§ MR. BUCHANAN (Edinburgh, W.)asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, 599 When the scheme for the distribution of the sum of £240,000, to be allocated to Scotland in aid of local taxation during the present year, will be laid before Parliament; and, whether, inasmuch as the grant for main roads, which is to be a first charge on that sum, is almost exclusively a grant in favour of the county ratepayer, he will take care that the interests of the ratepayers of the towns are duly regarded in the general scheme?
§ THE CHANCELLOR, OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GOSCHEN) (St. George's, Hanover Square), in reply, said, with regard to the first part of the Question, he would give the hen. Member the earliest Notice possible as to when the proposal would be laid before Parliament. As to the second point, he was in consultation with the Secretary for Scotland; and it would be the earnest desire of both of them to do justice as between the ratepayers in the country and the ratepayers in the towns.
§ MR. BUCHANANwished to know, whether they would have the information as to how the sum was to be allocated in Scotland before the Local Government Bill for England passed through the House?
§ MR. R. PRESTON BRUCE (Fifeshire, W.)asked, whether there was any reason why the financial arrangement affecting Scotland should not be laid before the House now?
§ MR. GOSCHENsaid, there was no Vote to be taken before the information with regard to allocation to Scotland and Ireland was laid before the House. What he had said, or what he intended to say, was that a Vote would have to be taken before the sum could be allocated; but not before the Government could announce their intentions to the House. He would communicate again with the Secretary for Scotland, and he was in communication with the Chief Secretary for Ireland; and he would endeavour to give the earliest information with regard to the proposals which he should make. He could only repeat that the Government were under somewhat high pressure with regard to the preparation of the various schemes; and he was anxious that there should be every deliberation as to the best mode of distributing, both in Ireland and Scotland, those sums that would be allocated to local purposes. No 600 further delay would take place than was absolutely necessary.