§ 48. Mr. Barnesasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of rates relief which industry has received since the passing of the Rating and Valuation (Apportionment) Act, 1928; the cost to the Treasury in reimbursements to local 182 authorities; and whether, in view of the burden of rearmament on the taxpayers of the country, he will consider the repeal of the Derating Acts?
§ Sir J. SimonThe total amount of relief from rates afforded by the derating provisions of the Local Government Act, 1929, was at that time £22,292,203, of which about 60 percent, related to industrial hereditaments. The relief in Scotland afforded by the corresponding provisions in the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1929, was £3,341,403, of which about 50 percent, related to industrial hereditaments. Equivalent sums are included in the total Exchequer grants to local authorities under these Acts. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.