§ MR. WALROND (Devonshire, Tiverton)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board what is the total expenditure incurred by all local bodies, excluding that on Poor Law, for the financial year 1906, or for the financial year 1905 if the figures for the former year are not available.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSThe figures for the financial year 1904–5 are not quite ready. Those for the year 1903–4 show that the total expenditure of all the local authorities in England and Wales, excluding expenditure on the relief of the poor and purposes connected therewith, was £114,573,229, inclusive of £29,407,543 defrayed out of loans.
§ MR. WALRONDI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board what is the total number of municipal officers and employees of all grades, excluding Poor Law, and the total amount of salaries, wages, gratuities, etc., received by these for the year 1906, or for 1905 if the figures for the former year are not available.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSThe Returns furnished to the Local Government Board do not give the information desired by the hon. Member. A Parliamentary Return will, however, shortly be published, showing the number of persons 1158 employed in November List by the London County Council and by the councils of County Boroughs and Metropolitan Boroughs. the remuneration of the persons employed by local authorities is often merged in the Returns in the expenditure on the purposes and undertakings in which the persons have been engaged; but the Local Taxation Returns give some particulars as to the salaries and superannuation allowances of the officers of local authorities, and I will send the hon. Member a copy of the last published summary of those Returns.