§ MR. McCARTANI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the resolutions unanimously passed at a meeting held in Belfast on 25th April, urging the Government to extend in the Local Government (Ireland) Bill the benefit of the agricultural grant in respect of market gardens and nursery grounds inside the boundary of any town or borough which is a separate urban, or sanitary district; whether he is aware that, as at present framed, the Bill would exclude from the benefit of the grant about three-fourths of the market gardens and nurseries in Ireland; and whether, considering that in England such market gardens and nursery grounds are included in the benefit of the agricultural grant, he will inquire into the desirability of including them in Ireland also?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURMy attention has been directed to the resolutions referred to in the Question. I have no material to enable me to judge whether the estimate in the second paragraph is correct. The definition of agricultural land contained in the Bill was adopted after very careful consideration, and I cannot hold out any hope that the Government will accede to the suggestion in the third paragraph.
§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)Will judicial tenants in towns be excluded?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURYes, Sir.