§ MR. W. LONG (Liverpool, West Derby)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether it is a fact that, under "The Local Government Act, 1894,"in any Union, which includes the whole or part of a borough, a minister of religion is disqualified from being elected a Guardian for the part or parts within the borough; and, if so, whether he will take the necessary steps to remedy this incapacity?
§ MR. SHAW-LEFEVREThe fact of a person being a minister of religion will not in any way affect his qualification for election as a Guardian of a parish in a Union which is wholly or partly included in a borough, if he is a parochial elector of some parish in the Union who has during the whole of the 12 months preceding the election resided in the Union.
§ * MR. W. LONGWill the right hon. Gentleman look at the Act of 1894? I think he will there find it stated that a person must be qualified to be a Borough Councillor, and under the Muni- 476 cipal Corporations Act ministers are excluded.
§ MR. SHAW-LEFEVREI have looked into the question very carefully, and I feel confident the opinion I have given is an accurate one.
§ MR. LODER (Brighton)Does the right hon. Gentleman mean to state that these qualifications would not hold in the case of a minister of religion being co-opted by a Board of Guardians?
§ MR. SHAW-LEFEVREI think not. I think my answer is accurate.
§ [No answer was given.]