54. Mr. Rostron Duckworthasked the Home Secretary what is the present estimated expenditure in Great Britain on fire brigades; and what are the principal sources of revenue to meet this expenditure?
§ Sir S. HoareThe expenditure on fire brigade services by local authorities in England and Wales during the year 1935–36 was £2,419,092. Precisely comparable figures for Scotland are not available, but the last published statistics show that in the year 1933–34 the expenditure on fire brigade services in Scotland amounted to £225,363. The main sources 1710 of revenue from which such expenditure is met are the local rates, the block grants, which are, of course, in aid of local expenditure generally, and payments received by the fire brigades for services rendered.