§ MR. RAMSAYasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he is prepared to state now the date from which the Grants for Police and Lunacy in Scotland will become payable; and, whether the distribution of the sum to be voted in aid of the maintenance of pauper lunatics in Scotland would be applicable to all such patients who are subject to and under the General Board of Lunacy?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERThe Scotch Police Grant will be paid from the 16th of March, 1874. The provision in next year's Estimate will be for one year only—namely, that ended on the 15th of March, 1875. The Government contribution will be paid annually, because the police accounts are made up for the year, and not for the half-year, as in England. The contribution for the year to the 15th of March, 1876, will not become due until after the 31st of March, 1876, because the annual accounts will not have been audited before that date. Therefore only one year's contribution is provided for in next year's Estimate. With regard to pauper lunatics in Scotland, the date at which the Government contribution will begin will be the 14th of May, 1874. Nothing will be contributed in respect of the broken period from the 1st of April to the 14th of May, 1874, because the rate had been struck for that period long before the Government grant was announced. It is intended to make the Lunacy Grant applicable to all patients who are subject to and under 626 the inspection of the General Board of Lunacy, with two qualifications—(1), that the lunatic shall have been sent to an asylum or lunatic ward of a workhouse, &c, under order of the Lunacy Board, and (2) that the lunatic is charged upon the parochial rates.