asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state what is the basis on which demands are made on county councils by way of contribution from the rates towards supplementing the Employment Schemes Vote (Roads Rural).

The local contributions towards employment schemes undertaken by county councils on roads represent a flat rate percentage of the total expenditure to be incurred on the works, but in counties where the unemployment statistics are above the average and the grant allocated is correspondingly high, the rate of local contribution falls below the maximum.