§ MR. MACARTNEYI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether, inasmuch as the works of improvement under the Public Health Acts contemplated by Town Councils, Local Boards, and other authorities have strained the capacity of the Local Government Board to fulfil its duties in respect to them, and that the Reports of the Engineering Inspectors have fallen very considerably into arrear, he will consider the advisability of appointing, as additional officials, civil engineers having frequent practice in the duties devolving on the Department?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. H. H. FOWLER,) Wolverhampton, E.There has been a large increase in the work of the Engineering Inspectors of the Local Government Board, with the result that there are some arrears, although they 1033 are considerably diminished. If necessary, we shall make application to the Treasury for an increase of the staff.