HC Deb 29 June 1897 vol 50 cc806-8

For the purposes of this Act a fund (to be called the Congested Districts (Scotland) Fund) shall he constituted, to which shall, front time to time, he carried,—

  1. (1) The sum of fifteen thousand pounds annually available for the improvement of congested districts in the Highlands and. Islands of Scotland, under and during the continuance of the Agricultural Rates, Congested Districts, and Burgh Land Tax Relief (Scotland) Act 1896; and
  2. (2) any sums not exceeding twenty thousand pound, annually voted by Parliament for the said purpose and during the. said continuance; and
  3. (3) any moneys received for payment of interest or repayment of principal of any loan made by the Commissioners under the provisions of this Act; and
  4. (4) any other sums applicable to the purposes of this Act.

*MR HEDDERWICK moved to omit from Sub-section (2) the words "any sums not exceeding twenty thousand pounds annually voted by Parliament for the said purpose," in order to substitute the words, "any additional sum annually voted by Parliament."

*THE CHAIRMAN OF WAYS AND MEANS

This Amendment is not on the Paper, and I have not seen it before. But if it means anything, it means that sums beyond the £20,000 to which the Committee has already given its assent, may be allocated by Parliament for this particular purpose, and, if that is so, it would be out of order.

*MR HEDDERWICK

said that if the Act proved a great success the Government might like to spend more than £20,000 a year on the work, and he desired to secure by his Amendment that their hands should be free for the purpose.

*THE CHAIRMAN OF WAYS AND MEANS

That is an argument against the original Resolution, and the hon. Member should have made his objection when it was moved. The Committee have decided that £20,000 should he the maximum sum, and therefore the Committee cannot now go beyond that sum.

MR. CALDWELL moved to omit from Sub-section (2) the words, "during the said continuance;" he could not see the reason for those words, as he took it the £20,000 was not to be limited to five years but to be paid for ever.

*THE LORD ADVOCATE

said he could not accept the Amendment; the Bill embodied the financial proposals accepted by the Treasury. After five years they would see how the Act worked and it would then be for the liberality of Parliament to provide other means.

MR. McLEOD

said that the Resolution which had been submitted to the House was drawn in such terms, that until the House came to another decision the Treasury might go on paying the £20,000. Therefore the difficulty the Lord Advocate apprehended could not arise. On reading the Bill it never occurred to him for a moment that they were limited to five years, and he believed that the Lord Advocate drafted the first sub-section in its present form because he was of opinion that the Agricultural Rates Act would continue in operation for longer than five years. He was fully persuaded that if the Lord Advocate would consult the Treasury he would find that they would raise no difficulty whatever.

*MR. WEIR

said there was no reason why in future they should not receive £50,000, £60,000 or even £100,000, in one year. In future years there should not be the expenditure of millions on naval armaments. The Treasury would be in possession of considerable funds, and he hoped would not only be able but willing to put much more than £20,000 at the disposal of the Secretary for Scotland and the Congested Districts Board for Scotland.

Question put, "That the words and during the said continuance,' stand part of the Clause."

The Committee divided: —Ayes, 137; Noes, 48.—(Division List, No. 258.)

Clause ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 4,—