§ Sir K. WOODasked the Minister of Health (1) the date and, generally, the terms of the communication he has recently made to the Woolwich Borough Council concerning the Local Government Act and its effect on the finances of the borough; and whether, in the course of his consideration, he was made aware that no provision was made by the late Woolwich Poor Law Guardians during the current half-year for the usual working balance to meet the necessary expenditure on account of Poor Law relief;
(2) whether he has recently received a resolution from the Woolwich Borough Council referring to the increase of rates in the borough and alleging that they are occasioned by the operation of the Local Government Act, and requesting the Government to institute an inquiry into the Act and, pending a Report thereon, to introduce a Bill for the further equalisation of rates in London; whether he proposes to take any action in the matter; whether he has any information which supports such contention concerning the effect of the Act in Woolwich; and whether, in his sanction of the requisite payments under the Act for London and the respective borough councils, including Woolwich, all the guarantees and payments under the Act have been duly fulfilled and made?
§ Mr. GREENWOODA communication was addressed by my Department on 5th April to the Woolwich Borough Council in reply to a letter calling my attention to a proposed increase of the poundage of the rates in the borough for the year 1930–31 alleged to be due to the operation of the Local Government Act. In the communication referred to, the course of rates in the borough in recent years was reviewed; it was pointed out that a considerable reduction of the rate was made in the year 1929–30 owing to the use by the guardians of the Woolwich Union of accumulated cash balances which would in itself account for the greater part of the proposed increase; the working of Section 100 of the Act was explained; and it was stated that, while the Minister was not prepared to accept the asertion of the council as to the cause of the proposed increase, he would give careful consideration to any adequate review of the rate position in2380W the borough as affected by the operation of the Act which the council might, decide to submit to him. As regards the last part of the second question, as I explained to the right hon. Member in my reply to his question of 24th March, the grants payable to the London County Council and the London borough councils have necessarily been based on provisional calculations and are subject to revision.