§ 69. Miss LAWRENCEasked the Minister of Health whether he will give a list of boards of guardians who, with his consent, have borrowed money to defray the cost of out-relief; and the amount of the loan outstanding in each case?
§ Sir K. WOODI will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement giving the information sought, as far as it is available.
§ Miss LAWRENCEMay I ask whether, as this subject is very shortly to be discussed in the House, the Minister could let us have the names of these districts now, without waiting for the answer to be circulated?
§ Sir K. WOODI will hand to the hon. Member the copy which I have.
§ Miss LAWRENCEWhat I am asking is that the House shall know how many of these boards of guardians there are, and who they are, before the Debate comes On.
§ Sir K. WOODThere are several pages of names and figures, which, I am afraid, Mr. Speaker, you will not permit me to read. I will hand the copy to the hon. Member.
§ Miss LAWRENCEThis question is one of peculiar interest in regard to the Debate which is just about to take place. I do not want to ask that great pages of figures should be read out, but I do think it is important that we should know—
§ Miss LAWRENCEI do not want to be out of order, but I think it is important that we should have the numbers of the 1618 boards of guardians and their names, and I hope the Minister will give them.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe question of the hon. Member for East Ham North (Miss Lawrence) asks for a list of boards of guardians who have borrowed money to defray the cost of out-relief. Are these all affected by the Bill which is about to be discussed?
§ Sir K. WOODYes, Sir.
§ Miss LAWRENCEThey are, surely, boards of guardians who are in default, or are judged to be likely to be in default?
§ Sir K. WOODI may say that there are some 40 odd names, and I think it would be more convenient if I handed the list to the hon. Member, so that she could mention any that she may desire to mention.
§ Mr. MARRY JONES rose—
§ Mr. SPEAKERIf the House desires it, no doubt the hon. Gentleman will read the names.
§ Mr. JONESMay I ask whether the hon. Gentleman's Department is not sufficiently efficient to produce a few dozen copies of the list, at any rate, within the next hour?
§ Miss LAWRENCEI understand that, before an answer can be circulated, the consent of the hon. Member who puts the question has to be asked.
§ Sir K. WOODI will read the names.
§ Sir HENRY CRAIKOn a point of Order. May I ask, Mr. Speaker, whether it has not been repeatedly laid down, I think sometimes by yourself, that the answer to a question is at the discretion of the Minister, and not of the hon. Member who puts the question?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is a different point.
§ Sir H. CRAIKEven though it be a different point, may I not have a reply?
§ Mr. SPEAKERIt is at the discretion of the Minister whether or not he answers a question put to him, but this is only a question whether the answer should be given by being circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT, or whether part of it should now be given.
Captain BENNOn that point of Order. Do I understand you to say, Sir, that it is at the discretion of a Minister if he answers a question? May I submit to you that it is only in the discretion of a. Minister to decline to answer a question upon grounds of public interest?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI would hardly say that, but the point is quite different from the point that has just been raised.
§ Sir K. WOODThe following is a list of unions which held borrowing authority in respect of current expenditure on the 3rd July, 1926, showing the maximum amount authorised on that date, and the total indebtedness at the 31st March, 1926, of the unions which held borrowing authority at that date:
| Union. | Maximum authorised borrowing on current account on 3rd July, 1926. | Actual total indebtedness in respect of current expenses on 31st March, 1926. |
| £ | £ | |
| Abergavenny | 2,000 | — |
| Auckland | 56,000 | 21,142 |
| Barnsley | 40,000 | — |
| Barrow-in-Furness | 205,000 | 194,332 |
| Basford | 30,000 | — |
| Bedwellty | 684,000 | 634,898 |
| Bermondsey | 50,000 | 54,695 |
| Bethnal Green | 70,000 | 67,298 |
| Birmingham | 854,000 | 491,016 |
| Bridgend and Cow-bridge | 62,000 | 26,585 |
| Cannock | 10,000 | — |
| Castle Ward | 2,000 | — |
| Cheadle | 2,000 | — |
| Chesterfield | 8,000 | — |
| Chester-le-Street | 90,000 | 32,725 |
| Cockermouth | 50,000 | 8,300 |
| Crickhowell | 38,000 | 26,738 |
| Dartford | 99,000 | 96,430 |
| East and West Flegg | 1,000 | — |
| Easington | 20,000 | — |
| Gateshead | 185,000 | 87,535 |
| Greenwich | 105,000 | 81,420 |
| Hartlepool | 10,000 | 7,513 |
| Hawarden | 5,000 | — |
| Hemsworth | 50,000 | — |
| Houghton- le - Spring | 55,000 | — |
| Lanchester | 150,000 | 108,550 |
| Lincoln | 25,000 | 23,233 |
| Llanelly | 35,000 | 15,122 |
| Manchester | 80,000 | — |
| Mansfield | 20,000 | — |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 275,000 | 68,661 |
| Middlesbrough | 230,000 | 99,592 |
| Monmouth | 4,000 | — |
| Neath | 115,000 | 14,458 |
| Newcastle - under - Lyme | 10,000 | — |
| Newcastle-on-Tyne | 200,000 | 106,844 |
| Union. | Maximum authorised borrowing on current account on 3rd July, 1926. | Actual total indebtedness in respect of current expenses on 31st March, 1926. |
| £ | £ | |
| Newport (Mon.) | 50,000 | — |
| Penistone | 500 | — |
| Pontardawe | 16,000 | 3,370 |
| Pontypool | 5,000 | — |
| Pontypridd | 210,000 | 40,777 |
| Poplar | 605,500 | 505,794 |
| Prescot | 20,000 | 6,000 |
| Redruth | 30,000 | 29,655 |
| Salford | 25,000 | 37,405 |
| Sedgefield | 15,000 | — |
| Sheffield | 1,773,000 | 814,877 |
| South Shields | 150,000 | 121,223 |
| Stepney | 250,000 | 171,902 |
| Stockton | 20,000 | — |
| Stoke and Wolstanton | 25,000 | — |
| Sunderland | 15,000 | 6,913 |
| Swansea | 45,000 | 20,358 |
| Tadcaster | 5,000 | |
| Thorne | 3,000 | — |
| Tynemouth | 114,000 | — |
| Wellington (Salop) | 3,000 | 2,800 |
| West Derby | 750,000 | 785,357 |
| West Ham | 2,740,000 | 2,167,031 |
| Whitchaven | 10,000 | — |
| Wigan | 40,000 | 8,692 |
| Woolwich | 30,000 | 46,777 |
| Worksop | 20,000 | — |
| Wortley | 10,000 | — |
| Wrexham | 10,000 | — |
§ Information is not available as to the amount of loans outstanding at the present time.