§ EARL GREYMy Lords, I rise to ask His Majesty's Government for a Return of the number of by-elections held during the year 1913 for county councils, borough councils, and district councils (urban and rural.), showing how many of them were contested.
§ VISCOUNT SANDHURSTMy Lords, the Minister of Health has no particulars as to the number of elections which occurred in the year 1913 to fill casual vacancies on county councils, borough councils, or urban or rural district councils, and it would be necessary for applications to be made to the clerk of the various local authorities to provide a Return of such elections. The total number of the local authorities is over 1,800, and it. would take some considerable time to complete the return. The Minister of Health is willing to arrange for a Return of the elections which occurred in the cases of all the local authorities in selected geographical counties in England and Wales, if the information in, these cases would be sufficient for the purposes of the noble Earl. He suggests that the information might be obtained for a dozen counties, and if this suggestion is approved he is willing to supply the noble Earl with a form of Motion for the Return.