asked the Home Secretary how many of the ex-Royal Irish Constabulary pensioners who retired from the force before its disbandment have died during the five years ended on the 31st March, 1926; how many of the surviving pensioners are, and how many are not, in receipt of increased pensions under the Pensions Increase Acts, 1920 and 1924?

1,558 Royal Irish Constabulary pensioners, who retired before the disbandment of the force, have died during the five years ended the 31st March, 1926. Of the surviving pensioners, 4,073 are and 2,765 are not in receipt of increased pensions under the Pensions (Increase) Acts.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the Wolstanton Urban District Council has recently ceased to have a director of education and has handed over the duties of the office to the part-time clerk to the council; whether his Department were consulted in the matter; whether they approve; if not, can they make representations; and how many urban districts employ directors of education?

The authority have intimated to me that one officer will combine the duties of clerk to the council and secretary to the Education Committee. The organisation of their administrative staff is a matter for the decision of the local authority, and the board do not interfere with their discretion in the matter. As regards the last part of the question, 35 local education authorities for urban districts in England and Wales employ full-time education officers, of whom 15 are termed directors and 20 secretaries.

asked the Minister of Health if he has received a communication from the education authority of St. Helens, Lancashire, to the effect that in case of a stoppage of work in the coal industry it is their intention, as in the case of a similar cessation of work in 1921, to feed the children of the miners during the continuance of the dispute, and requesting the Minister, if, as on that occasion, he is prepared to assist financially by a grant similar to that made by the Minister of Health of that period; and, if so, what he is prepared to do in the matter?

I have been asked to reply to this question. I have received a letter from the St. Helens authority asking me to approve in advance an exceptional expenditure of £7,000 to be incurred on feeding school children in the event of an industrial dispute occurring. I have informed this and other local authorities that neither the board nor the authorities should be expected to commit themselves in advance to a definite estimate for such a purpose, but that authorities should notify my Department in the event of any emergency arising which entails a substantial increase of expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs if he can state, with reference to paragraph 4 of the Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee appointed to consider the effect on migration of schemes of social insurance, in which it states that it is certain that migration has not substantially increased since the passing of the Empire Settlement Act, whether any information can be furnished as to what action is being taken, and when, to amend the Empire Settlement Act and to improve the machinery of the Overseas Settlement Committee, in order that the urgently needed redistribution of population within the Empire may take place?

I would refer my hon. Friend to paragraphs 5 to 8 of the Report, in which the Inter-Departmental Committee explain the causes which have affected the migration movement since the passing of the Empire Settlement Act. It will be observed that the Committee do not attribute the absence of increase in migration to defects in the Act itself or in the machinery of the Oversea Settlement Committee. I accept the Committee's view and I do not think any amendment of the Act or improvement of the existing machinery will effect the objects in view.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs if he will give information as to the number of applications by men for assisted passages to Australia under the Empire Settlement Act during the years 1924 and 1925, respectively, and as to the number of rejections on medical grounds; and whether, in view of the attention drawn in the Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee appointed to consider the effect on migration of schemes of social insurance, paragraph 8, as to rejections for lack of physical fitness, he will arrange for conferences with the Dominion Governments with a view to arriving at some standard of physical and mental fitness to obviate the disappointment caused by the existing arrangements?

The number of persons who applied for assisted passages to Australia during 1924 was 46,549, of whom 12,072 were accepted. In addition, 12,377 persons were nominated by friends or relatives in Australia. During the first six months of I925, 16,835 persons applied, of whom 5,316 were accepted, a further 7,241 persons were nominated. It must be remembered that only those considered to be prima facie suitable are encouraged to submit formal applications. The records do not differentiate between persons rejected on medical grounds or otherwise, but it is estimated that about 30 per cent. of the applicants interviewed are rejected as being below the physical requirements, and that of those provisionally accepted, from 5 per cent. to 10 per cent. are subsequently rejected on medical grounds. Copies of the Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on social insurance schemes and migration have been forwarded to the Dominion Governments, with a view to discussion at the forthcoming Imperial Conference.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, with reference to paragraph 7 of the Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee appointed to consider the effect on migration of schemes of social insurance, which states that the restrictions on family migration are so serious that it is doubtful whether any adequate redistribution of population can take place until greater facilities are available overseas for the settlement of married people and their families, whether it can be stated what steps, if any, are being taken to remedy this; seeing that the group system of settlement inaugurated in Western Australia appears to be the most stable and satisfactory scheme, can it be stated when this system will be re-opened; and whether, in view of the satisfactory results obtained by the groups trained in England at Catterick before being sent out, a preliminary training and testing scheme can be inaugurated which shall be open to suitable families?

Careful consideration is being given to the possibility of providing additional openings for families overseas and the whole subject will be discussed at the forthcoming Imperial Conference. One of the most hopeful ways of effecting this object appears to be the extension of the system of collective nomination, under which Churches and other organisations overseas undertake the responsibility for the settlement of families selected by the parent organisation in this country. It is hoped that the Government of Western Australia will shortly re-open the Group Settlement Scheme inaugurated by them. The question of the provision of facilities for agricultural training in the United Kingdom is at present receiving consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what hostel accommodation for families actually exists in Australia and in Canada, respectively; where such hostels are situate; and how many each of them can accommodate at any one time?

Hostel accommodation is available for families at the following ports of disembarkation in Australia:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the gross yield of Income Tax under each of the Schedules A, B, C, D and E, respectively, and of Income Tax as a whole, for the financial year 1925–26; and what was the net yield of Income Tax as a whole, after deducting allowances and remissions for that financial year?

