HC Deb 30 April 1907 vol 173 cc665-9
Mr. McHUGH

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury, in regard to the £70,996 deducted in respect of land purchase transactions from grants to public bodies in Ireland, how much of that sum has been deducted in the case of each of the county boroughs Dublin, Cork, Limerick,

statement is annexed, showing the amount of the deductions in the case of the five non-county boroughs.

Waterford, Belfast, and Londonderry, and how much in the case of each of the non-county boroughs Kilkenny, Drogheda, Wexford, Clonmel, and Sligo.

(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) As has been stated by my hon. friend the Secretary to the Treasury, the sum of £70,996 refers exclusively to the liability under the Land Act of 1903. In calculating the amounts to be deducted from the several local bodies, the Local Government Board had to take into consideration the liability under the Act of 1891 as well, making a total of £73,218. The appended statements show the liability of each of the bodies mentioned in the Question in respect of the latter amount. It would require fresh calculations to determine the liability of these bodies under the Act of 1903 alone, but, having regard to the small amount to be deducted in respect of the Act of 1891, the information now furnished will

Statement showing the sums deducted from the shares of county boroughs in the Death Duty Grant recently distributed.
County boroughs. Amount deducted from share in grant as a road authority. Amount deducted from guardians' share of grant payable (on their behalf) to the county borough councils.
£ s. d. £ s. d.
Belfast 493 10 11 232 19 6
Cork 458 7 9 357 10 5
Dublin 526 9 1 360 13 0
Limerick 368 16 5 307 17 9
Londonderry 160 0 3 119 0 10
Waterford 52 3 1 72 11 5

Statement showing the sums deducted ' from the shares of boroughs other than county boroughs in the Death Duty Grant recently distributed—

Boroughs. Amount deducted from share in grant as a road authority.
£ s. d.
Clonmel 83 7 5
Drogheda 12 13 3
Kilkenny 43 12 0
Sligo 66 17 5
Wexford 34 8 7
Mr. P. A. McHUGH

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether the sums of £66 17s. 5d. and £79, deducted from the grants payable to the Sago Corporation and to the Sligo Board of Guardians in respect of the urban district respectively, are included in the sum of £1,506 deducted from the grants payable to Sligo County Council; whether the Borough of Sligo, being under its local Act responsible for a portion of the county-at-large charges, is bound to make good its portion of this £1,506; whether the average yearly contribution to the corporation of Sligo from the Local Taxation Account was, for the five years ended 31st March, 1906, only £170; and

probably be sufficient for the hon. Member's purpose—

can he say how much of the Local Taxation Grant will be payable to the corporation for the year 1906–7 after deducting the sums chargeable against it for losses in connection with land purchase.

(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The sums mentioned in the Question are included in the total liability of the county, namely, £1,506 19s. 7d. The amount deducted from the share of the Sligo County Council in respect of this liability is £638 17s. Id., and, so far as this latter sum would have been devoted to defray county-at-large charges, the Sligo Urban District will have to make good the portion which it may be required to contribute under its local Acts. The Local Government Board have no particulars to enable them to calculate the liability of the urban district on this head. The amount paid directly to the Sligo Corporation for the five years mentioned in the Question out of the Death Duty Grant (which forms portion of the Local Taxation Account), was £166, but the corporation received a further sum of £52 out of the Local Taxation Account in respect of sanitary salaries. The third instalment of the Death Duty Grant for the year 1906–7 will be paid about July next, but the amount then to be distributed cannot yet be stated. No further deductions for the year 1906–7 will be made in which the Sligo Corporation will participate.