§ MR. TRITTON (Lambeth, Norwood)I beg to ask the President of the Local 1668 Government Board whether his attention has been called to the great increase that has lately taken place in the rates in the Metropolis, the increase in the parish of Lambeth being from 5s. 6d. in the £1 in 1892–3, to a levy at the rate of 6s. 8d. per annum for the current half-year; and whether he will put himself in communication with the Local Authorities in that parish, in order to obtain from them particulars of the circumstances which have led to such an increase?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. H. H. FOWLER,) Wolverhampton, E.The expenditure and rating of the Metropolis is not controlled by the Local Government Board; but for the convenience of the hon. Member I have made inquiries on this subject. The churchwardens and overseers of the parish of Lambeth inform me that the rates levied in the parish in the year 1892 were at the rate of 5s. 6d. in the £1. The rate in that year would, however, have been nearly 1d. in the £1 higher had it not been that at Lady Day, 1892, the overseers had a balance in hand on account of the poor rate of nearly £19,000, which was applied in reduction of the rates levied. The rate for the current half-year is 3s. 4d. in the £1, and there is some reason to expect that the rate for the second part of the year will be less, so that it is not to be assumed that 6s. 8d. will necessarily be the rate for the year. The items which appear to show an increase in the first half of the present year, as compared with a moiety of the total amount under the several heads in the previous year, are mainly lighting and general purposes and poor rate.