eligible for retired pay, is considered a bar to their retention; whether Mr. Winch, recently transferred to the industrial side, is a competent clerk and able to replace one of the non-service men who are being retained; why the three last-named men, who have served overseas, are not retained, while certain home-service men are retained contrary to the ruling of the joint Substitution Board; and whether, in view of the grave dissatisfaction among ex-service men at this depot, he will have thorough inquiry made with a view to the carrying out of the Lytton Committee's Report in letter and spirit?

Two of the six so-called non-service clerks referred to are under notice of discharge. The other four (of whom one had 21 years' pre-war Army service) are being retained, with the full concurrence of the local substitution committee, solely because they are exceptionally efficient and could not be adequately replaced by the three ex-service men named. Efficiency is expressly recognised in the first and third Lytton Reports as a ground for retention, and I can see no case for inquiry here. I may add that the clerical staff at Kidbrooke is being reduced to a total of 134, of whom only three will be non-service men.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the Air Ministry have applied to the Joint Substitution Board for ex-service men to substitute Messrs. R. F. Barlow, G. C. Kennedy, W. Tempest, S. G. Williams, C. B. Clapham, W. G. Dunkley, and E. A. Griffiths; whether the Board have failed to find suitable qualified ex-service men; what are the precise qualifications of these non-service men; how many candidates have been submitted to the Air Ministry as suitable; whether he is satisfied that such candidates were in fact unsuitable; and whether, in view of the greater numbers of technical ex-service men now available, he will make further efforts to place ex-service men in these posts?

I have been asked to reply to this question. The answer to the first and second questions is in the affirmative; to the third, that the officials in question have technical training and experience in the specialised work upon which they are employed, namely, in the first four cases, aircraft and engine inspection, in the other three cases, aeronautical instrument work; to the fourth, that 28 candidates were considered for the first four posts, and 13 for the other three; to the fifth, in the affirmative; and to the sixth, that efforts to replace the first four officials are being continued, but that, as regards the others, their cases are covered by the last part of the reply given to my hon. Friend on the 15th instant.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether ex-Clerk W. Connell, Mountjoy Prison, whose rank in 1919 was first class warder, grade 1, on a basic pensionable pay of 58s. weekly, but under the assimilation scheme of 1919–20 was classified as a clerk and schoolmaster on

First Class Warder Connell had in 1919 a basic salary of 49s. per week. On re-classification this was reduced to 44s. with full Civil Service bonus. This course was followed with all the prison officers. Warder Connell's re-grading was strictly in accordance with the duties discharged by him.

asked the Chief Secretary the reason why ex-Chief Warder Mackerell, Dundalk Prison, after having been chief warder was regarded a principal warder; why, when temporarily doing the duty of the latter rank, he was not allowed to retain his original rank redundant to the staff; and whether he is aware of the fact that no civil servant is ever reduced in rank except for punishment?

Chief Warder Mackerell was re-graded principal warder in 1919 in accordance with the Treasury decision that officers in charge of other than major prisons should not be classed as chief warders. This re-grading carried an increase in pay of 6s. 6d. per week, which as a redundant third class chief warder Mr. Mackerell could not have received. He had previously been appointed to a second class chief warder-ship in March, 1919, but on his own application to remain at Dundalk this promotion was cancelled.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if there yet remains over 70 Irish political prisoners still in detention; and, if so, are any steps being made for their release, in the interests of peace in Ireland?

All prisoners whose cafes were covered by His Majesty's declaration of amnesty have been released, and I do not know to what prisoners the hon. Member refers. If he will communicate further details to me, I will have immediate inquiry made into the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, having regard to the fact that under the Irish Free State (Agreement) Bill the whole of the financial provisions of The Government of Ireland Act, 1920, so far as they relate to that portion of Ireland outside Northern Ireland, are to be annulled, including Irish contributions to Imperial expenditure, existing public loans, the Irish Church Fund, and the Joint Exchequer Board, he will say if the alternative arrangements which it may be necessary to make will be the subject of joint discussion and agreement between the Governments of Northern Ireland, the rest of Ireland, and of Great Britain; and, having regard to the difficulty that will be experienced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in any of the Governments in framing his Budget until an agreement is reached, will he say if these financial arrangements will be discussed before a decision is taken by the Irish electorate as to the accepting or rejecting of the Irish Free State (Agreement) Bill?

