§ MR. CULLINANI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been directed to the delay in the hearing by the Land Commission of fair rent applications in cases where negotiations are pending; and whether he can press on the Commission the desirability of shortening these delays, with the view of lessening the inconvenience to the tenants concerned.
§ MR. WYNDHAMThere is, no doubt, some delay in the disposal of fair-rent applications, but delay is unavoidable, and the Commissioners are fully alive to the importance of dealing with all such applications as rapidly as the circumstances will admit.
§ MR. CULLINANThe right hon. Gentleman has answered exactly opposite of what I wished, owing to the alteration made by the clerk. Shall I put a supplementary question now?
§ MR. WYNDHAMPerhaps the hon. Member had better put his question on the Paper.
§ MR. CLANCYAre all cases in which negotiations for sale are pending to be indefinitely postponed?
§ MR. WYNDHAMI have no reason to believe that that is so. I. understand the hon. Member wants to give them priority.
§ MR. CLANCYYes, he wants to know whether as a matter of fact the Land Commissioners have arrived at the determination to postpone the hearing of all applications in cases where negotiations for sale are pending? Is such a decision, if made, legal or not?
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe difficulty is that none of us are clear as to the exact meaning of the question. The hon. Member had better put it in the form in which he wishes it.
§ MR. CULLINANI will, and I hope the clerk will not alter it.