§ 47. Mr. LEWISasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make arrangements to present to this House a summary of the estimated expenditure of all the local authorities for the coming year at the same time as he introduces the next Budget?
§ Major ELLIOTMy right hon. Friend fears that the precise suggestion made by my hon. Friend is impracticable under the present arrangements for local budgeting. He will, however, request my right hon. Friends the Minister of Health and the Secretary of State for Scotland to bring the matter before the Committees on Local Expenditure which are in course of establishment.
§ Mr. LEWISAs to the practicability, does the right hon. and gallant Gentleman realise that these figures of the local authorities are all got out in February or early in March each year?
§ Major ELLIOTYes, but I think their consideration in the first place by the Committee on Local Expenditure would be more appropriate.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIs the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that, though they are got out in February or March, they are seldom available before early April?
§ 75. Mr. DICKIEasked the Minister of Health whether his Department intends to accede to the request of the Houghton-le-Spring Rural Council to sanction the expenditure incurred in sending a delegate to a conference after he had officially refused to give the council his permission to do so?
§ Mr. DICKIEWill the Parliamentary Secretary take steps to see that that matter is brought to the notice of all local authorities with a view to checking these joy rides at the public expense?
§ Mr. BROWNIf councils send delegates in defiance of sanction, those delegates must expect to pay for their own joy rides.