HC Deb 22 July 1958 vol 592 cc204-5
26. Mr. Harold Davies

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what grants he has made and the purposes for which they were made to the Cheadle rural district area from 1945 to 1958.

Mr. Bevins

As the Answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Davies

I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for that reply. Where there are beauty spots in the areas of local authorities with a small population of only a few hundreds which may be increased to thousands at weekends, does not the Parliamentary Secretary agree that there is some case for a special review by the Government with a view to increasing grants for providing sewerage and water facilities? Will he consider that, or is anything already being done about the matter?

Mr. Bevins

That is primarily a matter for local authorities, as the hon. Member knows, but I can tell him that during the last six years grants to the tune of about £80,000 for water and sewerage have been paid to this authority.

Following are the figures:
The grants paid to the Cheadle Rural District Council in respect of purposes for which the Minister of Housing and Local Government is now responsible, for each of the years from 1945–46 to 1957–58, were as shown in the following table:—
Year Rural Water Supply and Sewerage Compensation for loss of rates on extinguishment of tithe rent charge Subsidies under the Local Government Acts, 1929 and 1946 Housing Subsidies Civil Defence and Evacuation
£ £ £ £ £
1945–46 … … — 641 5,882 6,325 311
1946–47 … … — 629 6,008 6,270 367
1947–48 … … — 618 1,255 7,944 —
1948–49 … … — 606 — 10,078 —
1949–50 … … — 596 — 12,043 —
1950–51 … … — 584 — 13,793 —
1951–52 … … — 574 — 15,002 —
1952–53 … … 3,000 562 — 18,651 16
1953–54 … … 75,000 552 — 22,822 —
1954–55 … … 4,000 540 — 37,125 —
1955–56 … … 463 530 — 39,191 —
1956–57 … … 778 518 — 38,085 —
1957–58 … … 778 508 — 42,772 —
Totals … … 84,019 7,458 13,145 270,101 694
Total: £375,000 approximately.