To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that an Excise official named Mr. A. R. H Haslam reported another Excise official named Mr. William Stead to his collector and supervisor for allowing participating in, and inciting to frauds on the Revenue and on property owners at a certain distillery or warehouse in Scotland; that, in consequence of the inaction of the collector and supervisor, Mr Haslam reported the matter direct to till Board of Inland Revenue; and that Mr. Stead was summarily dismissed from the Excise service, after an inquiry was held by two inspectors; will he say why Mr. Haslam, as prosecutor, was not allowed to hear or see the evidence given before these two inspectors by the collector, supervisor, and other officials and employees; whether, seeing that Mr. Haslam was commended by the Board for having brought the irregularities under their notice, he will explain why the Board did not inflict any punishment on the collector and supervisor; and why Mr. Stead has not been prosecuted for fraud and smuggling by the Board of Inland Revenue as a result of its inquiry.

The Board of Inland Revenue inform me that there is no ground for imputing inaction to the collector or supervisor in the case referred to. Mr. Stead lost his position and his right to pension after long service as a result of the complaint made against him, and in the opinion of the Board he was thereby adequately punished for his offence.