asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many naval attachés and assistants, respectively, are employed at the present time; what is the total cost of these officers to the State; and how many naval attachés and assistant naval attachés were employed in March, 1914?

In March, 1914, there were eight naval attachés employed and no assistant attachés. In 1921–22 there were seven naval attachés and three assistants. This number has been reduced for 1922–23 to six naval attachés and one assistant. The pay and allowances of these officers amount to about £18,050 a year. Expenses for travelling, subsistence, etc., amount to about £5,300 a year.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether any alteration has been effected in the pre-war policy of the Royal Victualling Yard at Devon-port which obtained cattle from a large area in the vicinity of the port for purposes of the meat supplies of the Navy?

During the War the issue of freshly-killed meat to the Navy under local contract was replaced by the supply of frozen meat, and this arrangement still continues. Having regard to the saving in cost to the country, there is no immediate prospect of a reversion to the issue of freshly-killed meat. This applies to all three home ports, and is not peculiar to Devonport.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether many volunteers for home service during the War, and of whom many served in danger zones, are feeling aggrieved at the refusal to grant them the Home Service or Victory Medal; and, seeing that it is imperative to honour our obligations to these men, will he reconsider the whole matter?

I informed the hon. Member for Middlesbrough West (Mr. T. Thomson) on the 14th instant that, after careful reconsideration of this question from every point of view, the decision not to grant a Home Service Medal must be adhered to, and I regret that I can add nothing to that answer.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether many men were after the Armistice transferred to the North Russian area for fighting purposes, and were compelled to endure great hardships under abnormal climatic conditions; and seeing that special distinctions were granted to men, in the shape of D.S.O.'s and M.C.'s, the reason why the ordinary rank and file, who faithfully did their duty, are now being debarred from receiving any medal for such service?

The British War and Victory Medals will be granted for war services rendered in North Russia after the Armistice, and I hope that an Army Order laying down the conditions will be published shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether there is a desire on the part of demobilised ex-soldiers to keep up their training without, in most cases, any desire for pay; and whether facilities can be granted whereby such ex-soldiers may drill with Territorial units locally?

I am not aware of the general existence of such a desire. Many anomalies and inconveniences might result from allowing men to train with the forces as civilians without military status or obligations, and I hope therefore that ex-soldiers who wish to keep up their training will do so by joining the Territorial Army.

asked the Secretary of State for War what will be the total number of officers and of other ranks on the peace and war establishments, respectively, of the several medical units of the Territorial Army on effect being given to the proposed economies; what will be the peace and war establishments of medical officers on the headquarters staff of a division; and whether it is proposed to give generous compensation to D.A.D.'s M.S. of the Territorial Army on the premature termination of their appointments?

I regret that the details of these establishments are not yet sufficiently settled to enable me to publish them. In regard to the last part of the question, the Deputy Assistant Directors of Medical Services were given two months' notice of abolition of appointment from 1st March, 1922, and they will continue in receipt of full pay and allowances of the appointment up to 30th April, 1922, inclusive.

asked the Secretary of State for War what compensation will be afforded to officers who are compulsorily retired as a result of an adverse confidential report by commanding officers; and to what extent reductions in personnel will be effected by this means?

The hon. and gallant Member is, I think, under a misapprehension. No adverse report will be rendered or implied on any officer who may be retired under the arrangements which I indicated on the 15th March for the retirement with special compensation of those officers whose retention in the Service is least necessary, and no reflection on such officers will be involved in their retirement. The normal procedure of weeding out officers reported upon adversely as being inefficient or undesirable will be continued, but this procedure will not be utilised at all as a means of reducing personnel, and no compensation has been or will be given in such cases. With regard to the terms offered to efficient officers retired prematurely under the arrangements which I indicated on the 15th instant, I hope to be able to make a statement at an early date.

asked the Secretary of State for War if eight men who have lost limbs during the War are under notice of discharge from the Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery Record Office, Woolwich; and why disabled men are being discharged while Al men are being retained?

These discharges, the necessity for which I much regret, are required in the interests of economy and efficiency. The staff of the Office has been reduced by about 400 men in the course of the year, and a high standard of clerical ability is necessary in the men retained. About 40 per cent. of those retained are disabled ex-service men.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether His Majesty's Government will seriously consider the position of ex-service men temporarily employed in the Civil Service with a view to inducing the permanent heads of Departments to carry out the recommendations of Lord Lytton's Committee regarding substitution in letter and in spirit; whether about 2,000 ex-service men have been discharged or are under notice while there are 4,600 sub-stitutable posts admitted by the Joint Substitution Board to be available; and if the process of substitution can be expedited with a view to the reinstatement of the ex-service men mentioned at a very early date?

