§ Mr. MILLARasked the Secretary for Scotland the number of parishes in Scotland in which payments have been made out of the poor rate for the relief of able-bodied unemployed under the provisions of the Poor Law (Emergency Provisions) (Scotland) Act, 1921, and the Local Authorities (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1923, the total amount of such payments made during each of the past three years, and the total amount borrowed by parish councils to meet such expenditure?
Mr. ADAMSONAltogether 324 parish councils in Scotland have made payments out of the poor rate for the relief of the able-bodied unemployed. The payments made by parish councils for relief of the able-bodied unemployed (aliment, cost of administration and interest on loans and overdraft) amounted to £705,509 in 1921–22, £1,465,783 in 1922–23, and approximately £1,072,000 in the period from 16th May, 1923, to 9th February, 1924. The figure given for the period 1923–24 is in part estimated, information being available only as regards the expenditure on aliment. The total of loans sanctioned by the Scottish Board of Health in respect of such expenditure amounted (up to 7th March) to £2,688,160.