§ Lord Malcolm Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in order to relieve the rating position in the Burgh of Inverness in view of the disproportionate burden carried by the burgh in increased county education costs, he will consider making a grant to the county education authority under Section 70 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1946.
§ Mr. J. StuartThe payment of special grant from the Education (Scotland) Fund to meet the needs of Highland education authorities with a comparatively low rateable value was discontinued when the equalisation grant, which was designed92W to bring up to the national average the rating resources of those authorities, came into operation, and the revival of the special grant to the county would not be an appropriate way of dealing with the situation in the burgh. An investigation into the working of the present equalisation grant arrangements is now proceeding and the representations made by the Town Council of Inverness are being kept in mind.