HC Deb 04 June 1888 vol 326 cc1011-3
MR. STEPHENS (Middlesex, Hornsey)

asked the President of the Local Government Board, provided the Local Government (England and Wales) Bill should become law, Whether the County Councils would be entitled to borrow up to two years' annual rateable value; whether upon the same property the rural district would also be entitled to borrow up to two years' annual rateable value, in addition to unlimited powers of borrowing for the purposes of Acts, such as the Burial Acts, entrusted to the Rural District Council by Clause 47 of the Local Government Bill; whether upon the same property school boards would continue to exercise their unlimited powers of borrowing; and, whether upon the same property Poor Law Guardians would continue to exercise their unlimited powers of borrowing?

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

As the Local Government Bill is at present framed, the County Councils would be empowered, with the sanction of the Local Government Board, to borrow such sums within the limit of two years' rateable value as might be necessary for purposes for which they could properly borrow. I have already stated that there will be no indisposition on the part of the Government to assent to a reduction of the limit. The powers of the Rural District Councils of School Boards and of Boards of Guardians with regard to borrowing will not be affected by the powers which it is proposed to confer on the County Councils.

MR. FIRTH (Dundee)

said, he would ask a Question which was not of a controversial character with respect to Clause 13, as to compensation being assessed upon the difference of value at the time of the passing of the Act? In order to show the difficulty they had in the town which he bad the honour to represent, he might say it was estimated that it would take 200 years to buy the houses down to a proportion of 1 per 1,000 of the population; and the question arose, how were the persons buying—say 100 years hence—to ascertain the value at the passing of the Act?

MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)

rose to Order.

MR. SPEAKER

The hon. Member is in Order.

MR. FIRTH

I simply rose to ask the right hon. Gentleman if he would inform us whether he suggests—because it is not in the Bill—that there should be a valuation of all the public houses in England made forthwith?

THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVER NMENT BOARD (Mr. RITCHIE) (Tower Hamlets, St. George's)

I must ask the hon. and learned Gentleman to allow me to reserve what I have to say on the matter until the Committee stage of the Bill.