asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give estimated figures for the financial year just ended showing the gross income brought under review for Income Tax and Super-tax; the estimated income liable to tax before deduction of personal allowances, etc.; and the estimated total net income on which Income Tax was paid?

:Final estimates of the income dealt with for Income Tax purposes will not be available for some considerable time, but if the hon. Member will repeat his question after the Budget I will endeavour to give him provisional estimates.

asked the' Chancellor of the Exchequer what was I he estimated number of persons liable to Super-tax during the financial year ended 31st March next: and what was the estimated total income of these persons for Supertax purposes?

:If my hon. Friend will put his question down again after the Budget Statement I will endeavour to supply the information he desires.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that it has been the custom for those responsible for agricultural shows to engage a band to play during the show, he will consider a band for this purpose shall be exempt from Entertainments Duty in view of the educational value of these shows?

:I would refer my hon. Friend to-the answer which I gave on the 15th March to a similar question asked by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Sir A. Holbrook).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, if he is unable to propose the abolition of the Corporation Profits Tax, he will consider the exemption from such tax of companies wholly carrying on business and managed and directed abroad, and which do not earn any profits in the United Kingdom?

:I am unable pending the Budget statement to answer my hon. Friend's hypothetical question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the full composition of the Committee he proposes to set up to deal with the working of the recommendations of the Lytton Report and the terms of reference?

:I replied to this question on the 9th April. should like, however, to repeat the terms of reference of this Committee which are as follow:" To inquire into the action taken throughout the Civil Service in consequence of the Report of the Committee set up in July, 1920, under the chairmanship of the Earl of Lytton, to consider the arrangements for- the appointment of ex-service men to posts m the Civil Service, whether permanent or temporary, and to report to what extent practical effect has been given to the Committee's recommendations in the various Government Departments."

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the names of the Members of this House he proposes to appoint to examine the question of the application of the Lytton Report?

:I am not yet in a position to add to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave on the 27th March to the hon and gallant Member for Newbury (Brigadier-General Brown).

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the terms of reference of the new Committee to inquire into the application of the Lytton Report would permit of the question of permanent. employment for ex-service temporary staff of proved efficiency, without competitive examination, being raised?

:The question, of the admission to the permanent Service of efficient ex-service temporary employees was exhaustively considered by the Lytton Committee who, in paragraph 37 of their Third Interim Report, recommended the appointment to the permanent Service in certain exceptional cases of ex-service temporary staff who failed to reach even the qualifying standard at the limited competition. It will be within the terms of reference to the new Committee to inquire; to what extent practical effect has been given to this recommendation

asked the Prime Minister whether, seeing that it Is widely believed by ex-service men that official instructions have been issued to the Press with regard to reports of meetings held recently by ex-service men employed in the Civil Service, he can definitely state that no such instructions were issued, either in the case of the mass meeting held last month at the Central Hall, Westminster, or in the case of any other meeting of a similar character?

:I have made careful inquiries from the Departments concerned, and I am informed that they have no knowledge whatever of the alleged instructions.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many officials in Government Departments are entitled to an aggregate of six weeks' holiday in the year; and whether, in view of the urgent necessity for economy, he will consider the question of reducing this allowance to one which is more in accordance with the customs of the ordinary business and commercial world?

:It is estimated in round figures that out of the total staff of Government Departments amounting to over 300,000 some 12,000 are eligible for six weeks' holiday. This is a maximum period of leave and is in all cases subject to the requirements of the Service, and in many cases the amount of leave actually taken is considerably less than the maximum allowance. As regards the latter part of the question, I prefer to await the report of the Committee which has recently been appointed to inquire into the conditions of employment of the various classes employed in the Civil Service and the Fighting Services.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that the cost of living in Ireland is now estimated at 90 per cent. over pre-War figures, he will consider the advisability of awarding a commensurate bonus to British civil servants stationed in Ireland, such as servants of the Ministry of Pensions, who are receiving only the same bonus as those stationed in this country where the cost of living is appreciably lower?

:Bonus is payable to the staff in Southern Ireland of Imperial Departments such as the Ministry of Pensions in accordance with the agreement of the, National Whitley Council Cost of Living Committee of the 8th May, 1920, which cannot in my view be regarded as abrogated by the arrangements made by the Free State Govern meat as regards remuneration of staffs now payable from Irish funds.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to carry out the agreement, stated by Mr. Churchill to have been made with the Irish Provisional Government, that compensation should be paid for English farm fires in 1921 attributed to Sinn Fein activities?

