§ Mr. JOHN PHILLIPSasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he can state why a lately appointed official in the office of inspectors, Lunatic Asylums Board, Ireland, ordered the joint committee of the Mullin-gar Lunatic Asylum to go back upon the plans of the verandah about to be erected and already sanctioned by the inspectors of the Lunatic Asylums Board, thereby causing an extra expense of over £70 to the joint committee of Mullingar; will this official be made liable by the auditor for this unnecessary expenditure; and will he devise means to prevent such action on the part of officials in the future?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe hon. Member appears to be under a misapprehension. I am informed by the inspectors of lunatics that the facts are as follows: In May, 1908, plans and specifications for a verandah for consumptives were approved. In April last the Asylum committee's engineer wrote that the timber specified for the work was not obtainable, and that it would cost an additional £150 to substitute equally good timber of another kind. The inspectors referred the matter to their architectural adviser, and, after consultation with the committee's engineer, an arrangement was arrived at by which the additional expense was reduced to £70. The inspectors' architectural adviser did not, order any departure from the original plans, and his intervention resulted in a saving to the Committee.