§ MR. MACVEAGH (Down, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will, before the forthcoming 299 debate on arterial drainage, cause to be circulated amongst the Parliamentary Papers the instructions to, and other correspondence with, Sir William Binnie, who has been commissioned to report on the Lough Neagh drainage question.
§ MR. VICTOR CAVENDISHI have not seen the correspondence referred to, but I understand that my right hon. friend the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant has been in communication with Sir Alexander Binnie. Any Questions on that subject should therefore be addressed to him.
§ MR. MACVEAGHI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the trial of processes last week at the Belfast Quarter Sessions against certain occupiers of flooded lands in Lough Neagh district, in the course of which the drainage trustees admitted that the lands were flooded although the actions were brought for the cost of maintaining them drained; and whether, pending the forthcoming report from Sir William Binnie, he will take steps to suspend further proceedings in such cases.
§ MR. VICTOR CAVENDISHI am informed that processes have been served and judgment given against several persons liable for the payment of Lough Neagh drainage maintenance rates, but I have no knowledge that any such admissions as that indicated in the Question were made by the trustees. In any case, the Government have no authority to intervene as suggested.
§ MR. MACVEAGHIf I send the hon. Member newspaper reports containing these admissions, will he read them?
§ MR. VICTOR CAVENDISHI shall be delighted to read anything the hon. Member sends me.