§ MR. SHEEHAN (Cork County, Mid)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state when the Annual Report of the Local Government Board for the year ending 31st March. 1904, will be laid upon 1180 the Table of the House; at what time are these Reports usually published; is there delay in their publication; if so, to what is it attributable; and, seeing how important it is that the Report for the past year should be in the hands of Members before the introduction of the Labourers Bill, will he take steps to secure its immediate publication.
§ MR. WYNDHAMIt is not possible at present to name a date for the presentation of the Report for 1903–4, but its preparation will be pressed forward and no avoidable delay will take place in completing it. The Report for 1900–1 was presented in August, 1902; that for 1901–2 in May, 1903; and the Report for 1902–3 last month. Any delay that may have taken place previously in presenting the Report is attributable to the operation of the Act of 1898, which revolutionised the system of the keeping of the accounts by local authorities, besides calling hundreds of local bodies into existence. A Return is in preparation and will shortly be laid on the Table in continuation of the Return granted last year on the Motion of the hon. Member for West Kerry. This Return will give full information in respect of labourers' cottages made up to the 31st March, 1904.