HC Deb 11 December 1945 vol 417 cc350-3W
Mr. Coldrick

asked the Minister of Health the amounts advanced each year from 1940 to 1945 to individual county boroughs and boroughs, other than Metropolitan boroughs, in England and Wales, and burghs in Scotland, in order to pre-

Local Authority. 1940–41. 1941–42. 1942–43. 1943–44. 1944–45.
County Boroughs £ £ £ £ £
Bootle … … … Nil 100,000 162,000 Nil -74,000
Brighton … … … Nil 70,000 62,000 Nil Nil
Coventry … … … Nil 100,000 Nil Nil Nil
Eastbourne … … Nil 167,700 51,300 132,900 63,500
East Ham … … 30,000 167,000 171,000 193,200 -110,000
Gt. Yarmouth … … 68,800 95,900 2,000 36,000 70,600
Hastings … … … Nil 58,500 70,000 54,800 88,000
Kingston-upon-Hull … Nil 289,000 58,000 -247,000 -100,000
Plymouth … … Nil 380,000 160,000 Nil 220,000
Portsmouth … … Nil 172,000 164,000 Nil 99,000
Southampton … … Nil 23,000 76,000 16,000 Nil
Southend-on-Sea … 144,000 516,000 405,000 63,300 4,200
Swansea … … … Nil 230,000 -158,000 Nil 60,000
Wallasey … … … Nil 197,300 - 14,000 -50,000 Nil
West Ham … … 350,000 886,000 492,000 Nil Nil
Boroughs:
Aldeburgh … … 1,400 200 Nil Nil Nil
Bexhill … … … Nil 87,000 52,800 28,500 62,000
Bridlington … … 33,320 12,900 -11,020 -4,900 -1,500
Deal … … … 44,900 Nil 18,000 14,400 22,300
Dover … … … 21,900 78,700 32,600 17,000 38,400
Folkestone … … 67,600 24,800 3,000 49,400 35,500
Harwich … … … 6,700 11,000 Nil Nil Nil
Hythe … … … 9,600 18,300 5,800 4,800 14,800
Margate. … … … 89,400 89,500 73,000 62,100 59,300
New Romney … … Nil 4,900 1,700 Nil Nil
Ramsgate … … 56,000 109,000 44,100 43.500 80,800
Urban Districts:
Broadstairs … … … 12,200 29,700 32,600 16,600 22,000
Canvey Island … … 12,700 500 -2,000 Nil Nil
Clacton … … … 36,000 73,000 23,600 -23,600 Nil
Cromer … … … 3,900 2,200 3,100 4,100 4,700
Felixstowe … … Nil 6,900 200 Nil -4,100
Frinton and Walton … 4,400 12,000 7,400 Nil 3,700
Herne Bay … … 14,000 13.700 -2,100 6,400 Nil
Mablethorpe and Sutton Nil 9,600 -1,800 400 1,500
New Hunstanton … Nil 4,600 1,000 Nil 600
Sandown-Shanklin … Nil 10,100 4,400 15,680 15,300
Skegness … … … Nil 14,000 11,800 14,600 5,000
Ventnor … … … Nil Nil 2,400 2,000 -4,400
Whitley Bay … … Nil 4,000 Nil Nil -4,000
Whitstable … … Nil Nil 5,600 -2,200 1,200
Repayments are indicated by a negative sign.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has informed me that during the local financial years 1941–42 and 1944–45 the sums of £80,000 and £8,000 respectively were advanced to the

vent an increase in rates consequent upon enemy action; and the amounts repaid.

Mr. Bevan

Advances to local authorities, other than Metropolitan Boroughs, in England and Wales to enable them to maintain essential services without an unreasonable increase in rates were as follows:

Burgh of Clydebank. The sum of £88,000 is in respect of deficits in the receipts from rates over a period of five years as follows:

£
1941–42 43,000
1942–43 10,000
1943–44 12,000
1944–45 19,000
1945–46 (estimated) 31,000
£115,000

It is probable that a further advance will be made before the 15th May, 1946, in respect of the current financial year. In addition to the advances to Clydebank, assistance has been given under the scheme to Dunbarton County and the Burghs of Fraserburgh and Portknockie in exceptional circumstances.

Mr. Coldrick

asked the Minister of Health the names of the individual county boroughs and boroughs, other than Metropolitan boroughs, in England and Wales, and burghs in Scotland, where application for advances made to the Minister, in order to prevent an increase in rates consequent upon severe enemy action, had been rejected in cases where the loss of rateable value, due to destruction of property, exceeded 12 per cent. of the rateable value prevailing immediately prior to severe enemy action.

Mr. Bevan

Financial assistance has been given to local authorities in cases where the loss of income, owing to the war, was so great that there was a serious risk of a breakdown of essential local services. The loss of income arose not only from destruction of property but also from other causes such as evacuation. All the circumstances of the local authority were taken into consideration and, in particular, the loss of productivity of a penny rate compared with that in 1939–40. I am not aware, nor is my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland aware, of any case in which an application for financial assistance has been refused where this loss of productivity exceeded 12 per cent.