§ MR. BUTCHER (York)To ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, having regard to the changes that have taken place since the office of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was first established, His Majesty's Government will consider the desirability of abolishing that office, and of making provision for establishing a Royal residence in Ireland.
(Answered by Mr. A. J. Balfour.) This subject has often been considered, and it is hardly possible in answer to a Question to deal with it adequately; but it may be pointed out that either the Royal Lord Lieutenant will have to be a political officer like the present Lord Lieutenant, responsible for the acts of the Executive; or else an entirely new status will have to be created for him by Act of Parliament. The first alternative is clearly inexpedient: the second might or might not be desirable in the abstract; but it would involve prolonged controversy, and clearly cannot be carried out at the present moment.