HC Deb 19 April 1888 vol 324 cc1720-1
MR. HENRY H. FOWLER (Wolverhampton, E.)

asked the President of the Local Government Board, If he will lay a Return upon the Table of the House showing the amounts paid for existing licences and taxation proposed to be transferred in each county; the Treasury grants now paid to each county; the proportion of the Probate Duty which it is estimated each county would receive on the basis of its indoor pauperism; the estimated amount of expenditure for main roads in each county; and the general county expenditure to which the whole county contributes?

THE PRESIDENT (Mr. RITCHIE) (Tower Hamlets, St. George's)

I have more than once stated the difficulties connected with such a Return, which will prevent it being a reliable guide to what will be the financial results of our proposals, but I am very anxious to meet the evident wish of the House; and if it be understood that I cannot vouch for its absolute accuracy, I will endeavour to prepare an Estimate such as that suggested in the Question, and lay it en the Table of the House. With regard to the information asked for in the last sentence of the Question, I may say that the Annual Abstract of the County Treasurer's Accounts for the year ended Lady Day, 1887, has already been presented, and will very shortly be issued.

MR. ESSLEMONT (Aberdeen, E.)

asked, whether the right hon. Gentleman would give the same information with regard to Scotland?

MR. RITCHIE

No, Sir. The Local Government Board has no information with regard to Scotland.

MR. ESSLEMONT

asked, whether any information on the subject could be had?

MR. RITCHIE

asked the hon. Member to address his Question to the Representative of the Scotch Office.

MR. CHILDERS (Edinburgh, S.)

The right hon. Gentleman answered very precisely with reference to existing taxes. Would he give us the same information as to future taxes?

MR. RITCHIE

No, Sir; I am afraid that it is not possible for me to do so. I understand that there has been a general Estimate formed as to what the result would be; but no attempt has been made to allocate the amount for each county.

MR. CHAPLIN (Lincolnshire, Sleaford)

Would the right hon. Gentleman lot us have the Estimate which has been made?

MR. RITCHIE

It is not easy, and there is not any Estimate as to what will be the proceeds of the new taxes. It is not easy to attempt to say precisely, or to divide the product for each county. I understand there is no such information.

MR. CHILDERS

said, that when a fresh tax was being imposed it was usual to give every possible information, although some might be conjectural.

MR. RITCHIE

said, that the right hon. Gentleman had sufficient experience to know the enormous difficulty in the way of estimating the amount to be derived in every county and in every locality from new taxes.

MR. HENRY H. FOWLER

inquired, from what sources the right hon. Gentleman derived the Estimate that Staffordshire would contribute £26,000 a-year; and why he could not supply the same information with regard to other counties?

MR. RITCHIE

said, he took the proportion, in the locality he was dealing with, of the new tax as was raised from the old; but this was by no means a reliable basis of calculation.