§ MR. FRANK EDWARDS (Radnorshire)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department—(1) whether under the award made on the proposal of the County of Monmouth to 526 terminate the existing agreement between the Counties of Monmouth, Radnor, and Brecon as to the Abergavenny Joint Lunatic Asylum, the County of Radnor has been allotted by way of compensation £250 less than the amount actually contributed by it to the cost of the asylum; (2) whether he is aware that the value of the property has increased very considerably since the date of the agreement; and (3) whether, in view of his letter of the 7th of May, 1894, on the subject, he will withhold his consent to the proposed dissolution of the agreement, having regard to the dissatisfaction with the terms of the award felt in the County of Radnor?
MR. C. M. WARMTNGTON (Monmouth, W.)asked, whether the award mentioned was not made after the arbitrator had heard evidence, adduced on behalf of the counties concerned, and after legal argument by learned counsel in favour of the County of Radnor and the other two counties interested, and whether the assent of the Home Secretary was not given on the 10th of April, and whether the award is not now final.
§ MR. ASQUITHThe answer to the supplementary question is in the affirmative. In my letter of 7th May, 1894, I undertook to postpone giving my consent to the dissolution of the union of the Counties of Monmouth, Brecon, and Radnor, until the questions at issue between the, three counties had been settled by arbitration. An arbitrator was appointed by the Local Government Board, and an arbitration has taken place. The points referred to in the first and second paragraphs of the question were matters for the consideration of the arbitrator. I understand that the County of Radnor is disappointed with the result, but I have no power to review the arbitrator's award. I have already—nearly a month ago—given my consent to the dissolution, of the union of the three counties.