§ Mr. T. M. HEALYasked the Chief Secretary whether the Government hold that the terms of Section 16 (b) of the Finance Act, 1911, relieve them in Ireland from the obligations under Section 64 of the National Insurance Act (passed on the same day) to distribute the sanatorium Grants in accordance with a populational basis under the Census Act, 1911, or do they construe the populational basis as applying only as between the three Kingdoms and not between county and country; what is the method of allocation followed by the English and Scotch authorities, or is there any single institution there getting so large a proportion-of the Grant for an entire Kingdom as the women's health body is to get in Ireland; what are the names of the corresponding British beneficiaries and the amounts allocated; and was it ascertained, and at what date and how, that certain Irish county councils would surrender their claim to their share of the £145,000 before £25,000 was allocated to a benevolent organisation?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNeither the Finance Act nor the Insurance Act requires the Local Government Board to allocate the capital moneys amongst, the various local areas on a basis of population. The Irish Local Government Board have, however, as far as possible, adopted that principle for the distribution of the Grant between county and county. The English and Scottish Boards have not finally determined the conditions upon which the Grant will be distributed, and so far they have not made any Grants to any institution. No county council was asked or expected to surrender any part of its share of the Grant, and it was agreed between the Local Government Board, the Treasury, and the Insurance Commissioners, that the amount advanced to the Women's National1106W Health Association would be debited, as far as possible, to the share of those counties for whom the Association made provision, as explained in my answer to the previous question asked by the horn Member on the 17th October.