asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has received representations concerning the employment of a number of men employed in Woolwich Arsenal at a wage of 42s. 10d. a week; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

Representations on this matter have been received, and are engaging my close consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he proposes to take early measures to adopt paragraph 9 of the recommendations of Lord Haldane's Committee, under which the pre-War scheme of granting commissions in the regular Army to duly qualified Territorial officers would be reintroduced?

The answer is generally in the affirmative, and the conditions under which regular commissions will be offered to officers of the Territorial Army are now under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will make arrangements for the forts in the Plymouth fortification scheme to be utilised for the housing of the people, and particularly for those who are suffering from tuberculosis and cannot obtain suitable accommodation, and are sources of contagion; whether he will allow the Bull Point barracks to be put to a similar use; and whether he will lease that part of the brickfields which is not being used by his department to be built upon, in order to relieve the housing shortage?

The hon. and gallant Member was present last week at a deputation which interviewed, my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State on this subject. My hon. Friend then intimated that, if the Corporation of Plymouth would write officially to the War Office indicating what forts and sites they thought would be of use, consideration would be given to the question of leasing some of them to the Corporation. A letter has, accordingly, been received, and is now under sympathetic consideration. But it is obvious that I cannot at present give a definite promise to lease any particular site.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will take steps to amend Army Order 325, of 1919, so that pre-War pensioners who were re-employed but not re-enlisted during the Great War, and have given satisfactory paid military service, may be entitled to have their pensions reassessed at the rates laid down in the Order; and, failing amendment of the Order, whether he will bring the matter before the Army Council so that an addition to that effect may be authorised to the Order?

As stated in Army Order 325 of 1919, only those pensioners who re-enlisted for the Great War are eligible to have their pensions re-assessed on the post-War scale. The question of modifying this requirement has been very carefully considered, and it has been decided that no modification can be made. Pre-War pensioners who are not eligible for reassessment under Army Order 325 of 1919 come within the scope of the Pensions Increase Act, 1920, and of the new Bill which will shortly be introduced improving the conditions, if they satisfy its requirements.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he will inquire into the case of Mr. A. E. Panter, of Harrold Road, Lavendon, near Bedford, late No. 043200 Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, whose application for leave to appeal to the pensions appeal tribunal was only one or two days out of time; and will he, in these exceptional circumstances, grant him leave to make his appeal?

The time limit for appeal is statutory, and I have no power to extend it. I am inquiring whether the case is one for medical treatment.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether full effect is being given to Admiralty Weekly Order 414/1919 in the sense that all men placed in shore or harbour service category were to be considered as invalided from His Majesty's service; and whether their pensions have been adjusted accordingly?

All cases which come under notice in which it is found that the provisions of Admiralty Weekly Order 414, of 1919, were not carried out are represented to the Admiralty with a view to alteration of the cause of discharge from "Demobilised" to "Invalided," and, where the cause of discharge is altered, awards of service disability allowances or service pensions are made in accordance with the amount of the man's total qualifying service.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Mr. T. Barn-field, 8, Mount Gould Crescent, Plymouth. late Royal Garrison Artillery, who formerly served in the Royal Navy for nine years; and whether he can reconsider the decision that only four of these years shall count as pensionable service?

I have been asked to reply. The Royal Warrant for Pay and Promotion explicitly provides that service in the Royal Navy given by a man who subsequently enlists into the Army shall not count for Army pension if it exceed four years. The converse rule holds good in the Navy. I regret, therefore, that I am unable to reconsider the decision.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he proposes to introduce a Bill to regulate the exhibition and treatment, of performing animals on the lines of the Measure introduced by General Colvin and supported by the Minister of Pensions and other hon. Members, as amended by Standing Committee C in the last Parliament; whether he is aware that the Bill, as amended, met the views of all parties concerned as a compromise, and would have passed through the last Parliament as an agreed Measure; and whether he is aware of the great feeling of uneasiness among the public on account of alleged cruelty by certain trainers and the desire of the better-class trainers themselves to prevent the present abuses?

