§ 16 Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how the sum of £1,325,000, hitherto applied under the Agricultural Rates Act, 1896, in relief of rates upon agricultural land, will be applied in future; and whether, seeing that this amount is based upon a total rate burden upon such land of £2,700,000, of which it represents one-half, and that such burden has now increased to £4,400,000, the amount available under the Budget proposals for the relief of the rate burden upon agricultural land will in future be equivalent to at last one-half of the present total rate burden; (2) if he is aware that the Reports of the Royal Commissions on Agricultural Depression in 1896 and on Local Taxation in 1901, and the evidence upon which they were founded, showed a consensus of opinion in favour of increasing the rate relief in respect of agricultural land from one-half to three-quarters of the lull rate burden; whether, in view of the handicap which the increasing rate burden has occasioned to agricultural industry and enterprise by contrast with the far more profitable town industries, he will take the opportunity presented by the proposed alteration of the present system and basis of Government subsidies to increase the proportion of relief hitherto afforded to such land; (3) if he will state what proportion of the amount required out of rates for the cost of services administered by local authorities will, under the Budget proposals, be levied upon the basis of site value and what proportion upon the basis of assessable value; and (4) whether it is proposed, under the new scheme of local taxation foreshadowed in the Budget, to base local taxation in agricultural administrative areas partly upon the so-called site value of agricultural land; and, if so, seeing that in England and Wales the whole of such value is the result of human 1924 labour and expenditure, what species of agricultural improvements will be deemed to form part of the site for the above purpose?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Herbert Samuel)These are matters which cannot be adequately dealt with in a reply to Parliamentary questions. I would suggest to the hon. Member that they are more suited for discussion in the Debates on the Finance and Revenue Bills and on the Rating Bill of next Session.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that until some more definite details are given with regard to the position of agriculturists under the Government's financial proposals, the agricultural community remain in a state of considerable doubt as to how they should regard the proposals of the Government?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI think the hon. Member and those whom he represents will find very largely increased information in the Finance Bill when circulated, as it will be shortly.
§ Mr. HEWINSMay I ask the light hon. Gentleman whether the Government has settled the basis upon which the necessary classifications are to be made.
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELOh, yes.