§ Mr. WALTER REAasked the President of the Local Government Board whether the Metropolitan Water Board are seeking powers in this Session of Parliament in connection with the levy of a deficiency rate under Section 15 of the Metropolis Water Act, 1902; whether his attention has been drawn to a Report of the Finance Committee of the Board of 2nd March, 1912, expressing the strong opinion that the machinery of the Act is cumbersome and involved, and that the exclusion of so large an assessable value as £2,000,000 from liability to contribute to the precept is fraught with serious injustice to the remainder of the area; whether the powers now sought, if granted, will remove these objections; and whether he will have a Return prepared showing the rateable value of each district within the water area (arranged in the order of the Return, No. 374, of Session 1902), together with the rateable value upon which the Water Board propose to base the precepts for deficiency rate?
§ Mr. BURNSThe answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the third part of the question, the Bill which is now before Parliament does not propose to alter the incidence of the charge which was fixed by the Metropolis Water Act, 1902. I understand that the Metropolitan Water Board are preparing a statement giving the information desired.