asked the Minister of Agriculture if, in view of the fact that investigations by his Department have shown that Ireland has been free from foot-and-mouth disease for the past 12 months, he will withdraw the cattle embargo at the ports?

I may explain that, in consequence of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at Nottingham among Irish animals which had recently been landed at Bristol, the Ministry decided to prohibit the landing of Irish cattle except for slaughter at the ports until inquiries had been made to ascertain, if possible, the origin of infection. It now seems clear that the cattle were infected at Nottingham, and, as no suspicion attaches to the health of the cattle in Ireland, the embargo has now been lifted.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in the Bill which is to give effect to the trade convention passed at Geneva in June, 1920, providing for the payment of two months' wages to seamen, the term seaman will be made to include shipmasters of merchant vessels?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that a number of men have been refused employment in certain textile mills because they are 60 years of age or over; and whether he will consider the desirability of amending the Unemployment Act so as to cover in a more generous fashion this class of men or women until they become of pensionable age?

As my hon. Friend is no doubt aware, persons over 60 are entitled to receive benefit under the existing Unemployment Insurance Acts on the same conditions as other persons, except that the receipt of an old age pension under the Old Age Pension Acts, 1908–1919, is a disqualification for the receipt of unemployment benefit. I am not able to hold out any hope that preferential terms can be given to elderly insured persons.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that the firm of T. and J. Tinkers, Limited, Holmforth, are contractors for cloth for the Government; is he aware that this firm is continually breaking the regulations of the Joint Industrial Council for the wool and allied textile industry regarding the 48-hour working week and labour conditions generally; and will he take steps to see that the firm carry out such regulations or, failing this, to remove them from the list of Government contractors?

The question of a breach of contract under the Fair Wages Clause is a matter which my hon. Friend should take up with the contracting Department concerned.

asked the Prime Minister whether it is his intention to reintroduce the Bill to amend the law relating to officers of the County Court and of the district registries of the High Court; and, if so, whether the Bill will be re-introduced at the earliest opportunity in the present Session?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave on the 18th February last to a question by the hon. And gallant Member for Henley (Captain Terrell).