HC Deb 15 May 1911 vol 25 cc1619-20
Mr. WEDGWOOD

asked the Secretary to the Treasury what county councils have so far received grants from the Road Board for road improvements; and how many county councils have applied for grants?

The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Hobhouse)

One hundred and twenty-seven county councils have applied to the Road Board for grants for road improvements. Grants to an aggregate amount of £160,585 have been made to the following county councils up to the 9th May, 1911:—

Argyllshire County Council
Berkshire do. do.
Buckinghamshire do. do.
Carnarvonshire do. do.
Cheshire do. do.
Essex do. do.
East Suffolk do. do.
Isle of Ely do. do.
Kent do. do.
Kesteven (Lincolnshire) do.
Lancashire do. do.
Linlithgow do. do.
Northumberland do. do.
Norfolk do. do.
Nottinghamshire do. do.
Oxfordshire do. do.
Pembrokeshire do. do.
Perthshire do. do.
Rutlandshire do. do.
Shropshire do. do.
West Sussex do. do.
In addition, grants amounting to about £466,000 have been indicated, and the details are now in course of settlement between various local authorities and the Board.

Mr. WEDGWOOD

Are we to understand that in every one of these cases a contribution is also made by the local authority?

Mr. HOBHOUSE

I do not like to answer that question off-hand, but I feel certain it is the fact.

Mr. CATHCART WASON

How is it there is only one Scotch county in the list?

Mr. HOBHOUSE

I expect some other Scotch counties are included in the £466,000.

Mr. YOUNGER

Have any grants offered to counties been refused on the ground that local contributions are demanded?

Mr. HOBHOUSE

No such case has been brought to my notice. I am not familiar with the details of the working of the Board, but that is not the fact, so far as I know.