BRITISH CIVIL SERVICE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 600, 28 February 1929, Page 9

BRITISH CIVIL SERVICE

INCREASED EXPENSE THE FIGURES ANALYSED British Official Wireless RUGBY, Tuesday. Although the Civil Service estimates for the coming financial year, amounting to £308,500,000 represent an apparent increase of more than £13,000,000 on th© expenditure under this head in the past year, that expenditure includes over £2,000,000 passed this year in supplementary estimates. The increase on the last Budget figure, amounts to £15,500,000. Nearly all this increase is accounted for by the scheme to relieve industry, agriculture and the transport trades of rates under the derating scheme. Tht; Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Churchill, however, has made special provision for financing the derating scheme, and when this is taken into account the net departmental increase is only £ 108,000. The notes dealing with derating are as follow:—Grant to rating authorities in England and Wales, £12.000,000; grant to rating authorities in Scotland, £1,200,000; railway freight rates. £2,300,000; private mineral railways’ local rates grants, £27,000. With the exception of frienght rebates the grants will not become payable until after October 1, 1929, when the derating scheme as a whole will cbme into operation.

The estimated expenditure war pensions, education, old-age pensions and the services of the Ministers of Health and Labour are the principal items included in the Civil Service estimates.