§ Mr. GEORGE ROBERTSasked if the Road Board sanctioned the scheme of the Norfolk County Council; if he was aware that the council was induced to accept and expend grants without being informed, until it was committed to such acceptance and expenditure, that grants would only be made contingent upon a certain proportion being expended by the council; 2192 whether he is aware that the carrying out of such a condition at this stage would involve expenditure in excess of the council's estimate for the year; whether the Board has been requested to reconsider its determination; and, if so, whether he can now state the response made or to be made to this appeal?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe details of the works of improvement in the County of Norfolk, towards which the Road Board are contributing, have been settled with the County Council, and the grants, amounting to £8,000, were made on the 28th March. It was open to the Council at any time during the settlement of the details of the works proposed to be undertaken, and is still open to them, to limit their expenditure by omitting any of the works with which they do not desire to proceed. The omission of one or more of the works would not affect the grants to the other works.
§ Mr. GEORGE ROBERTSAre councils induced to undertake responsibility without being informed of the conditions on which they are supplied with the money?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI am quite sure that if councils apply for assistance they are made acquainted with the conditions on which the grant is made.
§ Mr. LANE-FOXWill the Government consider the desirability of appointing some Member of this House who is also a member of the Road Board to inform the House as to its working?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat does not arise out of the question.
§ Mr. GEORGE ROBERTSasked the Secretary to the Treasury if it was the settled policy of the Road Board to only sanction schemes on condition that the local authority undertakes to find a specified sum; if all local authorities have been notified to this effect; and whether, as the imposition of such conditions is calculated to frustrate the promotion of schemes, he would consider the advisability of abandoning this demand upon the local authorities?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe grants which the Road Board have hitherto made towards the cost of proposed works of road improvement have taken the form of contributions to the estimated cost. The Board find that local authorities generally are quite willing to proceed with their proposed works with the assistance of the grants.
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEGenerally speaking, it must be the local authority, as the Road Board has no staff.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat does not arise out of the question.
§ Mr. JONATHAN SAMUELCan the right hon. Gentleman define what is meant by "local authority"? Does it include non-county boroughs?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEEvery application to the Road Board must come through the authority concerned.