I can assure my hon. Friend that the recommendations of Lord Lytton's Committee are being carried out in letter and in spirit throughout the Civil Service. I am aware that the number of ex-service men on the books of the Joint Substitution Board for whom it has not yet been possible to find fresh employment is at present about 2,000. The 4,500 women who were estimated a month ago to remain in substitutable posts were in many cases employed on work which was rapidly terminating and their replacement by new personnel on the eve of the completion of their tasks would be extremely wasteful. In other cases substitution by ex-service men was and is proceeding as rapidly as is consistent with the efficient conduct of the business of the Departments, in view of the fact that these women are the residue left of a much larger number by a continuous and severe process of substitution. The number is estimated to have now been reduced from 4,500 to 3,500.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether, seeing that his Department is now employing 374 non- service men and 11,324 women, he will consider the substitution of ex-service men where possible; whether ex-service men who are accountants are now being dismissed in various Departments or are being offered low-grade clerkships; and whether he will consider the absorption of these accountants in his Department?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply to his question of the 28th February last. In the Ministry, as a whole, of the male staff, 96.5 are ex-service men. The number of temporary non-service men and women in the accounts branches of the Ministry who are substituable under the terms of the Reports of Lord Lytton's Committee is very small and is being reduced rapidly. It is improbable that I shall require the services of additional qualified accountants in the near future to fill temporary appointments.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what are the examinations being held by the Air Ministry for out-station staffs; under what Treasury authority these have been instituted; what are exactly the conditions of entry and of qualification; and whether the percentage of places being reserved for ex-service personnel is that laid down in the Lytton Report?

An examination for established Air Service clerkships will be held by the Civil Service Commission during the summer, under Treasury authority, and I shall be pleased to send my hon. Friend particulars of the conditions of entry and qualification, which, as he will see, provide for the reservation for ex-service personnel of the percentage of places laid down in the Lytton Report. There are also, under Air Ministry authority, examinations for selecting workpeople for the grade of storekeeper at the stores depots, but as the Lytton Report does not apply to industrial employment, I assume that my hon. Friend is not referring to these. I may say, however, that nearly 100 per cent. of the workmen concerned being ex-service men, the latter are likely to obtain far more than the Lytton percentage of the storekeepers' posts.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether it has been necessary to issue an Air Ministry Order drawing attention to the irregular discharge of ex-service men at out-stations; whether cases of irregular discharge have occurred; and what disciplinary action has been taken with the officials responsible for not discharging ex-service men in accordance with the terms of the Lytton Report?

In view of complaints which were made, but in no case supported by specific instances, an Air Ministry Order was issued drawing attention to the instructions as to the order of discharge of ex-service men; but this was done purely as a precautionary measure, and not because irregularities had been brought to light or because disciplinary action was required.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he will give further consideration to tuberculosis cases, in view of the fact that cases of tuberculosis attributed to or aggravated by service, which have been under treatment for four years or more, should be regarded as chronic, and permanent pensions awarded on a generous scale, seeing that this disease, except in very early and superficial cases, renders a man unfit to undertake any but the lightest work under the most favourable conditions?

Cases of tuberculosis, as of other disabilities, will be considered for final awards in accordance with the provisions of the Act of 1921 as early as possible. I am advised, however, that each such case of tuberculosis must be considered on its merits, and that, having regard to the nature of this disease, it would not in all cases be to the best interests of the pensioner to make a final award.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the large number of unemployed in the township of Eastriggs and district consequent upon the lack of work at His Majesty's factory, Gretna; and whether, in view of the fact that this district is entirely dependent upon the Gretna factory, and that most of the inhabitants were removed to the district during the period of the War, and, in consequence of the housing shortage, are unable to return to industrial centres, steps will be taken to provide further work for the factory in order to find employment for a community which is suffering greatly?

I have been asked to answer this question. I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to-day to the hon. Member for Dumfries (Major W. Murray).

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that a recent legal decision in the High Court has ruled that school cleaners employed by the County of Middlesex Education Authority are not covered by the provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Acts; that the workpeople concerned desire to contribute for unemployment benefit and have protested against this severance from other classes of workers; and if he will take steps to remedy the anomaly?

As stated in my reply yesterday to the hon. Member for Stratford (Mr. Lyle), I have considered this matter and do not propose to amend the existing law as suggested.

asked the Minister of Labour, seeing that in the matter of certificates of exemption from the Unemployment Insurance Acts all railway companies, with the single exemption of the Great Northern Railway Company, have fulfilled the conditions for such exemption, and that the Great Northern Railway Company have declined either to make application themselves or to confirm the statement made by the trade unions that the employment is permanent, whether the Minister has made any suggestion to that company with the object of assisting the company to meet the minimum requirements of the Act; and, in view of the hardships that this attitude on the part of the company has inflicted on the railwaymen in their employ, in contrast with the position of railwaymen who are serving under companies who have received such certificates of exemption, what are the reasons for the attitude of the Great Northern Railway Company for the exceptional position they have taken up?

