§ Mr. NEWMANasked the Chief Secretary the total amount of money advanced from Imperial sources, and the rate of interest and sinking fund for the housing and providing of land for agricultural labour in Ireland; the numbers of cottages with land attached that have been already provided under the Act of this House; and 1210W the deficiency for the financial year 1912–13 that has had to be met from local and Imperial sources to make good the uneconomic rents demanded from occupiers?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to Parliamentary Return No. 157 of the present Session, which gives the number of cottages built and in course of construction and the total amount of loans sanctioned and advanced respectively up to the 31st March last, the amount required to be raised annually in repayment of the loans, the poundage rate actually levied in 1911–1912 for the purposes of the Acts in each rural district, the amount of the Exchequer contribution in respect of cottages provided before 1st November, 1906, and the amount of rents received from the tenants of the cottages and plots during the year. As against the rents there must be set off the cost of repairs, insurance, rent collection and legal proceedings, as regards which particulars are given in Table C of Appendix to the Local Government Board's last Annual Report, pp. 174 to 185. Since the Act of 1906, however, 36 per cent. of the annual charge on the loans advanced by the Land Commission under the Act is borne by Government, the amount so borne in 1911–12 being £31,919. The general result for all Ireland worked out as follows:—
Outgoings. £ Annual charge on loans … … 242,250 Cost of repairs, etc. … … 30,247 £272,497
Receipts. £ Rents 107,682 Exchequer contribution on cottages before 1st November, 1906 30,811 Government subsidy of 36 per cent. Loans by Land Commission under 1906 Act 31,919 170,412 Deficit falling on local rates £102,085 The particulars for 1912–1913 cannot yet be given. The rate of interest and sinking fund now in force are the same as those in respect of Land Purchase under the Irish Land Act, 1903, namely, 2¾ interest and 10s. sinking fund.