HC Deb 30 April 1906 vol 156 cc258-9
MR. J. P. NANNETTI

I beg to ask he Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether Mr. Drury, by whose advice the Local Government Board were guided in the framing of the Accounts Orders that recently gave rise to dissatisfaction, is the officer whose report on the accounts of Dublin Corporation lately appeared; whether he is aware hat at a meeting of the corporation, specially convened for the purpose, a Resolution was carried refusing to allow Mr. Drury access to their books; and whether, seeing that this official has been selected to advise the Local Government Board on matters of account and audit generally, and to supervise the work of the other auditors, although he is the only member of the auditorial staff who has not had any experience in auditing accounts which have been completely altered in form and character by the legislation of the past eight years, it is the intention of the Local Government Board to require the corporation to employ this officer, while public bodies of the same standing as the corporation in Great Britain have the right to appoint and remove their auditors and are quite independent of the Local Government Boards of England and Scotland.

MR. BRYCE

Mr. Drury, together with the other auditors of the Local Government Board, assisted in the preparation of the Public Bodies Order, which is now in force throughout Ireland and working satisfactorily. It is a fact that the corporation passed a resolution refusing Mr. Drury access to their books, owing to his having reported unfavourably on their accounts. It is not a fact that Mr. Drury has had no experience in auditing accounts in recent years. The Local Government Board have the utmost confidence in his ability and integrity, and his experience of the accounts of public bodies is second to none. The fact that a different law exists in England and Scotland does not relieve the Local Government Board in Ireland from the statutory obligation imposed upon them of auditing the accounts of the Dublin Corporation. Nothing but legislation could alter this.