§ Mr. Grimondasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how water rates of 4s. 9d. for a combined water board comprising Sutherland, Caithness, Orkney and Shetland, and 6s. 2d. for Orkney and Shetland alone, have been estimated, bearing in mind that the domestic water rate for 1964–65 in Caithness was 5s., in Thurso 3s., in Wick I s. 3d., in Sutherland 3s. 6d. and in Dunnet 6d.. while the rates in Orkney and Shetland were 3s. 9d., 3s., 2s., ls. 6d., and Is. 2d. for the various authorities.
§ Mr RossUnder Section 1 of the Water (Scotland) Act, 1949, all local authorities may raise by means of a public water rate up to one-third of their net expenditure on water supply. Normally the balance has to be raised by a domestic water rate, but in this region each county council has obtained permission to make a further contribution under Section 8 of the Act from the general county rate322W towards the cost of water supply in the landward area. It is estimated that, but for these contributions, the domestic water rates last year would have been:—
s. d. Caithness … … … 7 4 Wick … … … 1 0 Thurso … … … 3 4 Orkney … … … 14 11 Kirkwall … … … 3 0 Stromness … … … 8 Sutherland … … … 5 8 Dornoch … … … 1 4 Zetland … … … 18 6 Lerwick … … … 3 0 The estimates of 4s. 9d. and 6s. 2d. make no allowance for contributions under section 8 and are therefore comparable with the figures in the above table.