§ MR. G. CLARK (Belfast, N.)On behalf of the hon. Member for Mid. Armagh, I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he has arrived at any conclusion respecting the powers of rural district councils to contribute to the cost of spraying with tar the main roads within their districts as a means of mitigating the dust nuisance.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSI have given attention to this matter. I am advised that the experience hitherto obtained of the effect of spraying roads with tar does not show that the operation would necessarily be of such a character as to constitute an improvement of the roads within the meaning of Section 3 of the 439 Highways and Bridges Act, 1891. It is only where this is the case that a rural district council could contribute towards the cost.