The approximate gross receipt of the Income Tax in the year 1925–26 was £299,120,000, and the net receipt in the year was £258,140,000. Under the present system of graduation and differentiation of the Income Tax, with personal allowances, deductions and reliefs related, not to the various sources of income charged under each Schedule, but to the total income of the taxpayer, the total yield cannot be divided between the respective Schedules.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether anything has been recovered in respect of the judgment of the House of Lords in the case of the Inland Revenue v. Martin, to whom large quantities of linen were sold and who was sued for Income Tax on profits made in the resale thereof?

My hon. Friend is under a misapprehension in thinking that the case in question has been decided by the House of Lords. A decision on the case has been given by the Court of Appeal, and the period within which notice of appeal to the House of Lords can be given has not yet expired.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the services such as the postal service, prison service, etc., transferred to the Free State Government under the terms of the Provisional Government (Transfer of Functions) Order, 1922, are included in the benefits of the Pensions Increase Act, 1924; and why the Dublin Metropolitan Police is not similarly entitled to the benefits of this Act, seeing that it is classed as a transferred service under Article 10 (ii) of the same Order?

Pensions granted before 1st April, 1922, for service in the British postal and prison services in Ireland continue to be paid out of moneys provided by the Imperial Parliament. In reply to the last part of the question I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my predecessor on 25th June, 1925.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he has invited the Publications and Debates Committee to review existing Parliamentary Papers issued with a view to recommending economies?

The answer is in the affirmative. As I stated during the Debate on the Supplementary Estimate for the Stationery Office, on the 15th February last, I should warmly welcome any recommendation that comes with the authority of the Publications and Debates Committee.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what additional ceremonial and higher grade civil servants have been appointed in the past 12 months; to what Departments are the new officers attached; and what will be the cost of the new officers during the financial year 1926–27?

A ceremonial and reception secretary has been appointed to the Home Office in the past 12 months. The cost of the post during the current financial year will be approximately £684.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that, owing to the method of awarding the Departmental marks in the recent Southborough examination, it was nearly an impossibility for a Grade III clerk to obtain full Departmental marks, and that in consequence a large number of candidates who attained the qualifying standard on the written papers failed, solely through a low Departmental mark, although their services in their Departments had always been satisfactory; and whether he will take steps to secure a review of the Departmental markings in such cases?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply which I gave on the 26th April to the hon. Member for Newcastle West (Mr. Palin).

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the stipulation contained in the Sugar (Subsidy) Act, 1925, that 75 per cent. of the machinery installed in beet-sugar factories should be of British manufacture has been waived in respect of any factory erected during 1925 and 1926; if so, in respect of which factories has the stipulation been waived; and what amount of foreign machinery has been imported for installation in those factories, naming the country of origin of such imported machinery?

The beet-sugar factories erected in 1925 or now in course of erection in regard to which the 75 per cent. machinery Clause has been waived are the Ely and Ipswich factories, for the reason given on 15th June, 1925, by my predecessor in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, namely, that the enforcement of the 75 per cent. condition in respect of three new factories promised by the Anglo-Dutch group would be a serious breach of faith having regard to the extensive commitments entered into by the group before the decision to impose the machinery condition was proposed. As stated on that occasion, the approximate value of the foreign machinery to be imported for the Ely and Ipswich factories was £84,000 and £105,000 respectively, and the origin mainly Dutch with some German.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the information at the disposal of the Ministry of Agriculture is in favour of the feeding of pigs with fish meal as conducive to the supply of good bacon?

Fish meal of good quality fed under proper conditions has been found to be a suitable feeding stuff for pigs. A good many cases of taint in bacon have, however, been associated with the feeding of fish meal, and some bacon-curers refuse to purchase pigs which have been fed on fish meal. The most scrupulous care should, in any case, be exercised by pig-feeders to avoid giving fish meal in excess. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a memorandum on the subject which has been prepared in the Ministry for the guidance of pig-feeders.

asked the Attorney-General whether his attention has been drawn to the high charges for registry and search fees and for Stamp Duty on transfer and mortgage payable by working people purchasing houses of the value of £750 or less through a building society; and whether it is proposed to take any action to reduce these fees and Stamp Duties?

I am not clear whether the hon. Member refers to transactions under the Land Registration Act; 1925, or under the Land Charges Act, 1925. The scale of fees under the Land Registration Act has been in operation since 1908 and amounts to 6s. per £100 on first registration, which would in the case which the hon. Member contemplates include the fee in respect of the mortgage, or 9s., including the mortgage in the case of a subsequent dealing. This does not appear to me to be excessive. As regards the Land Charges Act, unless the mortgage is of a kind not ordinarily to be expected in such a transaction as is described in the question, the only fee involved would be a search fee of 2s. per name searched against. Any question with regard to Stamp Duties would more appropriately be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

asked the hon. Member for North-East Leeds, as representing the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, how many applications for licences to play Sunday games have reached the Commissioners from clubs leasing their grounds from this body; what are the types of games in respect of which these applications have been made; and what have been the respective number of decisions in regard to such applications?

Eighteen applications have come forward: 11 for lawn tennis; three for lawn tennis and bowls; four for golf. Permissions have been granted in 10 cases for lawn tennis; in three for lawn tennis and bowls; in three for golf. Permission has been refused in one case of lawn tennis and in one case of golf.