HC Deb 23 April 1931 vol 251 cc1172-3W
Lord ERSKINE

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of extra financial commitments incurred by the present Government since its accession to office, showing under separate headings the expenditure in 1929 and the estimated expenditure in the current and forthcoming financial years?

Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCE

The main item of expenditure arising since the present Government took office is the payment of transitional benefit under the Unemployment Insurance (No. 2) Act, 1929, and the amount of the expenditure varies with the state of employment. The expenditure was in 1929–30, £3,980,000; in 1930–31, £22,000,000 (estimated); and in 1931–32, £30,000,000 (estimated). The principal other items of expenditure falling in the Budget due to commitments entered into by the present Government are:—

TABLE OF COMMITMENTS.
(Excluding items under £100,000.)
— Expenditure, 1929. Estimate, 1930. Estimate, 1931.
£ £ £
1. Under provisions of Unemployment Insurance Act, 1929. 3,500,000 3,500,000 3,500,000
2. Under provisions in Widows', etc., Contributory Pensions Act, 1929. 40,000 5,300,000 6,300,000
3. Agriculture and Fisheries miscellaneous new services and extensions.* 41,000 612,000 693,000
4. Forestry Commission: expansion of development programme for relief of unemployment. 100,000 283,000 110,000
5. Housing (Revision of Contributions) Act, 1929 13,000 112,000 220,000
6. Civil Service bonus, under concessions announced in July, 1929, and August, 1930. 800,000 800,000 —
7. Paid holidays to Civil Service Industrial Staffs 100,000 200,000 200,000
8. Concessions in respect of standard pay and retired pay of officers of Navy, Army and Air Force for period 1st July. 1930, to 30th June, 1931. — 103,000 34,000
9. Commitments under Part I Development (Loan Guarantees and Grants) Act, 1929. — 200,000 450,000
10. Do. Part II 100,000 350,000 1,050,000
11. Colonial Development Act, 1929 — 750,000 750,000
12. Coal Mines Act, 1930 — 12,000 217,000
13. Palestine Development Loan (£2½ millions maximum). — — 100,000
14. Housing Act, 1930 — — 220,000
15. Prolongation of Insurance Act, 1930 — — 117,000
16. Grants in respect of employment schemes (necessitous areas). — 315,000 125,000
£4,694,000 £12,537,000 £14,086,000
* Excluding provision for expenditure under the Agricultural Land (Utilisation) Bill.