§ MR. J. DEVLIN (Belfast, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that since the Belfast Corporation took over the local gasworks in 1874, a sum of £155,400 has been banded over out of the profits in aid of local rates, that the cost of gas is only 2s. 3d. per 1,000 feet, and that the profits for the year ending March, 1907, were £70,000; and whether, in view of the success of municipal ownership of the gas supply in Belfast, he will direct the Local Government Board to circularise Irish urban authorities pointing out the advantages of such ownership.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board have not sufficient information at their disposal to verify the figures given in the Question. Assuming, however, that the facts are substantially as stated by the hon. Member, the Board 880 do not consider it desirable that they should act upon the suggestion contained in the concluding part of the Question. The steps which may be taken for the lighting of urban districts is a, matter for the consideration of the urban authorities themselves, who will doubtless learn from the publicity given to the hon. Member's Question, that the municipal gas undertaking has proved successful in Belfast.