§ 10. Mr. C. BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Agriculture, if he will state, approximately, what was the amount expended in 1913 upon the administration of the Tuberculosis Order, 1913, in England and Wales; whether it amounts to more than three times the aggregate sum paid by way of compensation under this Order; whether, seeing that less than £2,000 has been expended 558 by the Board upon compensation out of a total Exchequer Grant at the rate of £60,000 per annum, the balance of such Grant will be remitted to the Treasury or will continue to be available for the above purpose; and when he expects to be able to state the result of his negotiations with the Treasury in respect of a revision of the basis of valuation and the scale of compensation prescribed in the Order?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe collection of the material required to enable me to give a precise answer to the first and second parts of the question would involve correspondence with every local authority in the country, and would take a considerable time. But from the information in the possession of the Board it is evident that the administrative expenses have substantially exceeded the amount of compensation paid under the Tuberculosis Order during the year 1913. The Board have made representations to the Treasury on this point, but I cannot say when a decision may be arrived at. Any unexpended balance from the Board's Estimates at the end of the financial year will, in the usual course, be surrendered to the Treasury.