§ MR. KEIR HARDIEI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he can state the number of county boroughs in England and Wales in which unemployed bodies would be compulsorily established (unless exempted by an Order of the Local Government Board) by the Unemployed Bill now before the House, and the circumstances under which an exemption order would be granted.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe number of county boroughs in England and Wales is seventy-one. A local body would be established under the Bill for each of them unless in any particular case the Local Government Board postponed its establishment until the town council resolved that circumstances rendered the establishment of a local body desirable. Postponement could only be effected on the application of the town council, who would no doubt state the circumstances on which the application was based. It cannot be stated beforehand what the circumstances I would be. They would presumably vary in different cases.