§ MR. ENGLEDOWI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the law that provides from time to time for the inspection and examination into the administration of any hospital or infirmary, supported in part by Grand Jury presentments or Parliamentary grants, authorises the Local Government Board when making an examination of the administration of these institutions to inquire whether the public funds voted for its support are expended in accordance with the provisions of the law?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURIf this Question refers to the audit of accounts of County Infirmaries by the officers of the Local Government Board, I am afraid I can only repeat what I stated in reply to a previous Question of the hon. Gentleman, that the Local Government Board have carefully considered the whole matter and are clearly of opinion that as the duties and powers of their auditors are all expressly defined by Statute, and as there is no enactment in force giving them authority to deal with the accounts of County Infirmaries, an audit of these accounts could not be carried out by the Board's officers under the existing law.