§ 41. Captain McEWENasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the protests made by the local authorities of the counties of East Lothian, Midlothian, and Dumbartonshire against the lesser grant-in-aid of trunk-road schemes which the Ministry is giving to those counties as compared with the other counties of Scotland; and whether, in view of this unfair discrimination, he will raise the grant in these three cases to the level of the general grant given?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAThe rates of grant available to county councils for works of improvement on trunk roads vary according to their need as ascertained under the Local Government Acts formula of 1929. On this basis the three counties referred to by my hon. and gallant Friend receive more than some counties but less than others.