HC Deb 23 April 1931 vol 251 cc1147-9
52. Mr. HARDIE

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the total cost to the Exchequer in connection with the putting into operation of the Rating and Valuation (Apportionment) Act, 1928; can he state, separately, the amount paid, or estimated to be payable, to the Government Land Valuation Department, including charge for extra staff; to the counsel in London and throughout the country (other than the Attorney-General and the Solicitor-General); to the Attorney-General; to the Solicitor-General; to the solicitors in London and throughout the country; and the amount of expenses to ratepayers in appeals of inland revenue officers which were unsuccessful; and can he say why in Scotland ratepayers who were successful in their appeals had to pay their own expenses, whereas such ratepayers in England recovered their expenses from the Treasury?

Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCE

As the answer is a long one and contains many figures, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. HARDIE

Can we know the amount given to the Attorney-General and the Solicitor-General?

Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCE

I think that they were given on Tuesday.

Mr. HARDIE

Is the Department, in view of the need far economy, considering wiping out all such payments?

Following is the answer:

Excluding certain administrative expenses of the Health Departments, which may be regarded as negligible, the total cost to the Exchequer in connection with the putting into operation of the Rating and Valuation (Apportionment) Act, 1928, may be estimated at approximately £220,000.

The estimated expenses of the Land Valuation Department amount to £170,000 approximately.

The amounts paid or payable to counsel, other than the Attorney-General and the Solicitor-General, may be estimated at £20,000; to the Attorney-General, at £6,400; to the Solicitor-General, at £1,750, and to outside solicitors engaged on behalf of the Crown, at £3,500.

I am not in a position to give the information referred to in the penultimate part of my hon. Friend's question. With regard to the last part of the question, I understand that it is not the practice of the Lands Valuation Appeals Court in Scotland to award costs against either party.

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