§ MR. DIXON-HARTLAND (Middlesex, Uxbridge)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, in view of the impression created by his replying for the Metropolitan Board of Works that the Government are in some way responsible for the action of that Board, and whereas three Members of that Board have seats in the House, he will revert to the custom of allowing the Board to reply by their senior Member in the House?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)I think it would be undesirable that the Government should be supposed to interfere with the responsibility and discretion of the Metropolitan Board of Works, by answering Questions in which that Board is alone interested, in cases where we have no power by law to interfere, and I propose to communicate with the Chairman on the subject of questions relating to the action of the Board, and affecting their interests, that they should be answered by the senior member of the Board, who has a seat in this House.