ROAD FUND. (10 & 11 Geo. 5. c. 72, s. 3 (5).) ABSTRACT ACCOUNT of the Receipts into and Payments out of the Fund for the Year ended 31 March 1922. * Paid in April, 1922. = = = 10,279 234,533 741,026 10,279 975,559 932 5,056 148,685 8,960 4,291 817,914 9,347 +826,874 6,864 1 35,138 12 5 1,725 8 10 † In addition to this amount 4,7667. capitalized interest payable over a period of 10 years was outstanding at 31 March 1922. Against this balance, liabilities to the extent of 11,897,000l. existed at 31 March 1922, on account of Grants made or promised but not paid, and Cost of Collection, &c., due to Local Authorities. The free balance is part of the collection of duties during the three months January to March, 1922, to be devoted to Grants during 1922-23. W. F. Marwood, Accounting Officer. I have examined the above Accounts. I have obtained all the information and explanations that I have required, and I certify, as the result of my audit, that in my opinion the above Accounts are correct. Malcolm G. Ramsay, Comptroller and Auditor General. REPORT OF THE COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL. Road Works for Relief of Unemployment. 1. The Road Fund Account shows that considerable payments have been made during 1921-22 on account of the cost of road works in Great Britain, which have been put in hand sooner than they would have been, with a view to the relief of unemployment. Towards the cost of these services large sums have been received from Voted Moneys as follows:: (a) 470,000l. issued from Unclassified Services Vote 12-" Road GrantsUnemployment Relief," Subhead A-to cover loans made to Local Authorities. This sum has now been repaid by the Road Fund. (b) 380,000l. from Subhead B of the same Vote on account of contributions equal to twelve fortieths of the sums finally chargeable to the Road Fund in connexion with the 1920-21 Programme. (c) 260,000l. from Unclassified Services Vote 13-" Unemployment Grants ". towards a total estimated cost of 588,000l. for certain works in the 1920-21 programme to be carried out by the Roads Department of the Ministry of Transport through contractors. (d) 563,000l. from Unclassified Services Vote 18-" Relief of Unemployment towards a total estimated cost of 2,327,000l. for works in the 1921-22 programme, carried out in the same manner as in the preceding paragraph. In the printed Report by the Ministry of Transport on the Administration of the Road Fund for 1921-22 (paragraphs 8 to 10) particulars are given of the works referred to above, in respect of which very large commitments remained at 31 March x 19638 B REPORT OF THE COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL-continued. Transfer to Northern Ireland. 2. The Account includes a payment to the Government of Northern Ireland of 100,000l. on account of that Government's share of the Road Fund at 22 November 1921, from which date the Fund ceased to receive Motor Vehicle Duties collected in Northern Ireland, and to be chargeable with grants for North Irish Roads. This payment on account has been duly covered by an order made by the Joint Exchequer Board, determining the principles on which apportionment to Northern Ireland is to be made. Further advances amounting to 110,000l. have been made in 1922-23, and any Report that may be found to be necessary in regard to transfer to this Government and to the Irish Free State will be made on the Account of that year. EXCHEQUER AND AUDIT DEPARTMENT, 15 February 1923. Malcolm G. Ramsay, Comptroller and Auditor General. Printed under the authority of HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE |