§ 2. Mr. BATEYasked the President of the Board of Education the total amounts spent in relief of distress in Northumberland and Durham, separately, from the Lord Mayor's Fund?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Lord Eustace Percy)The amounts spent from the Lord Mayor's Fund in Northumberland and Durham are £42,000 and £138,500 respectively.
§ Mr. BATEYDoes the Noble Lord consider that £138,000 for Durham is an adequate share of the Lord Mayor's Fund, when it was raised for the purpose of relieving distress?
§ Lord E. PERCYThat is not Durham's share of the Lord Mayor's Fund, but the amount that has been spent up to date.
§ Lord E. PERCYPerhaps the hon. Member will ask his next question.
§ 3. Mr. BATEYasked the President of the Board of Education the total amount subscribed to the Lord Mayor's Fund; the amount spent in relieving distress; other sums spent, and for what purpose; and the balance now in the fund?
§ 4. Miss WILKINSONasked the President of the Board of Education what is the total amount expended by the Lord Mayor's miners' relief fund; how much 2306 is at present in the fund; and whether urgent cases of need are being relieved since the closing of the fund?
§ Lord E. PERCYThe total amount subscribed to the Lord Mayor's Fund, including the amount voted by Parliament, is £1,734,300. The amount paid out of the fund is £733,000, leaving a balance of £1,001,300. The whole of the amount paid out, with the exception of relatively negligible sums spent on printing, etc., has been allocated for the purpose of relieving distress, which is not affected by the fact that collection for the fund has now closed. The salaries and expenses of the Civil servants lent by the Government to assist in the organisation are being met from the Grant-in-aid of Administration.
§ Mr. BATEYCan the Noble Lord tell us what it is proposed to do with the balance of £1,000,000 left in the Lord Mayor's Fund? With all the distress in the coalfields, is it not a disgrace that there should be so much money left in the fund?
§ Lord E. PERCYI should have thought, with the distress in the coalfields, it was a matter for congratulation that there is still £1,000,000 to spend in relief of that distress; and that money is being spent and will continue to be spent under the system of administration which has been set up by the joint committee of the Lord Mayor's Fund.
§ Miss WILKINSONIs the Noble Lord not aware that the public were asked to subscribe for an urgent and immediate need, and that no one imagines that that urgent and immediate need is over, and does he not think it would be better to spend that money in meeting that urgent need rather than have the whole thing carried over, in the way that the public is getting used to? Would it not be better to make a new appeal in the autumn and spend the money now in hand?
§ Lord E. PERCYThe money is being spent as fast as the local committees think it can be spent in a desirable manner. It is not being controlled or in any way held up by any central body, no appeal from any local committee has ever been refused, and no less amount of money has ever been sent to any locality than the local committee asked.
§ Mr. BATEYIs the Noble Lord aware that in the county of Durham tradesmen cannot get their payments made out of this fund to supply boots?