It is clearly necessary that the financial relations between Great Britain and Ireland should be discussed and settled at as early a date as possible; but in view of the fact that until the Bill for establishing the Free State has become law, it cannot be constitutionally and legally known what action if any is going to be taken by Northern Ireland under Article 12 of the Treaty, it is clear that a final settlement cannot be reached at the time suggested by the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, having regard to the fact that, with the exception of the Lord Lieutenant, the Chief Secretary, the Irish Land Commission, and the Royal Irish Constabulary, no provision is made for Irish services outside of Northern Ireland for the forthcoming financial year, he will say if a Grant-in-Aid or Grant-on-Account will be made to the Provisional Government; if so, what will be the amount; and will the Grant be open to be debated by the House?

No, Sir. As from the 1st April, if the Irish Free State (Agreement) Bill has by then become law, as I hope will be the case, the Provisional Government will arrange for the collection of its own revenue and no Grant-in-Aid will be required. The remainder of the question does not therefore arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Dail Eireann has passed a resolution to provide for the utilisation for the exclusive benefit of Sinn Feiners of properties handed over to the Free State by the Government in connection with the evacuation of Southern Ireland; and what are the terms of such resolution?

I understand from the Press that a resolution in the following terms was passed by Dail Eireann on the 1st instant:

"That it be an instruction to the Cabinet to consider at once whether all lands which were in occupation of enemy forces in Ireland and which have now been evacuated except those which may be retained as necessary training grounds for the Irish Republican Army may not be divided up in economic holdings and distributed amongst landless men, preference being given to those men or dependants of those men who have been active members of the Irish Republican Army prior to the Truce in July, 1921, and that immediate action should be taken in all possible cases."

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the boycott upon English-made goods which competed with goods of a similar character manufactured in Ireland has actually been lifted; and, if not, whether the Government can take steps to ensure its removal in the interests of British traders?

The policy of boycotting English-made goods was understood to have been definitely abandoned after the signature of the Treaty, but I am informed that the Resolution imposing the boycott has not been formally rescinded, and I am in communication with the Provisional Government in the matter.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether, seeing that there can only be deducted from the pay of a naval rating towards the maintenance of his wife and children 7s. a week if he be a petty officer and 3s. 6d. a week if he be a lower rating, even though there be a judicial order requiring him to pay an adequate sum, measures will be taken to make it possible to increase these allowances, which at present are wholly inadequate and in many cases much below the sums ordered by the Courts to be paid?

The facts as to the maximum deductions which the Admiralty is empowered to make from the pay of naval ratings to satisfy maintenance orders are as stated by my hon. Friend. The Admiralty realises these amounts are insufficient and has only been prevented from increasing them already owing to the absence of the necessary legal powers. I hope to introduce at an early date a Bill amending the Naval Discipline Act in this and certain other respects. This Bill would have been introduced some time ago but for the congestion of Parliamentary business.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if it is intended to carry out the instructions contained in Admiralty Fleet Order 3,680, paragraph 25; and what has occasioned the delay in operating this Order?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the second part, the Order is not yet fully operative, but steps have been taken to carry into effect the provision of paragraph 25.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether, in respect of the late Private Thomas Edwards, No. 204,863, Lancashire Fusiliers, who died in hospital, as a result of wounds, on 28th October, 1918, pensions of 15s. and 4s. 6d., respectively, were awarded to his mother and sister, both of whom were dependent upon him: whether the pension of the sister, who is a lifelong cripple, was taken away and, as a result of a letter to the Prime Minister, reinstated, again taken off, and, as a result of local pensions committee action, again reinstated, and afterwards taken away again and given to the mother; whether the mother died six months ago; whether since that time no pension whatever has been paid to the cripple sister; and whether, having regard to her inability to work and her lifelong dependence on the deceased soldier, and the assurance given by Judge Mellor at the Manchester tribunal that if Edwards served in the Army the State would provide for his sister, the Minister of Pensions can see his way to grant her a pension from the date of the mother's death?

The pension of 4s. 6d. a week which Miss Edwards received from May, 1918, to May, 1920, was erroneously awarded—Miss Edwards was not eligible for separation allowance during the late soldier's service and is not, therefore, entitled to pension under Article 22 of the Royal Warrant. I may say, however, that the case is being sympathetically considered by the Special Grants Committee, and I hope to be able to communicate their decision to my hon. and gallant Friend in the course of a few days.

asked the Minister of Pensions the number of new claims for pensions or allowances received in the last six months; and the percentage of these applications which have been approved?

During the six months ending 28th February, 1922, approximately 25,000 first claims to pension have been decided. Of these, 58 per cent. have been successful.