asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will give an estimate of the sum of money involved in any one year in paying to widows such post-war credits as pass to them on account of their husband's estates;

The information asked for is not available.

Will not my right hon. Friend take some steps to make the information available, in order that we may know what sum of money is involved and be able to estimate whether or not to press the Government to make these concessions?

The difficulty is that it would entail a good deal of labour to make this inquiry. We think that in present circumstances it would be inadvisable and unfair to put staff on to making this inquiry, at any rate, at the present time.

Are we to understand that when the Committee stage of the Finance Bill comes, despite the fact that the right hon. Gentleman does not know the answer, when Amendments on this subject are moved he will still say that the Government cannot afford them?

Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman would wait until we reach the Committee stage of the Finance Bill, when we shall see what happens.

How can my right hon. Friend arrive at a decision whether or not to pay these sums unless he knows what they amount to? That is what interests the House.

We certainly know the global sum, which has often been given to the House, but it has not, as is quite understandable, been split up into ages.

This is not a question of splitting it up into ages. These Questions ask what would be the sum involved, in the one case of paying sums due to widows, and in the other case of post-war credits attaching to the estates of deceased persons. Surely that information can be given.