§ MR. J. E. JOHNSON-FERGUSON (Leicester, Loughborough)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board, whether he is aware that on 19th January 1895, an application was made to the Local Government Board by the Urban District Council of Shepshed, Leicestershire, for permission to exercise the powers of a Parish Council; and that, except an acknowledgment from the Department of having received the application, no communication on the subject has been received by the Urban District Council; and, if he will inquire into and state the cause of such delay?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. HENRY CHAPLIN,) Lincolnshire, SleafordThe hon. Member is under an entire misapprehension as to the facts in the case referred to. The Local Government Board, in compliance with the application of the District Council, issued an order in March of last year empowering the District Council to appoint overseers, and subsequently a further Order was issued conferring on them the powers of a Parish Council as to the appointment and revocation of the appointment of assistant overseers. With respect to the other powers applied for, the Board addressed a letter to the District Council on the 12th of March 1895, and also on the 26th of November last, asking for information as to their proposals, but the Board have not received any reply to either of these communications, and it has been assumed that the District Council were not proposing to proceed further with their application.