§ Sir M. DOCKRELLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is a wars that during the late Parliamentary elections in Ireland it became necessary, owing to an epidemic of influenza, to provide a. reserve presiding officer in order that elections might not prove abortive; that the small sum involved in paying for such officer is being disallowed by the Treasury to the returning officers, upon whom there rested responsibility if they had In the circumstances neglected this precaution; and whether he will take steps to see that those sums shall not be disallowed?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINApplications were made, not only in Ireland but in other parts of the United Kingdom for authority to pay a presiding officer in excess of the numbers authorised under the Treasury Regulations. These applications could not be entertained as apart from the considerable expenditure involved it was considered that returning officers would be in a position to make arrangements to secure the services of another officer if one of the regular pre-2238W siding officers fell ill, without imposing an extra charge on public funds. The answer to the last part of the question is therefore in the negative.