§ Mr. CLOUGHasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he has received communications from the Settle Rural District Council, the West Riding County Council, and his own auditor, with regard to the tar-spraying of the highway in the townships of Settle and Clapham; and whether, under section 3 of the Highways and Bridges Act, 1891, he will give his consent to the agreement between the county council and the rural district council as to two-thirds of the cost of this tar-spraying being defrayed out of the county rate and the remaining one-third being specially rated upon the townships specially benefited by the experiment?
§ Mr. BURNSI have received the communications referred to. I am advised that the work of tar-spraying is not an improvement of a highway within the meaning of section 3 of the Highways and Bridges Act, 1891, and that, consequently, the agreement in question is not within the section.