§ Mr. GRANVILLEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the discontent aroused by the proposed cuts in wages in the Civil Service, he will appoint a committee to inquire into the method of arriving at the cost-of-living figures in order to make them a truer index of the actual cost of living?
§ Mr. P. SNOWDENI would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on the 3rd February to a question put by the hon. Member for Willesden East (Mr. D. G. Somerville).
— Audited Expenditure. Appn. A/c. 1913–14. 1924–25. 1928–29. 1929–30. £ millions. Ordinary Expenditure 151.0 673.3 675.0 692.4 Revenue applied to Debt Re[...]emption 7.7 48.7 57.5 33.2 Self Balancing Expenditure (Post Office and Road Fund). 24.0 65.7 77.4 79.7 Total 182.7 787.7 809.9 805.3 In addition to the figures shown,
in 1913–s14 a sum of £654,804 was expended on the purchase of Anglo-Persian Oil Shares,
in 1928–29 a sum of £18,394,000 raised by taxation was transferred from the Exchequer to the Rating Relief Suspense Account,
in 1929–30 a sum of £2,570,000 was expended out of the Rating Relief Suspense Account, relieving the Exchequer to that extent, while a sum of £4,819,000, part of the cost of Savings Certificates interest, was met by borrowing.