HC Deb 11 February 1904 vol 129 cc1037-8
MR. SHEEHAN (Cork County, Mid.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in view of the fact that in connection with the Land Bill of last year, the Report of Land Commissioner Mr. W. F. Bailey on the working of previous Land Purchase Acts was issued as a Parliamentary Paper, he will, in view of the promised labour legislation, place upon the Table of the House the Reports of the Local Government Board Inspectors on the operations of the existing Labourers Acts.

MR. WYNDHAM

The reports of the Board's Inspectors in respect to the Labourers Acts were made for the private information of the Board to supplement information already in its possession. For this reason, as I have already stated, they cannot be laid on the Table. Mr. Bailey's Report was made at the request of the Lord-Lieutenant, and the same objections did not apply to its publication.

MR. SHEEHAN

But why not follow the precedent of last year, having in view the great importance of this question?

MR. WYNDHAM

Because, I say the information gathered was only fragmentary, and intended to supplement that already in the hands of the Local Government Board.