§ Sir R. Gowerasked the Minister of Health if he will state the names of the local authorities to whom, to meet wartime difficulties, the State has accorded direct temporary aid giving the amount and the nature of the contribution in each case?
§ Mr. E. BrownI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for the Isle of Wight (Captain P. Macdonald) on 8th April, and I will send him for his private information a statement showing the names of the authorities and the total amount so far advanced in each case. As stated in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Plaistow (Mr. Thome) on 26th March last, except in special circumstances 75 per cent. of each advance is treated as grant, and the remaining 25 per cent. as an interest-free advance in respect of which the Government retains the right to call for repayment after the war in the light of the financial circumstances then obtaining.