§ Mr. SCANLANasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that a private Bill under the name of the Arigna Valley Railway Bill was this Session promoted by persons interested in the Arigna coal and iron ore field, with a view to providing railway facilities for the development of that field; that the Congested Dis- 2519W tricts Board for Ireland passed a resolution expressing their belief that this railway would greatly assist the development of the mineral resources of the Arigna Valley in the congested districts, county of Leitrim; that the Bill was supported by the Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland Company and opposed by the Cavan and Leitrim Railway Company before a Select Committee of the House of Lords; is he aware that, as the Cavan. and Leitrim Railway Company have intimated their intention of opposing the Bill at all its remaining stages, the promoters have had no alternative, in view of the period of the Session, but to withdraw the Bill; seeing that the Treasury have for years contributed out of public funds money to the Cavan and Leitrim Railway Company to make good the deficiency in the guaranteed interest on the capital of that company, the payment for the year ending 31st March last amounting to £3,734, will he say whether the costs incurred by this company in respect of their opposition will be paid by that company and any deficiency in the said interest arising therefrom be made good by the Treasury; and whether the action of this company in this matter has been at the instance or with the knowledge and sanction of the Treasury?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI have no reason to doubt the substantial accuracy of the first four sections of the question, but the Treasury has no separate information upon some of the statements made; the action of the Cavan and Leitrim Railway Company did not require Treasury sanction and was not taken at the instance of or with the knowledge of the Treasury. Public funds contribute to the deficiency in the guaranteed interest on the capital of the company; the payment in the year 1912–13 was £3,642. Presumably the costs of the opposition by the Cavan and Leitrim Railway Company will be included in the expenditure of the company, and will in due course come before the arbitrators, whose duty it is to decide what sum is payable by the counties in respect of guaranteed dividend or working expenses. As the Treasury recoupment of 2 per cent. for guaranteed dividend is already almost paid in full, only a small portion of the expenses of the opposition to the Bill can fall on public funds.