§ MR. MANSFIELD (Lincolnshire, Spalding)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether the Order he proposes to issue sanctioning expenditure by local authorities for the celebration of the Coronation will also include expenditure by Parish Councils; and, if so, how much in the pound may be levied by them.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. WALTER LONG,) Bristol, S.As I stated last week, Parish Councils will be included in the Order referred to. With regard to the second point, the Order will sanction only the reasonable expenses of a Parish Council in the matter. There will be no special provision as to the amount they may expend for the purpose. Section 2 of the Local Government Act, 1894, however, directs that a Parish Council shall not, without the consent of a Parish Meeting, incur expenses which will involve a rate exceeding 3d. in the pound, and that the sum raised for their 649 expenses in any year shall not exceed a sum equal to a rate of 6d. in the pound on the rateable value of the parish. This section will not be affected by the Order. I may add that the Order will not legalise any expenditure on the part of the local authorities to which it refers. It will only prevent the disallowance by the district auditor of any reasonable expenses incurred by them in this matter.