§ 16. Mr. Bevinsasked the Minister of Health the rateable value per head of population in Liverpool and Birmingham, respectively, for the purpose of equalisation grants; and the amount of such grants paid to those local authorities.
§ The Minister of Health (Mr. Aneurin Bevan)The average rateable values per head of weighted population as defined in Section 3 (2) of the Local Government Act, 1948, are, as provisionally calculated, Liverpool £6.45, Birmingham £5.37. The amount of grant provisionally calculated to be payable to Birmingham in respect of the current financial year is £952,481. Since the rateable value of Liverpool is in excess of the standard rateable value as defined in Section 2 of the Act, no Exchequer equalisation grant is payable.
§ Mr. BevinsIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the average rateable value is often a very false measure of need? Will he consider representations in special cases such as Liverpool?