§ MR. RUPERT GUINNESS (Shoreditch, Haggerston)To ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he had been urged by the borough of Southwark to obtain Parliamentary sanction for the construction of subways at the Elephant and Castle so that the work might be proceeded with at once and some additional employment be given in a district where it is greatly needed; and, if so, will he state the grounds which prevented him from complying with that request.
(Answered by Mr. John Burns.) The Answer to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative. The Parliamentary sanction desired would necessitate a Bill, and the Government could not undertake to introduce a Bill to deal with a purely local matter. I have suggested to the borough council that they should approach the London County Council so as to ascertain whether the matter can be dealt with by means of a clause in a Bill promoted by them.