Mr. TREVELYAN THOMSONasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the chief Inland Revenue valuation officer, Newcastle-on-Tyne, has declined to accede to an application made to him by a local authority for a district valuation officer to negotiate a site on behalf of a local authority for hospital purposes, as it does not come within the scope of their duty; and whether, in view of the fact that valuation officers at the present time are empowered to negotiate land for local authorities in respect of housing and many other matters, he will arrange for the valuation department to undertake negotiations such as those referred to?
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§ Mr. BALDWINThe Inland Revenue Valuation Department has been specially authorised to negotiate purchases of land on behalf of local authorities where the land is required for the purpose of schemes for the housing of the working classes or land settlement. The arrangement has been made in these cases in view of the financial and other responsibilities undertaken by the Central Departments concerned in connection with the initiation and execution of the local schemes in question. The case referred to in the question is not, I understand, analogous, and I am not prepared at the present time to extend the scope of the arrangement.