§ MR. COWAN (Surrey, Guildford)To ask the Secretary to the Treasury from what source are the revising barristers paid for the annual revision of lists of voters in the United Kingdom; what was the total amount paid to revising barristers for the year 1906 for England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, respectively; how much was paid in 1906 to revising barristers for revising the lists of the county of Surrey, including the borough of Croydon; and how much was deducted in 1906 by the Treasury from local taxation moneys for costs of holding revising barristers' courts in England and Wales.
§ (Answered by Mr. Runciman.) In England and Wales half the cost of revising barristers is a final charge upon moneys voted by Parliament, and the other half is repaid by the local authorities under Section 9 of the County Electors Act, 1888. In Scotland there are no revising barristers. The work is done by the sheriffs, under 19 and 20 Vic, c. 58, s. 19, and is covered by their salaries, which are paid out of the Consolidated Fund. In Ireland, under Section 1 (4) of The Registration Ireland Act, 1898, as amended by Section 98 (9) of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, the additional cost incurred through preparing a local government supplement to the list of Parliamentary electors is repaid by the county councils. Subject to this the revising barristers are paid out of the moneys voted by Parliament. The total amount paid to revising barristers for the year 1906 was as follows, viz.:—
| £ | s. | d. | |
| England and Wales | 25,462 | 10 | 0 |
| Ireland | 3,888 | 5 | 0 |
| Total | 29,350 | 15 | 0 |
§ The amount paid to revising barristers in 1906 for revising the lists of the administrative county of Surrey and the borough of Croydon was £471 16s. 10d. The amount deducted from local taxation moneys for costs of holding revising barristers' courts in England and Wales in 1906 was £12,730 0s. 10d., irrespective of the sum of £1 4s. 2d. which was paid by the Council of the Isles of Scilly.