§ MR. KILBRIDEOn behalf of the honourable Member for South Down, I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, (1) with reference to the £5,000 granted by the Secretary to the Treasury towards the repair or reconstruction of the pier and harbour works at Newcastle, county Down, on condition that the grand jury of Down would present for the balance of £8,000 or £9,000 to complete the work, whether he is aware that the grand jury had no power to present for a new work which the approved plan of Mr. Vernon Harcourt, C.E., involved by reason of his suggested extension of the harbour works for the sake of safety; and (2) whether he will provide in the Local Government Bill to give power to the county councils to raise money for any such necessary new work, subject to the approval of the Local Government Board?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe grand jury had no power to present for a new work at Newcastle, and the extension referred to comes within that description. The question raised by the second paragraph requires careful consideration, and I am not at present prepared to say whether provision will be made by the Bill in the direction suggested.