:I am not aware that Mr. Churchill made any such statement as that attributed to him by the hon. Member. He did state, what is the case, that it, was agreed between the British Government and the Provisional Government that, in assessing the liability of the British Government. to refund to the Provisional Government a proportion of the sum expended by the Provisional Government in respect of the payment of the awards of the Compensation (Ireland) Commission, the damage done by the adherents of Sinn Fein in Great. Britain should be taken into account, and this agreement has been carried into effect in the manner stated at the top of page 5 in the Paper on the subject of compensation which was presented to Parliament on the 9th instant.

asked the Home. Secretary whether the Report of the Cushendell Inquiry has been presented to the Government; and, if so, when it will be published?

:The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirma- tive. As regards the second part, this inquiry was instituted by the British Government because it was alleged that British troops were involved in an attack upon the inhabitants of Cushendall. The result of the inquiry shows that this allegation is unfounded, and as the report, apart from the allegation in question, relates solely to matters within the jurisdiction of the Government of Northern Ireland, it is not proposed to publish it unless by the request of that Government.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has received representations from organisations in the Caerphilly Petty Sessional Division with regard to the shortage of magistrates in that area; whether he is aware that great difficulty has been frequently experienced, on account of such shortage, in conducting the business of the Courts; and whether steps will be taken to increase, the number of magistrates with a view to facilitating the hearing of cases and thus relieving litigants of unnecessary inconvenience?

:I would refer to the answer given by the late Home Secretary in this House on the 26th June last. Since then my Department have received no representations on the subject., but any such representations should be addressed to the Lord Chancellor, not to me.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that. Ireland has 28 representative peers to 16 for Scotland; whether the Law Officers of the Crown have decided that it will be competent for Irish peers to elect fresh representatives as vacancies occur; and. if so, whether legislation will be enacted to remedy the anomaly of Irish peers dealing with the affairs of Great Britain when three-fourths of Ireland has an independent. legislation?

:The answer to the first, part of the question is in the affirmative. In reply to the second and third parts, the Law Officers have advised that, in the event of a vacancy occurring. no action to fill it can be taken without further legislative provision, but that existing representative peers retain their right to sit. The matter is under consideration.

asked the Secretary for Mines what was the number of convictions under breaches of the Mines Acts during 1922, respectively, in England, Scotland, and Wales?

:The numbers are as follow:—England, 458; Scotland, 107; Wales and Monmouth, 362.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether, in the total number of colliery workers published in the White Paper, the clerical, administrative, and managerial staffs are included; and whether it was the practice in pre-War days to so include them?

:I presume that the White Paper to which the hon. Member refers is the Quarterly Statistical Summary relating to the mining industry which was first published in 1920. The clerical, administrative and managerial staffs are not included in the figure for the "Number of Workpeople Employed" published in that White Paper. Before the War it was customary to publish in the Annual Report of the Chief Inspector of Mines figures relating to the total number of persons employed, which included the clerical, administrative and managerial staffs, and this practice is still continued in the Annual Report of the Secretary for Mines, which now embodies the Report of the Chief Inspector.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will furnish a Return showing the total output of slates in United Kingdom during 1922, with the estimated value at the quarry, distinguishing between the output from North Wales and that from the remainder of England and Wales, from Scotland, and from r4 land, respectively?

:The following table shows the output and value of slate from mines and quarries in North Wales and in Scotland, and the total figures for Great Britain during the year 1922. I have not got the figures for Ireland, but the output there is negligible:

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can give the House any figures as to the amount of time lost by bricklayers, on the overage, owing to bad weather?

:I regret that I have no figures which would enable me to give this information. Li any case, the time lost, on account of bad weather would vary considerably at different times and in different. parts of the country.

asked the Minister of Labour whether any arrangement has now been made for the employment of out-of-work men in this country on reconstruction work in Northern France?

:The arrangement to which the hon. and gallant Member refers is still the subject of correspondence with the French authorities. I am pressing the negotiations on as rapidly as possible.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that Harry Hooper, residing at 32, Great Western Street, Wednesbury, was recently employed by Messrs. Foster Brothers, Lea-brook Tube Works; that he was stopped pending the arrival of raw materials; that no definite period of suspension could be stated; that the furnaces on which Hooper was employed continued to work seven shifts per week; that Hooper therefore asked for his cards; that unemployment benefit was disallowed for six weeks by the Tipton Employment Exchange; and will he make full inquiry into the case with a view to an adjustment?

