§ Sir R. Gowerasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the announcement made by the finance committee of the Kent County Council that in its view it will be almost impossible for certain of its coastal towns to meet the county precepts and that consequently the ratepayers of its inland towns will have to pay increased rates for county services; and whether he will consider the desirability of formulating some scheme whereby the ratepayers of other counties not so adversely affected by the war shall pay a fair proportion of the increase of rates of those counties, which increase is solely and directly attributable to the war, so as to remove the injustice to certain ratepayers caused by their having to pay abnormally high rates owing to the counties in which they resided having vulnerable coastal areas?
Mr. M. MacDonaldThe whole question of the war finance of the Kent coastal towns, including the question of county precepts, is engaging my active attention but I am not at present in a position to add anything to what I said in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for North Battersea (Mr. Douglas) on 25th July.
§ Sir R. Gowerasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the notification by certain local authorities to owners of houses in various defence districts who wish to move elsewhere, that they must go on paying rates all through the war or must promise never to return to their houses; and whether, for the safeguarding of the interests of the residents concerned, he will at once issue a statement defining the policy of his Department?
Mr. MacDonaldThe question of liability for rates is not one in regard to which I am empowered to intervene, but I would remind my hon. Friend of the moratorium provisions of the Defence (Evacuated Areas) Regulations which are applicable in certain areas.