§ MR. FRASER-MACKINTOSH (Inverness-shire)asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he could state, for the information of the districts concerned, on what principle and basis is it proposed to allocate the special Grant 968 in Aid of £30,000 to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland?
THE SOLICITOR GENERAL FOR SCOTLAND (Mr. M. T. STORMONTH DARLING)(who replied) (Edinburgh and St. Andrew's Universities)said: In the event of the Probate Duties (Scotland and Ireland) Bill becoming law, the principle on which it is proposed to allocate the special grant of £30,000 is to divide the parishes in the counties specified in the Bill into four classes, according to the proportion between the rateable value and the population of each. In this way the poorer parishes will receive the larger share of the grant. In certain cases, where the Parochial Boards are in default of payment to the School Boards, it may be necessary to devote the money to aid in meeting their obligations in that respect; and, in addition, a small proportion of the £30,000 maybe excluded from the division, and assigned directly to meet exceptional cases of educational difficulty.
§ DR. CLARK (Caithness)Are we to understand that the money is to go to education?
§ MR. M. T. STORMONTH DARLINGNot entirely.