§ 4. Mr. Allasonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will revise Local Government Financial Statistics 1962–63, presented to Parliament in February, 1965, to take account of the latest information.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (Mr. James MacColl)The Local Government Financial Statistics 1962–63 summarised the final accounts of local authorities for that year; thus no question of revision arises. The accounts for 1963–64 are now being tabulated, and will be published as soon as possible.
§ Mr. AllasonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that his colleague the Joint Parliamentary Secretary gave a figure of £15 million for rateborne expenditure when he spoke on rates on 5th May? Is it not extremely important that really accurate figures should be quoted to this House, in view of the great importance of rate-borne expenditure, and its relation one year with another?
§ Mr. MacCollThere tend to be accounting differences in the figures as they appear in local authority accounts and as they are paid out by us, but I quite agree that the more quickly the accounts are published the better.
§ Mr. AllasonBut is it not important to have one series of figures, so that one year can be compared with another? A difference of £15 million is really rather excessive.
§ Mr. MacCollI am afraid that in local government statistics, as in other statistics, difficult discrepancies often appear that have to be reconciled before the full value of the figures can be assessed.