§ Mr. LONSDALEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he would ascertain from the Chief Commissioner of the Dublin metropolitan police whether the sum of £25,000, provided in the Vote on Account for that service for the first six weeks of the coming financial year would be sufficient to discharge all payments falling due and payable in that period from the Vote?
The HON. MEMBERfurther asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will ascertain from the Inspector-General of the Royal Irish Constabulary whether the sum of £260,000, provided in the Vote on Account for that service for the first six weeks of the coming financial year, will suffice to discharge all payments falling due and payable in that period from the Vote; (2) whether he is aware of the fact that the sum provided in the Vote on Account for Public Education (Ireland) for the first six weeks of 1910–11, namely, £370,000, was short by the sum of £200,000 of the moneys which would fall due and be payable within that period; and what steps he proposed to take to make good this deficiency and to avoid default in payments which would have been 761 already earned and become legally due, in the period mentioned, to several thousands of national school teachers and others who were paid from the Vote for Public Education?
§ Mr. LLOYD-GEORGEIn view of the fact that the charges on each of the Votes referred to are specially heavy during the early weeks of the financial year, considerably more than the normal proportion of the total Vote has been provided on account in each case. The provision under Dublin Metropolitan Police represents abðut thirteen and a half weeks' average expenditure, that under Royal Irish Constabulary about ten, and that under Public Education (Ireland) about twelve. I am in communication with the Irish Government with reference to the amount provided under Public Education. In regard to the other two services, I have no reason to suppose that the amounts provided will not suffice to meet all charges coming in course of payment between 1st April next and the date on which a further Vote on Account will become available in ordinary course.
§ Mr. LONSDALEHas the right hon. Gentleman seriously considered the position the school teachers will be in if they cannot get their salaries paid?
§ Mr. LLOYD-GEORGEI can assure the hon. Gentleman that the Irish school teachers need be under no apprehension on that subject. If there is any difficulty at all, they may depend upon it that the Government will see that their salaries are discharged.
§ Mr. LONSDALEDoes the policy of the Government not involve some risk of delay?
§ Mr. LLOYD-GEORGENo, not in the slightest degree. I can assure the hon. Gentleman—and I think it is only right that the teachers should know—that there need be no anxiety upon the point.
§ Mr. LONSDALEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the authorities of the new universities and colleges in Ireland were consulted before making provision for the sum of £25,000 in the Vote on Account for the first six weeks of the next financial year for that service; whether he is aware that expenditure has been incurred in the current year on buildings in connection with the Queen's University, Belfast; whether such expenditure was taken into account in estimating 762 this provision; and what is the explanation of the delay in payment to the Belfast University and the other constituent colleges of the new university in Dublin of the full moiety of the grants already voted for these institutions under Section 7 (2) of the Universities Act, 1908, in respect of the current half-year ending the 31st instant?
§ Mr. LLOYD-GEORGEThe information furnished by the authorities of the universities and colleges in connection with the preparation of the Estimates for 1910–11 was sufficient to enable the amount required on account to be estimated without further reference to them. The answers to the second and third questions are in the affirmative. The balance of the grants referred to in the last part of the question was voted in the Supplementary Estimate agreed to by the House on Report on the 2nd instant. This Vote is, however, not available until the necessary Ways and Means have been provided by the passing of the Consolidated Fund Bill now before Parliament.