§ MR. FULLERI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that by the Return of Costs of County Council Elections in 1892 (No. 268), the costs differed so widely in the several counties as that in the County of Brecon the total cost chargeable to the county rate averaged 11d. for each elector on the Register, in the County of Durham 4½d., and in the County of Lancaster 1½d.; and whether the Local Government Board, in default of the County Council, will frame a scale of costs for parochial and district elections in such a manner that it will be legally impossible for the costs chargeable upon the poor rate to exceed an average of 1d. for each elector entitled to vote at any parish election under the Local Government (England and Wales) Bill?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. H. H. FOWLER, Wolverhampton, E.)The statement in the first paragraph of the question appears to be substantially accurate. It is proposed by Clause 35 (10) of the Local Government Bill that the expense of any election under the Bill shall not exceed a scale fixed by the County Council or, if the County Council make default, by the Local Government Board. In the event of this clause being adopted by the House the Local Government Board, in the event of any County Authority making default, will, before determining upon a scale, consider the matter most carefully with the view of fixing no higher scale of remuneration than the circumstances would reasonably 641 admit. I must, at the same time, point out that the scale of charges must mainly depend upon whether or not there is a contest, and not merely upon the number of electors on the Register.