This matter has been discussed on several occasions with representatives of the Great Northern Railway Company, who have had and still have the opportunity to obtain exception from unemployment insurance on the same terms as other railway companies. The company have made no application for exception, and, I understand, consider that the terms of service of their employés do not satisfy the conditions laid down by the Act for the purposes of exception. Unless the company give me an assurance, as other railway companies have done, that these conditions are satisfied, I regret that I cannot grant exception.

asked the President of the Board of Education the amount granted by the German Government for education for the year 1913–14, and each succeeding year respectively?

The Imperial or Central Government of Germany has not, either before or since the Revolution, been responsible for expenditure on education. The administration of this service has always been strictly reserved to the individual States, which numbered 26 under the old Constitution and now number 18. Each of these States, however inconsiderable in extent, has its own educational system, and there are many differences of organisation. So far as the Board are aware, no return has been issued by the Central Government containing the desired information for the whole country.

asked the President of the Board of Education, seeing that the pensions under the Acts of 1898 and 1912 are about £40 (average amount), and that only to some of these pensions were small increases granted by the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1920 (the maximum increase being 50 per cent.), while to the rest of these pensions no increase at all was granted, how many of these pensions were thus increased; what is now their average amount after the increase; how many of these pensions were not increased; what was their average amount; how many of them reached £60 or more; why was the increase withheld; and how many of the recipients of these pensions not increased had served 40 years or more, and as heads of schools, including many of the largest?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave on the 9th of March to the hon. Member for Putney (Mr. S. Samuel). I regret that I cannot answer the last part of the question without a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether attendance at the day continuation schools established by the West Ham Education Authority is no longer enforced, but is left to the choice of the parents and scholars; and, if so, why?

The West Ham local education authority decided last summer that they would not take legal proceedings to enforce attendance at their day continuation schools. Two of the schools have been closed for admission to the remaining schools is confined to those young persons who undertake to attend regularly. I believe the local education authority were influenced by the objections of the parents who believed that their children were placed at a disadvantage as compared with those from neighbouring areas in competing for such scanty employment as was available.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether certain scholars attend London County Council day continuation schools on one day in the week for two periods of four hours, being in school from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., with a dinner interval of one hour; and does the Board approve of such long hours of continuous school work for boys and girls under 15?

Normally young persons attend London County Council day continuation schools for two half-days on different days in the week. The arrangement mentioned by the hon. Baronet is exceptional and is only made to meet the special circumstances affecting individuals. I do not think that occasion has arisen for my intervention.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he has received information that, at a town's, meeting, held in Barking, under the auspices of the local education committee, a resolution was unanimously passed urging the Government to allow the town to make full use of the Faircross special school which, by the orders of the Board of Education, is only open now to one-third of its capacity; and whether, in view of the fact that the resolution pointed out that the town is paying out of its rates their share of the full cost of building the school, only one-third of which it is now allowed to use, and that 196 children are suffering through their exclusion from the school and are in some cases liable to infect other children if attending the ordinary elementary schools, he will reconsider his decision and allow the school to be opened to its full capacity?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I am not aware of any evidence that children who might attend this school, if the numbers were increased to the full extent allowed by the premises, are exposing other children in the ordinary schools which they attend to the risk of infection. The Faircross School is not certified, and there has never been any suggestion that it should be certified as a special school on the ground that the children who do or might attend it are liable to infect other children. Children who are liable to convey infection ought not to attend a special school, but should be sent to a sanatorium. For the reasons given in my answer to the hon. Member's question on this subject on the 27th February, I regret that I am unable to reconsider my decision at the present time.

asked the President of the Board of Education to what extent The Teachers (Superannuation) Act, 1918, has diminished the supply of teaching power in the schools, and increased the I cost of teachers' superannuation by re- ducing the length of service qualifying for pension, and by giving teachers the option to retire at an earlier age on pensions larger than those for which they contracted under the Acts of 1898 and 1912?

I do not think the Act has adversely affected the quantity or quality of school staffs. The number of retiring pensions awarded under the School Teachers (Superannuation) Act, 1918, to teachers under the age of 65 up to the 31st December, 1921, was 3,113. The minimum period of service required for a pension on age under the Elementary School Teachers (Superannuation) Acts, 1S98 and 1912, was half the period between certification and attainment of the age of 65, and the requirement of 30 years' qualifying service imposed by the Act of 1918 upon teachers, other than those to whom the Act of 1898 applied, is substantially longer than this. It was not a condition of the Acts of 1898 and 1912 that a teacher should remain in service until the age of 65.