§ MR. FLAVINOn behalf of the hon. Member for South Monaghan, I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Killadroy (County Tyrone) Loan Fund Bank, two years ago, was converted into a private bank; that, at that time, a sun of £800 of accumulated savings remained to its credit, while the uncollected debts amounted to £570; and that the officials at the recent Government inquiry promised a portion of this money would be distributed for charitable purposes; and will he state what steps have been taken by the Dublin Loan Fund Board to have effect given to that promise.
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. G. W. BALFOUR,) Leeds,778 Central I am informed by the Loan Fund Board that it is not the fact that the Killadroy Loan Fund Society has ceased to exist as a registered society. The Board, in January last, received from the officers of the society their statutable report for the year 1898. It appears, however, that in December last the inspector reported to the Board that one of the officials of the society had opened a private bank. The inspector reported to the Board in 1897 that the society's accumulated savings stood at £830, of which the sum of £700 was due by persons to whom loans had been issued. In the opinion of the Board this sum of £830 cannot be held as having remained to the credit of the society in 1897, as the great bulk of the amount was outstanding, mostly in overdue loans. It is not true that any promise was made by an official on the occasion of the recent Commission of Inquiry to the effect stated in the question.