§ SIR WALTER FOSTERI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he has received a petition from some ratepayers of Portslade-by-the- Sea making serious charges against the Portslade Urban District Council; and whether he will order an inquiry to be made into the alleged irregularities.
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLThe petition referred to, which was signed by only two ratepayers, has been received. The alleged irregularities do not relate to matters respecting which the Local Government Board are empowered to order an inquiry. Some of them might be brought under the notice of the district auditor at the audit, and I am pointing this out to the petitioners.