§ MR. D. KILBRIDE (Galway N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—(1) with reference to the contracts for the Purdysburn Asylum, Belfast, whether he is 1348 aware that tenders were invited by advertisement in the Belfast daily papers in respect of the last contract; (2) whether he can state if any of the five contractors selected by the medical superintendent of Belfast Asylum to tender for the previous contract, succeeded in the last competition for furniture and bedding, where it was open to all the trade; and if he will state the names of the firms who got the last contract; and (3) whether he will now see that invitations to tender will be published in the local papers in respect of all contracts for asylums in Ireland?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe reply to the first paragraph is in the affirmative, and to the second in the negative. I will forward to the hon. Member, if he so desires, a list of the firms selected in respect of the last contract. The general practice of the Board of Control has been to invite tenders by public advertisement for all asylum works, except in some few cases of furniture supplies, and works of a special character. In future, this rule will be enforced in the case of all supplies of furniture.