79 and 80. Lieut.-Colonel Sir J. HOPEasked the Secretary for Scotland (1) what action the Government propose to take to give effect to the recommendations of the Departmental Committee on Local Taxation in Scotland;
(2) whether the Government have decided to give effect to the recommendation by the Departmental Committee on Local Taxation in Scotland that the education rate should be levied on the gross assessment in each parish, or whether it is proposed to continue the present system of allocating the sum due from each parish on the gross assessment and collecting the rate on an assessment with varying deductions in each parish, which causes the education rate to vary in parishes of the same county?
§ The LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. C. D. Murray)I can add nothing to the reply which I gave on behalf of my right hon. Friend to a question on this subject on the 21st June.
Sir J. HOPECannot the Secretary for Scotland make up his mind on the point raised in the second question, as the principle has been under discussion for the last three years?
§ Mr. MURRAYI. would remind my hon. and gallant Friend that the Report has been out for only a few weeks, and I would suggest that he hardly appreciates fully the complexity of the matter.