§ Dr. O'DONOVANasked the Minister of Health if the auditors' recent report on the finances of the borough of Stepney has been brought to his attention; and if there is any reason why the irregularities in detail and deficiencies in administrative financial arrangements therein animadverted on were not brought to the attention of the Ministry in the immediately preceding years?
Sir H. YOUNGI presume that my hon. Friend is referring to the district auditor's report for 1930–31. This was brought to the notice of my Department a year ago, and a special sub-committee of the borough council was appointed last October to consider the subject matter of the report. The attention of the council has, on several occasions, in recent years, been drawn by the district auditors to various defects in their accounting system and financial arrangements generally.