§ 36. Mr. J. STUARTasked the Minister of Transport whether he will reconsider the decision of the divisional road engineer, Edinburgh, in refusing payment of an additional sum of £304 to the Morayshire County Council in respect of their expenditure on road improvements under the 75 per cent. grant scheme, in view of the fact that the total amount for which grants had already been authorised by his Department for 1927–28 would not have been exceeded with this addition as a result of the saving effected on the 50 per cent. and 33⅓ per cent. classification grants; and whether he will give instructions that in such cases overpayment may be made and charged against the grant on which there has been a saving, provided that such a course results in no loss to his Department?
§ The MINISTER of TRANSPORT (Colonel Ashley)I am unable to agree to the transfer of expenditure from one grant to another, but I am always prepared to consider an application relating to unavoidable excess expenditure on a particular scheme provided that good cause can be shown and that, wherever possible, prior sanction has been sought. In this case the excess was largely due to an unauthorised extension of the proposals upon which the grant was based. The county council were aware of the procedure which should have been followed, and I am unable to find any reason for departing from the usual practice of my Department.
§ Mr. STUARTDoes not my right hon. and gallant Friend realise the difficulty of estimating accurately in advance for a work of this sort, and, where there is a saving under one head, is it not reasonable that that saving should be transferred to meet the additional expenditure under another head?
§ Colonel ASHLEYThe difficulty of estimating accurately in advance is always taken into consideration in deciding whether the excess expenditure shall be allowed or not.