§ MR. KIMBER (Wandsworth)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that the London County Council dispute the right of ratepayers or electors to inspect Minutes of proceedings of Committees of the Council, notwithstanding "The Municipal Corporations Act, 1882," Section 233, which gave the right to burgesses to inspect "the Minutes of proceedings of the Council," which was made applicable to County Councils by "The Local Government Act, 1888," on the alleged ground that proceedings of Committees of the Council are not "proceedings of the Council" within the meaning of the Act; whether he is aware that the bulk, or nearly all of the proceedings of the Council, are by Commit tees of that body, and that such Commit tees may consist of the whole or parts of the Council; and whether the Local Government Board recognise the above construction of the statute to be correct; and, if so, whether it was intended by the Local Government Act that the ratepayers should have no right to inspect Minutes of proceedings and acts done by the Council by delegation to Committees of the whole or part of their body?
§ MR. RITCHIEI was not aware that the question as to the right of ratepayers or electors to inspect the Minutes of proceedings of Committees of the London County Council had been raised prior to the notice which was given of the question by the hon. Member. I am aware that a large proportion of the proceedings of the County Council are by Committees of that body, but I am in formed that all proceedings of Commit tees which are important are reported to the Council, and that the Minutes containing those Reports are open to the inspection of county electors in London. The view which the County Council have adopted is that the proceedings of Committees of the Council are not proceedings of the Council within the meaning of Section 233 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1882, which is applied to County Councils by the Local 1006 Government Act, and I am advised that this construction of the statute is correct. The County Council in this matter are in the same position as a Municipal Corporation.