§ *MR. REESI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether, in view of the facts that more than half the holdings of railway stock in this country are under £500 in amount, and that the average return upon this is only slightly above half the amount of income which disqualifies the possessor for an old-age pension, he will consider the advisability of revising the system of rating, so as to provide that railway companies shall be assessed only in respect of total net annual value.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. JOHN BURNS,) BatterseaI can only repeat the statement I made on 19th October last, in reply to a Question of my hon. friend, viz., that whether there should be any alteration in the law with regard to the assessment of railways is a matter which will receive consideration in connection with the Valuation Bill.