§ MR. R. H. PAGETasked the President of the Local Government Board, When the Annual Return of Highway Accounts for the year ending 31st March 1880 will be published; and what is the reason of the delay in the presentation of this Return?
§ MR. DODSONSir, I hope the Returns referred to will be presented in the course of next month, which will be three or four months earlier than in previous years. The reason why they have not been completed earlier is, because the accounts for separate highway parishes, numbering about 6,000, have to come under audit by the district auditors for the first time during the present financial year, and more time has necessarily been occupied in making arrangements for their audit and in examining the accounts, a largo number of which have been found in a more imperfect state than I hope will be the case in future years.