HC Deb 12 March 1957 vol 566 cc953-5
32. Mr. Deedes

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware that rural district authorities are dissatisfied by the interpretation he has given to Circular 30/55 of 14th April, 1955, whereby payment of periodic grants under the Rural Water Supplies and Sewerage Act, 1955, are started only when final settlement with the contractors is concluded, not at completion of contract or scheme; and whether, in view of the financial difficulty this is causing to a number of such authorities, he will agree that, in future, such payments shall begin on the physical completion of the scheme.

Mr. Bevins

My right hon. Friend is not aware of any general complaint about this. He is always willing to make a payment on account at a date earlier than that of final settlement with the contractor, and indeed earlier than the completion of the work, if an authority can show that an undue burden would otherwise fall on their rates.

Mr. Deedes

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that in every case eighteen months and sometimes more elapse between the completion of the scheme and the conclusion of a contract, and that that has already caused a certain amount of hardship to small local authorities? Will he, even at the cost of some administrative inconvenience to his Department, have another look at the matter to see whether it cannot be made a general rule to pay on completion of the scheme?

Mr. Bevins

As I have said, we are perfectly willing to make payments on account earlier than the final settlement with the contractors on their completion of the work. We are perfectly ready to look as this question.

42. Sir P. Agnew

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if, in exercise of his powers under Section 5 of the Water Act, 1945, he will require the Gloucester Corporation to formulate proposals for a supply of piped water to the south-western area of the Upton rural district.

Mr. Bevins

Proposals for supplying the area concerned have been formulated by the Upton on Severn Rural District Council, which is the responsible water-undertaker. These proposals are, however, dependent on a bulk supply from Gloucester City Corporation and on arrangements for supplying part of Newent Rural District. I understand that financial negotiations between the three authorities are likely to be completed shortly.