§ Mr. Ellis Smithasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will set out in a table the grants made for schemes of open space under Sections 93 and 94 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, and the equivalent Sections of the 1954 Act, showing the total capital expenditure allowed since the Acts came into operation, the amount for 1955–56, and the percentage of such grants paid to the London County Council, Staffordshire, Lancashire, Hammersmith, Acton, Ealing, Oxford, Southall, Windsor, Barking, Hackney, Kingston-upon-Hull, Marylebone, Shoreditch, Stoke-on-Trent, Stockport, Manchester, Salford, Oldham, Eccles, and Preston, respectively.
§ Mr. H. BrookeThe total expenditure by all authorities in England and Wales on public open space schemes in respect of which grant has been paid, and the total amount of grants paid in respect of that expenditure, are as follows:
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— Expenditure Grants Annual Lump sum £ £ £ Financial year 1955–56 980,160 14,149 4,454 Totals up to 31st March, 1958 1,303,481 31,628 21,932 No expenditure on public open space schemes which attract grant had been incurred by Staffordshire, Lancashire, Stoke-on-Trent, Stockport, Manchester, Salford, Oldham, Eccles or Preston up to 31st March, 1958.
The information in respect of the other authorities referred to in the Question is as follows:
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Authority Total in 1955–56 Capital Expenditure Annual Lump Sum £ £ £ London C.C. 799,464 11,134 — Hammersmith 121,566 2,186 — Acton — — — Ealing — — — Oxford — — — Southall — — — Windsor — — — Barking 28,912 487 — Hackney 3,581 65 — Kingston-upon-Hull 10,454 165 130 Marylebone 5,944 — 1,056 Shoreditch 3,083 — 1,110 Total £ 973,004 14,037 2,296 Total to 31.3.1958 London C.C. 799,464 12,618 — Hammersmith 121,566 6,453 — Acton 19,735 587 — Ealing 13,107 328 433 Oxford 9,577 520 — Southall 14,264 613 434 Windsor 6,291 173 — Barking 28,912 1,461 — Hackney 3,847 203 — Kingston-upon-Hull 10,454 495 130 Marylebone 5,944 — 1,189 Shoreditch 3,083 — 1,233 Total £ 1,036,244 23,451 3,419 The capital expenditure is shown for the year in which grant was first paid, but may not all have been incurred in that year. Grant is normally paid annually for sixty years as a percentage of the annual loan charges on the expenditure, but when the total expenditure is small, it may be paid as a single lump sum payment.
At 31st March, 1958, a number of claims from previous years were outstanding including claims from the London County Council going back to 1955–56.
Some public open space is also provided as part of comprehensive redevelopment, but separate figures are not available.
For expenditure incurred earlier than 1st April, 1955, the rate of grant was the rate appropriate to the year concerned, i.e. from 20 per cent. to 50 per cent. according to the financial resources of the local authority.
From 1st April, 1955, under the revised scheme introduced under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1954, the rate of grant has normally been 50 per cent., but it may be increased to not more than 75 per cent. according to the financial resources of the authority and the amount of the expenditure. The rate of grant on expenditure incurred since 1st April, 1955, in all the cases in which the hon. Member is interested is 50 per cent., except for Southall, where it was 60 per cent. for 1956–57.