§ MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state on what estate or estates in Cork county the sum of £831 arrears of purchase annuities which have been deducted from the Guarantee Fund have accrued; how much of these arrears have been paid up since the 31st January, 1907; how is the sum of £4,050, also deducted from the county share of the fund, arrived at; whether adequate particulars with full details of these stoppages are furnished to the respective councils; and what means, if any, do the county councils possess for testing the correctness of the Treasury deductions.
§ MR. BIRRELLMy hon. friend has asked me to answer this Question. For the purpose of computing the arrears to be drawn from the Guarantee Fund reference is made solely to the deficiency of each county as a whole, and not to the various estates within the county the hon. Member will, however, find in the Annual Report of the Land Commission for 1906, at page 144, a table giving particulars of the case of every tenant purchaser then one year and upwards in arrear. Out of the arrear of £831 mentioned in the Question, the sum of £544 14s. 8d. has since been paid. The Answer to the remainder of the Question
† See cols. 667–8.708 includes a tabular statement, and with the hon. Member's permission I will furnish a full Answer with the Votes.‡
§ MR. FLYNNIf the arrears only amount to the small sum of £831, of which £544 has since been paid, why are the ratepayers of the county to be debited in advance by one-third, when the sum has been almost all recovered?
§ MR. BIRRELLI think the hon. Member will find the Answer to that in the Answer I have promised to circulate to another Question.