HC Deb 08 June 1899 vol 72 cc651-2
MR. DILLON

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he can undertake to have the Orders in Council, General Orders, and Rules issued by the Local Government Board, and the Rule of Court in connection with the Local Government (Ireland) Act, collected in one volume and issued to Members before the vote for the Irish Local Government Board is taken.

*MR. G. W. BALFOUR

There are some cases in which the Local Government Board Orders referred to may require modification, and I would rather that they were not collected and printed in a permanent form until these cases have been considered. Apart from that, the collection, when completed, will form a bulky volume, and I do not think there is any chance that it can be printed in time for the Estimates.

MR. DILLON

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the General Order in reference to collectors of the poor rate, recently issued by the Local Government Board, has been laid upon the table of the House; and why it has not been circulated.

*MR. G. W. BALFOUR

The General Order has not been laid on the table of the House. Copies of it were sent to every county council and board of guardians in Ireland, and the Order can be procured through any bookseller. I shall be happy to supply the hon. Member with a copy if he so desires.

MR. DILLON

Does not the right hon. Gentleman consider that to be a bad practice? Can he not undertake that General Orders of this character, which bear directly on the administration of the Local Government Board, shall be circulated as a Parliamentary paper?

*MR. G. W. BALFOUR

If the hon. Member will give me a list of the General Orders which he would like so dealt with, I will see if it can be carried out.