§ MR. CROOKS (Woolwich)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been drawn to the present distribution of the grant on account of indoor poor under Section 43 (1 b) of the Local Government Act, 1888, which is still based upon the average number of indoor poor maintained during the five years ended Lady Day, 1888, and that owing to the variations which have occurred in local pauperism since that date certain unions and parishes suffer an annual loss on the grant, such loss being equal in the case of Poplar to a rate of 1.59d. in the £ on the rateable value of the union, while certain other unions receive a grant considerably in excess of their present pauperism, one parish in the East End receiving a sum of 4.3d. in the £ upon the rateable value more than it is entitled to on its present rate of pauperism; and whether he will bring in a Bill to provide an equitable adjustment of the grant.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSI am aware of the basis upon which the grant is made as required by the enactment referred to. The Royal Commission on Local Taxation recommended the abolition of this grant and the substitutisn of another for it. The whole subject of the grant must be considered when the Government deal with the question of Local Taxation, and in the meantime I could not promise to propose legislation with regard to the basis upon which the grant is distributed.
§ MR. CROOKSAm I to understand that the question will be dealt with on the Equalisation Bill which the Government are supposed to intend to bring in?
§ MR. JOHN BURNSI cannot promise that.