§ Sir HILDRED CARLILEasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state the number of cases of surcharge and the nature of such surcharges made by the Local Government Board of Ireland in 1910 and 1911 against district councils and county and borough councils?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe actual number of surcharges could only be obtained by the examination of every audit report furnished during the two years in question. The Board keep a record of the number of appeals made to them against surcharges, and particulars of these will be found on page 309 of the Board's Annual Report for 1909–10, and page 278 of their Report for 1910–11. These appeals relate to almost every phase of expenditure of local authorities. These surcharges are not made by the Local Government Board for Ireland, but by the Local Government auditors.
§ Sir HILDRED CARLILEWill the right hon. Gentleman find out the number of surcharges to which my question refers?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe hon. Member will find information on referring to the pages I have given him. In 1909–10 the total number of appeals to the Board against disallowances and surcharges were 213, and in 1910–11 the total was 436.
§ Sip H. CARLILEMy question is as to the number of surcharges, and not the number of cases of appeal. Will the right hon. Gentleman obtain that information?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThat will entail a very long examination, because I should have to examine every Order of the Board furnished during the last two years.