§ MR. C. J. ENGLEDOW (Kildare, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he would grant a Return, giving, with details, the total amount expended in Ireland on the various heads which in England are dealt with by the Board of Agriculture?
§ MR GERALD BALFOURIt would be extremely difficult to give with accuracy in the form of a Return the total amount expended in Ireland on agricultural work, inasmuch as the functions which in England are discharged by the Board of Agriculture, are in Ireland distributed over a number of Departments, and the administrative and other expenses properly chargeable in each case under the head of "agriculture" could not be stated. If, however, the hon. Member will be content with an approximate statement of the expenditure of public money on objects connected with agriculture by the various Departments concerned in Ireland, the following figures may be sufficient for his purpose, namely:—By the Agricultural Department of the Land Commission, £1,000, exclusive of the salaries of the clerical staff; by the Veterinary Department of the Privy Council, a sum of £15,000, representing a grant in aid of the cattle pleuro-pneumonia accounts, in addition to £12,164, the salaries and expenses of the Department; by the Registrar-General's Office, £2,083; by the agricultural establishments of the Board of National Education, £11,288; by the Congested Districts Board, £14,312, exclusive of the general administrative expenses of the Board 799 amounting to £5,944; by the Public Works Office, £8,150; total expenditure £69,941. The figures quoted are in respect of the current financial year, except in the case of the expenditure of £14,312 by the Congested Districts Board, which is for the year ended 31st March 1895.