§ MR. ERNEST GRAY (West Ham, N.)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been drawn to the state of the law under which, while the representatives of a private trading company 24 possess the right of voting at municipal elections, yet, on the conversion of such trading concern into a limited liability company, possibly without any actual change of interest or of personnel, the directors of such limited company forfeit the privilege of voting at municipal elections; whether he is aware that in the county borough of West Ham private property assessed at£678,000 qualifies no less than 35,000 voters, while £342,000 of company property is unrepresented and voteless; and whether he will consider the desirability of submitting to Parliament such proposals as would confer upon these ratepayers the same privileges and right of voting as are enjoyed by other residents in the same municipal area.
§ MR. CHAPLINI was not aware of the particular case referred to by the hon. Member, but I think that the facts generally are as stated. But I am afraid I cannot give any undertaking to promote legislation on the subject.