§ MR. BRIDGEMAN (Shropshire, Oswestry)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if he can state the aggregate amount paid in rates by agricultural property in respect of charges for Poor Law services, police, main roads, asylums, and education; and the amount paid by all other rateable property.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSThe amount of rates levied on the occupiers of agricultural land in England and Wales has not been ascertained for any year since 1895–1896, and I am unable to give the proportionate amounts asked for. But I 1572 have had calculations made which throw some light on the subject. I may point out that the amounts raised by rates for five purposes mentioned in the Question are obtained from poor rates and other general rates and form part only of the total proceeds thereof. As regards the charges for lunatic asylums and main roads, it cannot be exactly stated how much falls on the rates as distinct from the part which falls on Exchequer Grants and other receipts. In the year 1904–1905, the expenditure under these heads amounted to £3,500,000. As to expenditure on poor relief, police, and education, the amount estimated to have fallen on rates in the year 1905–1906 was £24,200,000. Calculated on the total amount paid in the year 1895–1896 by the occupiers of agricultural land on account of poor rates, and the smaller rateable value of that property in the later year combined with the much greater rateable value of other property, the proportion of the £27,700,000 paid by them would be about £1,500,000. This calculation necessarily disregards other changes affecting the incidence of rates which have taken place in the interval.