§ Mr. GRANTasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that the payment of grants under the Customs and Excise Account to local education authorities has been in arrears by thousands of pounds, and has imposed a substantial burden on local authorities for interest on overdrafts; and if he proposes to see that the grants are more punctually paid in the future?
§ Mr. BURNSI do not find there has been any unavoidable unpunctuality in the payments of these grants. In the financial year 1909–10 the local authorities had been by 30th November, 1909, actually paid more than they subsequently proved to be entitled to for the whole year, and it became necessary afterwards to readjust the matter in various ways. In the present financial year, in view of the fact that the Revenue Bill has not passed, it has been necessary to pay a slightly smaller sum than last year, in order to avoid the difficulties of over-payment.