I am in sympathy with the objects of this Bill, but am afraid it will not be possible to find time for the introduction of a Government Bill on the subject, having regard to the other demands on the time of the Government. I am not quite sure from the proceedings on the Bill last Session whether complete agreement has been arrived at between all the interests, but if that be the case, I should hope that it might have a good chance of passing as a Private Member's Bin.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if any agreement is, or has been, sought with Germany respecting a working arrangement or agreement relative to dyes and dye-making; and, if so, whether he will lay the matter before Parliament for the Members of the House of Commons to express their opinion thereon before such an agreement is finally made or ratified?

Proposals for an arrangement have been for some time under discussion between the British Dyestuffs' Corporation and the Interessen-Gemein-schaft, and it is understood that they are still continuing. The Board of Trade are not a party to these negotiations, and as, so far as the Board are aware, the discussions have not yet terminated, no conclusions have been laid before the Board. If a draft agreement be eventually put forward it will require the serious attention of the Government, and I will consider the question of making a statement to the House without delay.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether any representations have been made to the Italian Government asking for the removal of the Import Duty on imported salted pilchards; and if His Majesty's Ambassador at Rome has furnished a Report as to the utility of taking action in this direction?

Representations on the matter have been made to the Italian Government without result up to the present.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the unsatisfactory state of the law relating to water supply, especially in respect to the power to abstract water without regard to the rights or requirements of his neighbour: and whether he will consider the advisability of introducing fresh legislation?

The general question of new legislation required in connection with water supplies is now being considered by the Advisory Committee on Water.

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons who were found by the verdict, of a coroner's inquest to have died of starvation, or to have had their deaths accelerated by privation, in England and Wales in the year 1923; and their ages and sex, and the dates of the inquests and the names of the unions and counties in which the deaths occurred?

asked the Minister of Health if he will state, what municipal local government, and other public officers have security of tenure of office, respectively; and the titles and Sections of the Acts or Orders which give that protection?

The appointments of the following officers cannot be determined except with the consent of the Minister of Health:

The following table gives the information asked for by the hon. Member as far as regards the first three quarters of 1923. The information for the December quarter is not yet available:—Contribution Account the repayment of a moiety of the salary of the official.(

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to a recent decision in the Divisional Court depriving weekly tenants of any benefit from reduction in rates under the Rent Restriction Act, 1920; aid whether, with a view to providing a remedy against injustice to the tenants affected, he can see his way to introduce without delay a short Bill dealing with the matter?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given yesterday to questions by the hon. Members for the Hulme (Lieut.-Colonel Sir J. Nall) and the South Islington Divisions (Mr. Cluse).

asked the First Commissioner of Works if, in order to minimise the disturbance of speakers and Members during Debates, he will consider the construction of exits from the Chamber at the back of the centre gangways?

I regret that I am unable to adopt the hon. Member's sugges- tion, in view of the encroachment on the seating accommodation of this Chamber which would be involved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the very strong objection which is taken to the proposal to discontinue the exhibition of the resources of the British Empire until recently displayed in the galleries of the Imperial Institute; whether he is aware that there is equally strong objection on financial grounds to the proposed expenditure on the War Museum, in place of the aforesaid exhibition, not only because of the expense in fitting up the premises, but more particularly because it is understood that the rental value amounts to £8,000 a year and whether he will reconsider the decision with a view to retaining the use of the galleries of the Imperial Institute in the interests of the Empire?

I am aware that objection has been taken to the proposals recommended by the Imperial Economic Conference with regard to the exhibition galleries at the Imperial Institute, and I am also aware of the other aspect of the matter to which the hon. Member alludes. I have the whole question under consideration, but am not in a position to make any statement at present.

asked the Minister of Health (on Thursday, 14th February) if he can give the death rates for each of the Metropolitan boroughs, and the infantile mortality rates for the said boroughs for the years 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922 and 1923 respectively.

furnished, the following particulars:—