§ SIR JOHN DICKSON - POYNDER (Wiltshire, Chippenham)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that personal travelling expenses incurred by the members of the London County Council, in connection with committee visits to institutions administered by the Council, and within the County of London, are defrayed out of public funds; and whether he can explain the powers under which the Local Government auditor acts in passing such items without question.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. WALTER LONG,) Bristol, S.I have communicated with the auditor on this subject, and he informs me that the County Council do not pay any expenses for members attending meetings of the Council or committee meetings within the county, but that in some cases where personal inspection is required the cost of the conveyance of the members making the inspection is defrayed by the Council. The auditor states that he has allowed these expenses, feeling that they were incurred in the performance of extraordinary or special duties. I am advised that although the travelling expenses of members of a local authority engaged in their ordinary duties within their district cannot be legally charged on the rates, reasonable expenses of this kind can be so charged when incurred in connection with extraordinary services. Whether any particular service is of an extraordinary character is a question to be determined in the first instance by the auditor when the expenditure is before him, but any person aggrieved may appeal to the Local Government Board against his decision.