§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will give a Return showing the proportionate number of governors and members of county councils prescribed by the Local Government Board to manage Irish county infirmaries, and the data as to contribution and property on which the respective numbers were determined; has any, and, 1189 if so, what reply been given to the protest of Queen's County Council against the representation they were afforded; and on what basis was this representation arrived at.
§ *MR. G. W. BALFOURThe Return indicated in the question will be laid on the Table of the House as soon as the respective numbers have been finally decided. This has been done in all but five cases, with respect to which the Local Government Board are still in correspondence with the local authorities. Before finally deciding upon the number of representatives to be elected by the county council and the governors, a provisional statement was sent to each council of the proposal of the Local Government Board, and the views of the council were invited. Where the representations made to the Board appeared to demand consideration they have modified their original proposal. In the case of Queen's County, the Board have added five members to the number of the committee formerly fixed to be elected by the County Council. The financial particulars were in each case supplied by the officers of the board of governors and secretaries of county councils; but as the Local Government Board do not audit the accounts of county infirmaries they have no means of checking the particulars furnished by the officers of these institutions.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether he hopes to be able to lay this Return before Thursday or Friday next, when it is proposed to take the Irish Estimates?
§ MR. G. W. BALFOURI do not think it advisable to lay it in an incomplete form; but I shall he happy, if it is not complete, to let the hon. Member see any information he wishes.