33. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the net result of the retrenchments effected by the Treasury in the Estimates for the current year in the three Classes II. (Salaries and Expenses of Civil Departments), III. (Law and Justice), and IV. (Education, Science and Art) is that the expenditure on purely local services in England, eliminating the United Kingdom services, has been increased by £409,034; that expenditure on Irish services has been in creased by £215,296, while expenditure on Scottish services has been decreased by £141,569; and whether he proposes to take any steps to secure an approximately equal distribution of retrenchment due to the War upon the services of England, Ireland, and Scotland?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEIf my hon. Friend will supply me with details of the calculations I shall be glad to have them examined. But it will be understood that a comparison between the provisions included in certain selected classes of the Estimates for a particular year is not conclusive.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that these three classes comprise all the purely local services in each of the countries?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI could not commit myself to that.
34. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the balance in hand to the credit of the Agriculture (Scotland) Fund, in consideration of the existence of which the Treasury cut down the annual Grant to the Scottish Board of Agriculture for this year from £185,000 to £10,000, was a free balance available for new work undertaken by the Board, or whether it was ear-marked for 1630 liabilities in connection with work already-undertaken by the Board or with regard to which the usual steps have been taken or for necessary capital expenditure in connection with the development of agriculture in Scotland; and whether it is the view of the Treasury that the Scottish Board of Agriculture has during the past three years failed to utilise the funds provided by Parliament for the purposes of the Small Land Holdings Act, 1911?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEIt is true that the balance was to some extent earmarked, but the Treasury satisfied themselves (without expressing any opinion on the recent administration of the Scottish Board of Agriculture) that the money was more than sufficient to meet the needs of the year.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTAre we to take it that the Scottish Office has not been able to spend the money which during the past three years has been granted to it by Parliament for the purpose of developing agriculture and similar industries in Scotland?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThat is a question which my hon. Friend must put to the Secretary for Scotland.
§ Mr. MORTONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Scottish Board of Agriculture is already practically declining to consider, applications on the ground that the money is not supplied?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI do not know that.