§ MR. HAZELL (Leicester)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, in respect of the estimated payments for rates and contributions in lieu thereof for the current year, can he state how many separate assessments make up the total of £445,000 put down in the Estimates; how many of these items have been altered since last year's Estimates; how many items are paid as rates fixed by the local authorities; and how many are contributions in lieu of rates.
§ MR. HANBURYThe number of separate assessments in the books of the ' Rates Department of the Treasury is about 5,000. Of these 5,000 about 500, or 10 per cent., have been altered since last year's Estimates. About 100 are cases rateable under special Acts of Parliament; but as the amounts actually paid are no longer limited to the statutory liabilities, the whole 5,000 are now treated as contributions in lieu of rates.