Written Answers

                    The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.
                

Written Answers To Questions

Friday, 14th November, 1952

National Finance

Untaxed Interest (Notifications)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many notifications of untaxed interest have been made to the Inland Revenue under the provisions of Section 27, Finance Act, 1951; in how many cases under-assessment has been discovered; and how many cases still remain to be dealt with.

Up to 30th September, 1952, rather over one million notifications have been received. Some 700,000 have so far been examined, and under-assessment has been discovered or is suspected in about one-quarter of the cases. About 45,000 cases of underassessment have been settled.

Post-War Credits

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider setting up a scheme for the immediate repayment of Income Tax post-war credits to all those in receipt of disability pensions, regardless of age or circumstances.

The question of paying post-war credits to either general or particular classes of taxpayers is one of the matters which my right hon. Friend will consider when framing his Budget proposals.

Local Authority Loans (Treasury Communication)

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will circulate in HANSARD his recent communication to the local authorities regarding loans from the Public Works Loan Board.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will circulate in HANSARD a copy of the memorandum recently sent by the Treasury to the associations representing local authorities in connection with the Government's decision not to renew Section 1 of the Local Authorities Loans Act, 1945.

Yes. The text of the memorandum sent to the Associations representing local authorities is as follows:

1. The programmes of local authorities, undertaken in accordance with Government policy, particularly in connection with housing, will continue to require capital expenditure on a large scale. It is therefore intended that the authorities should continue to be given full access to the sources of finance for meeting approved commitments.

2. Since 1945 the Local Loans Fund has been the main source of new money for local authorities, supplemented to some extent by recourse to internal funds and by borrowing on mortgage otherwise than from the Public Works Loan Board. In the view of the Government the time has now come to extend the sources from which money can be found. It is therefore proposed to allow Section 1 of the Local Authorities Loans Act 1945 to lapse at the end of December, 1952. The direct effect of this step will be twofold; it will allow authorities to add the stock market to the sources of their finance, and it will allow them to negotiate loans on mortgage, otherwise than from the Public Works Loan Board, to the full extent for which they have authority to borrow, subject to the terms of the Control of Borrowing Order precluding borrowing for terms of less than seven years except where the loan sanction is for a shorter term.

3. The Fund will continue to provide, on the same general lines as at present, for the approved requirements of the great majority of local authorities. But some of the large authorities will be invited to consider the extent to which they can finance their needs from issues of their own stocks in the market.

4. The selection of authorities who may be expected to be able to borrow in the stock market, and the timing and amount of such loans, are matters which the Government will be glad to discuss with the local authorities concerned. But there will also be various questions to settle which will be of concern to local authorities in general, and your Association is invited to decide whether such consultations should be conducted with representatives specially appointed for the purpose or through the Local Authorities' Standing Committee.

Commonwealth Relations

Ceylon (United Kingdom Pensioners)

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will announce the result of his representations to the Ceylon Government concerning pensions being paid to pensioners in the United Kingdom.

Discussion with the Ceylon Government is still proceeding.

Seretse Khama (Banishment)

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will review the decision to ban Seretse Khama from his African homeland.

In my statement in the House on 27th March I said that Her Majesty's Government had decided that good government and the well-being of the Bamangwato Reserve required that Seretse Khama should absent himself from the Protectorate until an alternative chief had been securely established with his own native administration. Her Majesty's Government will not review this decision.

Education (Comprehensive Schools)

asked the Minister of Education how many of the secondary schools under construction at the latest date for which figures are available are intended to be comprehensive schools; and what proportion they are of the number of secondary schools being constructed.

Of the new secondary schools under construction in England Wales on 30th September, 1952 nine, or approximately 3 per cent. will be comprehensive schools.

Telephone Service West Ham

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he is aware of the urgent need for public telephones in the Ranelagh and Stephens Roads area of West Ham whether he will give instructions for the erection of telephone kiosks in this area; and how long it will be before these will be completed.

Two additional kiosks are planned for this area and if, as I hope, consents for the sites proposed are received soon, the kiosks should be completed in a few months' time.

Volume 507: debated on Friday 14 November 1952