§ MR. J. MACVEAGH (Down, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the application of the Banbridge Rural District Council, county Down, for sanction for supplemental loans for the erection of labourers cottages; whether he can state what would be the total cost of the erection of each cottage in the event of the supplemental loan being sanctioned, and how much of such cost is assigned to engineering and law expenses; whether the Local Government Board have made or propose to make any inquiry into the details of the engineering and law expenses; whether, if sanction for the supplemental loans be withheld, he can state if the extra cost will be recoverable from the ratepayers; and, if so, whether the ratepayers will have any remedy.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe Banbridge Rural District Council have recently applied to the Local Government Board to sanction supplementary loans, amounting to £2,005, for the purpose of defraying liabilities incurred in excess of the original loans of £5,875 for labourers' cottages. If the supplemental loans were sanctioned, the total cost of providing each cottage and plot would be £350, of which £100 consists of engineering, law, and other incidental expenses. The Board have refused to sanction the 854 supplemental loan upon the ground that the engineering and law expenses are disproportionately large, and that the council have not exercised adequate control over the expenditure. The Board's sanction being withheld, the extra cost must be defrayed directly out of the rates. The Board are not aware that the ratepayers possess any remedy in law against the council, who are their elected representatives. The question, however, is one of law, upon which I do not express an opinion.
§ MR. J. MACVEAGHCan the right hon. Gentleman say how this exorbitant sum is spent on legal expenses for every cottage?
§ MR. BIRRELLIt is not legal expenses alone: there are also engineering expenses.