HC Deb 05 August 1907 vol 179 cc1547-8
MR. J. MACVEAGH

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the attention of the Local Government Board has been called to the fact that the Kilkeel Rural Council, county Down, receive only an annual quota per cottage, under the Labourers Acts, and nothing towards annuity or loan, the second scheme promoted by the council being too late to participate in a share of the arrear in March, 1906, and too early to get its 36 per cent. under the new Act and whether, having regard to the fact that the Kilkeel scheme cost less per cottage than the schemes of any other council in county Down, and that other councils in the county have had their whole loans cleared, the Local Government Board can arrange for a payment to the Kilkeel Council from the accumulated arrears lying to the credit of the county.

THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR IRELAND (MR. CHERRY, Liverpool, Exchange; for Mr. BIRRELL)

On the occasion of the distribution of the Exchequer Grant in March, 1906, the Kilkeel Rural District Council received £352 7s. 5d. Of this amount £22 went to recoup the expenditure which fell directly on the rates during the year in respect of labourers cottages, and the balance was paid to the Commissioners of Public Works in reduction of the capital liability of the district council in respect of loans for cottages. The Exchequer contribution for the financial year ended in March, 1907, has been distributed in accordance with Section 18 of the Act of last session, namely, in proportion to the number of cottages built on the 1st November, 1906, in each rural district in which loans are outstanding. There is, however, an accumulated reserve of £3,261 to the credit of the county of Down which is not subject to this method of distribution, as it accrued before the commencement of the new Act. The question of the distribution of this balance will shortly be considered, and due regard will be had to all the circumstances of the various rural districts in the county. The statements made in the concluding portion of the Question appear to be correct.

MR. MOORE

Will a similar course be taken in regard to cottages in county Antrim?

MR. CHERRY

I should think the same rules would apply to each county.