§ Mr. WEIRI beg to ask the Lord Advocate if he will state why the Report of the Local Government Board for Scotland, which is dated October 1896, has only just been issued?
§ * THE LORD ADVOCATEThe delay in issuing the Report this year was largely due to the fact that the audit clauses of the Act of 1894, having come into operation during the year, the figures for the tables in the appendix were not procurable till the audit was completed. As was to be expected in the first year, there was some delay in having the audit carried through. It is not anticipated that similar delay will occur in future.