asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue to date he has obtained from the additional pools tax imposed last year; whether it has been up to expectations; and how many pool promoting firms have gone out of business during the same period.

It is not possible to say what part of the revenue from pool betting is attributable to the increase in the rate of duty last year, because it is not known what the receipts would have been in the absence of the increase. As regards the last part of the Question, about 64 firms, who accounted for only a very small part of the tax receipts, have ceased to be liable to duty since April, 1949.