HC Deb 30 April 1895 vol 33 cc127-8
MR. J. CALDWELL (Mid Lanark)

I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the large sums, amounting to a quarter of million of pounds annually, borne on the Imperial Estimates in respect of the Metropolitan area in connection with the maintenance and upkeep of public parks, grant to Metropolitan Fire Brigade, cost of Police Courts in London and Sheerness, cost of Metropolitan Police employed and paid by Public Departments, and in respect of the Metropolitan Police; whether, as none of such charges are granted to provincial areas, the Government will consider the expediency of letting on lease for building so much of the surplus land belonging to the nation in the public parks in London, and facing the leading thoroughfares, as may be necessary to relieve the Imperial ratepayers of all such charges; and whether, considering the demands of the local authorities in the Metropolitan district for increased valuation of Government property, he will consider the expediency, in the case of necessary additions to Government property in the Metropolis, of avoiding as far as possible expensive sites and costly buildings, and limiting the accommodation to what may be fairly necessary to meet the actual wants of the Public Service?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir WILLIAM HARCOURT,) Derby

This is rather a large financial arrangement to be called on to express an opinion upon after only 12 hours' notice. I shall require more time to consider it.

*DR. MACGREGOR (Inverness-shire)

Bearing upon the same question, perhaps I may be able to put it in a slightly more concise form. I would ask the right hon. Gentleman if he will reconsider, with a view to withdraw, the Treasury Memorandum which is said to acquiesce in the principle that Government property should be rated equally with all other property in the neighbourhood, if he is aware that Government property, so-called, belongs to the Nation, and ought the Nation, as a whole, to be called upon to relieve local burdens in London or elsewhere?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

, in reply, thought the question involved general principles to which he should be cautious in committing himself, especially as they seemed to involve the withdrawal up of a Treasury Memorandum.

MR. CALDWELL

gave notice that in Committee of Supply he should move the reduction of all grants made to London out of Imperial Funds, the corresponding charges for which, in the case of provincial areas, were borne by local rates.