MR. DUNDAS WHITE (Dumbartonshire)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board, with reference to the land of about three-quarters of an acre, between Westerhope and North Warbottle, of which the annual value for rating purposes is about 27s. a year, and for which, to use it for school purposes, the Northumberland County Council recently paid about £698, or about 500 years' purchase on the annual value attributable to it for rating, whether the purchase on these terms had the approval of the Local Government Board; and whether the Local Government Board, or any other board responsible to Parliament, has advanced, or proposes to advance, the purchase money.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. MASTERMAN,) West Ham, N.The price of the land was settled by a local valuer, to whom the question was referred by agreement between the parties without a formal arbitration, and the cost of it was included in a loan which the Local Government Board 363 sanctioned in March, 1907, for the provision of the school. The county council have borrowed the money by the issue of debentures, and it will not be advanced by any Public Department.