§ MR. THOMAS ELLIS (Merionethshire)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether 1579 summonses calling meetings of County Councils and their Committees must, in case they are not left by policemen at the abode of Members, be delivered in registered letters; and, if so, whether he will consider the advisability of proposing some method of delivering summonses which would obviate the expense of registration?
§ *MR. RITCHIEThe Municipal Corporations Act provides that a summons to attend any meeting of a Town Council shall be left or delivered by post in a registered letter at the usual place of abode of every Member of the Council at least three days before the meeting; and this provision now applies to summonses to attend the meetings of a County Council. There does not appear to be any similar requirements as regards summonses to attend meetings of Committees. The cost of registering the letters containing the summonses will be but small, and the necessity for registration could only be removed by an Act of Parliament. I do not at present see any sufficient reason for introducing a Bill to alter the law on this subject.