§ MR. MAURICE HEALYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether it has been the practice of the Local Government Board in Ireland to require local authorities, who have acquired land under Section 57, Sub-section 1, of The Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, specifically for the purpose of Part III. of that Act, to obtain the consent of the Treasury, under Section 57, Sub-section 3, to the appropriation of the land for the purpose for which it has been acquired; and what the result of the correspondence between the Departments entered on with a view to assimilate the practice in Ireland with that in England, where no such consent is considered necessary, has been?
The HON.MEMBER further asked the Attorney General for Ireland, whether, in his proposed Bill to amend The Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, so far as relates to Towns Commissioners in Ireland, he will make it clear that Towns Commissioners have the same powers of acquiring land compulsorily under Part III. of the Act as other 822 local authorities, doubts having been expressed as to whether under the Act as it stands they have such powers?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOE IRELAND (Mr. JOHN ATKINSON,) Londonderry, N.My right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland has requested me to answer this question in connection with that numbered 42 addressed to myself. In reply to the first of the hon. Member's questions, I have to say that the practice in Ireland is as stated therein, and that the correspondence referred to has not resulted in assimilating the Irish to the English practice. In the Bill which I hope to introduce I shall endeavour to effect that object, as well as clear up the doubts referred to in the hon. Member's second question.