§ Sir DAVID BRYNMOR JONESasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that the county council of Glamorganshire has required the parish council of Michaelstone Lower, in that county, to provide a new public elementary schoolhouse and premises, and that the said parish council, in order to comply with the requirements of the county council, has applied for the sanction of the Local Government Board to borrow a sum of £15,000 and has received the sanction of the Board to borrow that sum on condition that it be repaid within the term of 30 years; and whether, seeing that the county council will not alter its requirements, and that the borrowing of so large a sum on condition of repayment within 30 years will so increase the liability of the ratepayers of the said parish as to involve a total annual liability on their part of over 14s. in the pound, he can see his way to affording the ratepayers of the parish some relief by extending the period for the repayment of the said sum to 60 years?
§ Mr. BURNSThe money in this case would be borrowed, not by the parish 1243W council, but by the county council, and I have sanctioned the borrowing by the latter body of £2,200 for 60 years for the purchase of the site, and of £14,800 for 30 years for the buildings, etc. Not more than three-fourths of the expenses incurred would be chargeable to the parish. I am aware of the circumstances of the case, but I do not think they are such that I could properly extend the period for the repayment of the £14,800 above referred to. I may add that, according to the information supplied to me by the assistant overseer on 9th February last the rates in the parish (including the charges in respect of these loans) would be at least 2s. 3d. in the pound less than the amount stated in the question.