HC Deb 07 March 1898 vol 54 cc847-8
MR. LAMBERT

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will state approximately the proportions of the proposed new grant of £730,000 a year to Ireland that will be used to relieve the rates of non-occupying owners, occupying owners, and tenants respectively?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

To give the information desired in this Question would necessitate the examination of the whole of the Valuation Lists, which comprise between one and two million entries, and would occupy a period of several months. The results would not be commensurate with the expenditure of labour and money, and I see no sufficient reason for incurring the expenditure.

MR. LAMBERT

I only ask for the proportion approximately.

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

I am afraid that to get at the proportion, even approximately, would involve the expenditure of too large an amount of time.