§ MR. FULLER (Wiltshire, Westbury)To ask the hon. Member for North Huntingdonshire, as representing the Board of Agriculture, whether he will state to what extent, in rateable value and in acreage, the total area under the jurisdiction of the rural sanitary authorities has been reduced by the formation and extension of urban districts in England and Wales between 1873 and 1903.
(Answered by Mr. Walter Long.) My hon. friend has asked me to reply to this Question. The returns made to my Department do not enable me to say to what extent the rateable value and acreage of rural districts have been reduced by the extension of urban districts between 1873 and 1903. A statement could be prepared from the returns showing to what extent the reduction is due to the formation of new urban districts between these dates, and if the hon. Member would wish to have this partial information, I will, on hearing from him to this effect, cause it to be got out and sent to him. I could also give him the acreage of rural districts in 1881 and 1903, respectively. If, however, his object is to obtain a comparison of the rateable value of lands at 557 some such interval as that to which he refers, I would draw his attention to the Return as to Rateable Property (England and Wales) made to the House of Lords in 1900, Parliamentary Paper No. 150.