§ Mr. Ridleyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set up an interdepartmental committee of inquiry to report publicly into the extent and practice whereby certain public bodies and local authorities are not able to carry certain moneys from one financial year to the next, thereby encouraging them to spend the money at the end of the year irrespective of need; and if he will estimate the amount of money involved.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettNo. I see no need to set up a committee to re-examine the general rule that money voted by Parliament and unspent at the close of a financial year must be surrendered. If the hon. Member has in mind any specific public bodies, or particular types of expenditure by local authorities, and will let me know,398W these can be considered. Information is not available on which it would be possible to base any worthwhile estimate of the kind asked for in the last part of the Question.