HC Deb 31 March 1914 vol 60 cc1016-7
52. Mr. LARDNER

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether any county surveyor in Ireland, at the request of the Road Board or the advisory committee or of any of the inspectors of the Board, inspected or reported on ay road improvement work in Ireland in any county other than that of which he is surveyor; and, if so, in how many cases?

The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Montagu)

The answer is in the negative, except in so far as county surveyors were members of the advisory engineering committee.

53. Mr. LARDNER

asked when Messrs. J. P. J. Butler and R. W. Butler were appointed as inspectors by the Road Board; what the terms of their appointment and salaries are; and at what they were engaged prior to their appointment by the Road Board?

Mr. MONTAGU

Mr. J. P. J. Butler was appointed engineering inspector to the Road Board on 12th December, 1911, at a salary of £6 a week and travelling expenses. Prior to his appointment by the Road Board he was engaged as an engineering assistant upon the staff of a consulting engineer. Mr. R. W. Butler was appointed engineering inspector of the Road Board on the 28th April, 1913, at an initial salary of £250 per annum and travelling expenses. Prior to his appointment he was the chief assistant to the engineer and surveyor of the county borough of Newport.

54. Mr. LARDNER

asked the names of the persons comprising the advisory engineering committee appointed by the Road Board last year, showing the representation for England, Ireland, and Scotland; and for how long the committee was appointed?

Mr. MONTAGU

The Road Board appointed in February, 1913, a temporary advisory engineering committee for the purpose of inspecting a considerable mileage of roads in Ireland. The committee, which was dissolved in February, 1914, consisted of Mr. P. C. Cowan, Chief Engineering Inspector, Local Government Board for Ireland; Mr. W. Cohen, County Surveyor of county Dublin; Mr. W. E. Duffin, County Surveyor of county Waterford; Mr. R. H. Dorman, County Surveyor of county Armagh. This temporary committee was distinct from the advisory engineering committee constituted by the Road Board in August, 1910, in accordance with the scheme printed in Appendix No 10 of the First Annual Report of the Road Board.

55. Mr. LARDNER

asked on whose advice, recommendation, or report, are the grants and loans made by the Road Board in Ireland; whether all work in process or actually completed is inspected by an officer of the Road Board; and, if so, who these inspection officers are?

Mr. MONTAGU

The details of each application for grants or loans are examined and reported upon by the engineering staff of the Road Board. The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative, and as regards the third part, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave him on the 24th instant.