HC Deb 19 December 1935 vol 307 cc1938-9
58. Mr. T. WILLIAMS

asked the Home Secretary what are the total liabilities of the Betting Control Board; and whether recent grants have been made out of profit or capital?

Mr. LLOYD

In pursuance of Section 3 (8) of the Racecourse Betting Act, 1928, the accounts of the Racecourse Betting Control Board are presented annually to Parliament. The accounts for the year 1935 are, of course, not yet available, but the published accounts for the year 1934 show that on the 31st December of that year the liabilities of the board amounted to £2,196,308. The grants referred to are made out of the excess of annual revenue over expenditure from the operations of the totalisator.

62. Mr. HALL-CAINE

asked the Home Secretary whether, before approving the recent grant from the Racecourse Betting Control Board for the assistance of horse-breeding during 1936, he took any steps to ascertain whether the grant in question would be so distributed as to benefit all types of horse-breeding in Great Britain; and whether it will be possible to arrange for any supplementary grant during 1936 to assist those sections of horse-breeding which will not benefit by the £5,000 granted to the Hunters' Improvement Society?

Mr. LLOYD

The grant of £5,000 was approved for the specific purpose of awarding premiums for thoroughbred stallions in 1936. As regards further grants for other sections of horse-breeding the board have informed me that they will bear this question in mind when preparing schemes for the application of money from the Totalisator Fund.