§ MR. BOLAND: (Kerry, S.)To ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can state the total annual expenditure of the Malta Government Department of Public Works; how much is contributed by the Imperial Government, the War Office, the Admiralty, and the Malta Government respectively; what is the estimated capital value and the annual rental value of the realty administered by the Malta Public Works Department; and can he state how much of the expenditure is derived from the revenue raised by taxation.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton.) (a) The annual expenditure of the Public Works Department varies from year to year. In 1903–4 it was £114,093, including salaries. (b) The Imperial Government has agreed to contribute three-sevenths of the cost of the works mentioned in Schedule A, and 25 percent. of the cost of certain of the works mentioned in Schedule B. It also contributes to the cost of new roads which are of special benefit to the military, and to the upkeep of roads which are principally used by them. (c) The realty is not administered by the Public Works Department but by the Receiver-General. The annual rental on 31st March, 1904, was £45,042, which capitalised at 3 per cent. gives a capital of £1,501,400. (d) In the last part of the Question it is assumed that the words "derived from" should be "defrayed out of." It is impossible to say what proportion of the expenditure on public works is defrayed out of 1035 revenue raised by taxation, but the expenditure mentioned in (a) was defrayed as follows:—
| £ | |
| Out of General Revenue | 112,597 |
| Out of General Reserve Fund | 471 |
| Out of Government Immovable Property Account | 1,025 |
| £114,093 |
| Schedule A. | |||||||||
| Share of Malta Government 4s. 7d. or 57.14 per cent. | Share of Imperial Government 3s. 7d. or 42.86 per cent. | Total. | |||||||
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | |
| Constructing drainage works in Calcara, providing main sewer for Naval Hospital at Bighi, and cutting off sewer contamination of the Grand Harbour in the vicinity. | 3,302 | 17 | 2 | 2,477 | 2 | 10 | 5,780 | 0 | 0 |
| Providing an apparatus for flushing by sea water the street sewers and the intercepting sewer in the three cities. | 1,282 | 5 | 8 | 961 | 14 | 4 | 2,244 | 0 | 0 |
| Constructing a low level sewer in Valetta for the Manderaggio, Strada Toro, Strada Fontana, Strada S. Giuseppe, and Lower St. Elmo, including a pumping station, engines, pumps, etc., to intercept the flow of sewage into the harbour. Providing main sewer for Fort St. Elmo, and cutting off sewer contamination from Marsamuscetto Harbour. | 1,812 | 11 | 5 | 1,359 | 8 | 7 | 3,172 | 0 | 0 |
| Modification of the low level sewer at Senglea and Cospicua, preventing leakage of present sewer and altering the line of pipes so as to facilitate the utilisation of sites at the head of the French Creek belonging to Lords of the Admiralty. | 4,061 | 14 | 3 | 3,046 | 5 | 9 | 7,108 | 0 | 0 |
| 10,459 | 8 | 6 | 7,844 | 11 | 6 | 18,304 | 0 | 0 |