§ MR. WALTER M'LAREN (Cheshire, Crewe)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether in the Return just issued regarding the First and Second Schedules of the Government of Ireland Bill the 162,007 ratings valued over £20 includes ratings in the names of women occupiers; and, if so, whether the word "man" in Section 6, Sub-section 3, of the Bill is subject to the General Interpretation Act, which provides that words importing the masculine gender shall include females; whether he can state how many of the 162,007 ratepayers over £20 are women; and whether the total rateable value of £14,033,596, mentioned in the same Return, also includes the rateable value of women occupiers; and, if so, whether he can state what the rateable value of the women occupiers is?
MR. J. MORLEYThe Return just issued regarding the First and Second Schedules of the Government of Ireland Bill includes all ratings 501 and rateable values in Ireland over £20, and therefore does include female occupiers. The word "man," in Section 6 of the Bill, is not subject to the General Interpretation Act and does not include females. The Commissioner of Valuation has not any available information which supplies the number and rateable value of women occupiers; but he is taking steps to collect it, and I hope to have it before we reach Committee.