:I am making inquiries locally, and will communicate the result to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) if he is aware that a rota committee of the Darlaston Employment Committee was held on Tuesday, 20th March; who constituted the committee; the number of cases dealt with; and the number granted and refused, respectively;(2) the names of those persons who constituted the Darlaston Employment Committee, and who were entitled to attend the meetings of the committee called between 11th December, 1917, and 12th April, 1921;(3) whether he is aware that the Darlaston Employment Committee did not meet between April, 1921, and February, 1923; that during this period a large number of cases have been dealt with by sub-committees who had no legal standing, as the committee was due to he reconstituted in March, 1922; that on the 17th March, 1922, a number of labour representatives were appointed by the Ministry members of the committee for a period of three years; and that such members of the committee were not called to any meeting before February, 1923; whether he will state precisely what difficulties arose which could not he surmounted within a period of two years and which prevented the committee from being called together until 1923; whether the failure to call the committee was due to the action of the Employment Exchange manager or a divisional officer and, if so, who; and, seeing that, having regard to the extensive unemployment existing in Darlaston during the period under notice, the committee, if called, could have done much to mitigate the worst evils arising therefrom, will he make the fullest investigation into the matter?

:At its meeting in April, 1921, the Darlaston Committee left the calling of the next meeting to the discretion of the chairman and secretary. The chairman was satisfied that the necessary work would be efficiently carried out through sub-committees, and did not consider it necessary to call a meeting of the full committee subsequently. In November, 1922, the then chairman resigned owing to ill-health and a further interval consequently occurred pending the appointment of the new chairman. A meeting of the reconstituted committee was held in February, 1923. I may add that during the interval no representations were made either to the Department or to the chairman for a meeting of the full committee. By directions issued under statutory regulations the term of office of the original committee was extended to the date of the first meeting of the reconstituted committee. Consequently the sub-committees of the original committee retained their powers in the interval and the members appointed to the reconstituted committee in 1922, including certain workers' representatives referred to in the question, did not enter formally upon their term of office until February, 1923. Having regard to these facts I do not think any further investigation is necessary. Two rota committees of the Darlaston Committee were held on 20th March and dealt with 64 applications for benefit of which 17 were granted and 47 refused. I do not think it desirable that the names of the members attending particular meetings of rota committees should be given. The members of the committee between December, 1917, and April, 1921, all of whom were invited to attend the meetings of the committee during their period of office, are as follows:

asked the Home Secretary if his attention has been called to the recent motor-cycling accident due to the slack rope between two vehicles, one of which was towed; whether he is aware that towing vehicles never carry any public indication that they are so towing; and whether, both in the interests of pedestrians and cyclists, he will consider taking some steps to secure better Warning than exists at present?

:I have been asked to answer this question. My attention has not been called to the particular accident referred to and I shall be glad to receive details of it On the general question of the use of tow ropes by road vehicles. I would refer my hon. Friend to paragraph 179 of the Second Interim Report of the Departmental Committee on the Taxation and Regulation of Road Vehicles, of which paragraph I am sending him a copy. The Committee's Report as a whole has received careful consideration, and I am awaiting a favourable opportunity for introducing a Bill to give effect to the more important of their recommendations.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, whether he can inform the House if the railway companies concerned have reduced the Scottish rates for local traffic (Classes 1 to 5) in the same proportion as the English rates have been red aced?

:The railway rates for traffic in Classes 1 to 5 passing between stations in Scotland have not been reduced in the same proportion as the reductions made in railway rates for traffics in those classes between stations in England and Wales and between stations in England or Wales and Scotland. It is understood that the railway companies have this question under review at. the present time.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether the railway companies have yet revived the concession which was given before the War by which, under certain restrictions, a return ticket was granted at the cost of a single fare to the officers and men of the Royal Navy and Army?

:The railway companies have not seen their way to reinstate the pre-war arrangements, but they have agreed to a concession under which men of the Navy, Army and Air Force in uniform travelling on leave can obtain return tickets under certain restrictions at the ordinary single fare and a third. They have also recently male a similar concession to officers proceeding on leave, but their tickets are first class only, and are issued subject to a minimum fare of 5s.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport what steps he is taking to see that the new Sheppey bridge to be built by the Southern Railway system is up to the requirements of modern traffic, having regard to the development of the Kent. coal fields?

:I understand that the Southern Railway Company are reconstructing in a substantial manner the pier of the King's Ferry Bridge between. the Isle of Sheppey and the mainland, which was damaged in December last, but I am not aware that they propose to erect a new bridge.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state why the post office at Frinton-on-Sea, a town of 1,500 inhabitants, is unable to receive applications for or issue licences for wireless receiving instruments, thus compelling the proposed licensee to journey seven miles to Clacton to apply for a licence; and why difficulties are raised in the case of these licences rather than ally other?

:It is not necessary to make personal application for broadcast receiving licences, and residents in Frinton-on-Sea could obtain them by post from the Head Post Office at Clacton on payment of the licence fee of 10s. Arrangements are, however, being. made to issue such licences at the Frinton-on-Sea Post Office.