86. Captain FABERasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state what relief he proposes to give to the counties in place of the abolition of the agricultural rates Grant, seeing that this 697 repeal only affects boroughs very slightly and the counties very seriously?
§ 107 and 108. Mr. C. BATHURSTasked (1) when the new scale of Exchequer contributions will be available towards the cost of semi-national services administered by the local authorities; and (2) how the additional revenue to be raised by fresh taxation for the purposes of local authorities will be expended in the event of the proposed Rating Bill, Valuation Bill, and other necessary enabling legislation not being passed into law?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Lloyd George)I am proposing to make a statement on these matters in the course of the Debate this afternoon.
§ 94. Mr. CASSELasked for what year has the expenditure of local authorities on police, main roads, education, and poor relief been taken in estimating the amount required to meet the new increased Grants referred to in the Budget?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe Grants have been calculated on an estimate of the probable expenditure of local authorities in the current year.
§ Mr. CASSELAs to that expenditure of local authorities, will the House be informed as to what that is?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELPerhaps the hon. and learned Gentleman would put down the question.
§ 98. Mr. CHAPLINasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can state, for purposes of comparison, the total estimated amount of the proposed Grants, for the first complete year, which will be received by each of the following local authorities, namely, county councils, councils of urban districts (including boroughs), councils of rural districts, boards of guardians, in the administrative county of England and Wales containing the largest proportion (according to rateable value) of agricultural land, namely, Parts of Holland, in Lincolnshire; and the total amount of the existing Grants received by each of the local authorities of the same county for the latest year for which figures are available?
§ 100. Mr. ROYDSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the White Paper explaining his proposals in his Financial Statement on the 4th instant, if he will state, approximately, the portions of the estimated proposed Grants in 698 the year 1915–16 which will go to urban and rural districts, respectively?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELUntil the new classification of first-class and second-class roads has been made it will not be possible to give even approximate figures for the Grants to the various authorities within the counties, and the figures for each county, as a whole, can be no more than an estimate. On the data that are available calculations have been made with respect to several agricultural counties, and these indicate that the new Grants would permit a reduction of rates in most counties of about 5d. in the £. But the circumstances differ considerably. Provision will be made that in no event shall the total Grants in any county, union, or district area be less than now.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTMay I ask whether that answer is based upon the existing expenditure of the local authorities or upon the prospective expenditure of local authorities?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELIt is based on the estimate of the present expenditure.