asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, under the terms of the Finance Bill as finally amended, the undeveloped land of a county asylum, used either for the purpose of the recreation of patients or under cultivation for the supply of produce to the asylum, will be chargeable either with Increment Tax or the Un-developed Land Tax on the capital value where such land, by reason of its proximity to towns, is of greater than agricultural value; if so, whether to both or which of such taxes; and will he give a reference to the Clause in the event of such land, or any part of it, being exempt from such taxes?

Clause 35 of the Finance Bill exempts from both Increment Value Duty and Undeveloped Land Duty land held by a rating authority.

asked the amount of duty paid on home-made and imported spirits and home-made and imported beer, respectively, and on imported wines, during the month of October in each of the years 1908 and 1909?

The following Statement gives the information requested:—

		Duty received.
		October, 1908.	October, 1909.
Spirits—	…	£	£
Home-made	…	1,533,000	1,295,000
Imported	…	332,000	263,000
Beer—	…
Home-made	…	1,067,000	1,091,000
Imported	…	2,000	2,000
Wine	…	107,000	98,000

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish revised estimates of the figures given in the White Paper, No. 147, entitled Estimated Yield of Proposed Taxation?

My right hon. Friend will be glad to publish the revised figures asked for by the hon. Member.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can state the estimated weekly loss of revenue in the present year by the delay in passing the Finance Bill, and the amount represented by new taxation coming into force only on the passing of the Act?

The only duties directly affected by the date of passing of the Finance Bill are the additional Stamp Duties, Increment Value Duty, and Reversion Duty, which under the provisions of the Bill become operative only as from that date. The loss owing to delay is, in respect of the Stamp Duties, about £30,000 per week, and in respect of Increment Value Duty probably about £1,000. Under Reversion Duty the loss will, provided the Bill receives the Royal Assent before 25th December, be insignificant. Besides this direct loss, the revenue of the current year will suffer to some extent through the delay in collecting Liquor Licence Duties, Super-tax, Undeveloped Land Duty, etc., owing to the late date at which the administrative provisions necessary for the assessment and collection of these taxes will come into effective operation. The result of this delay will be to bring into next year's accounts a certain amount of revenue which properly belongs to the current year. The total estimated yield of the taxes which come into operation as from the date of passing of the Bill is, upon the assumption that the Royal Assent is given by the end of the present month:—

Increased Stamp Duties	£450,000
Increment Value Duty	20,000
Reversion Duty	90,000

The other duties which are not at present being collected, but which come into operation from fixed dates not dependent on the actual date of passing of the Bill are:—

Increased Motor Car Licence Duties	£260,000
Liquor Licence Duties	2,100,000
Super-tax	500,000
Undeveloped Land Duty	140,000
Mineral Rights Duty	350,000

asked what decrease there has been in the arrests for drunkenness in Glasgow since the Budget Resolutions affecting whisky came into operation as compared with the previous months?

The number of convictions in the City of Glasgow in connection with drunkenness in the three months, June, July, and August, 1908, was 3,733, or an average of 1,244 per month. In the corresponding period of 1909 the number was 2,622, or an average of 874 per month. There has therefore been a decrease in the number of convictions in this period of 1,111, equivalent to an average decrease of 370 per month.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the court fees of the county courts, fixed by Treasury Order, stand as high as 3s. in the £; and whether, in view of the effect of this charge in the case of persons of small means, he will, when the Finance Bill becomes law, consider the possibility of revising county court fees so that in cases not exceeding five pounds a fee of, say, 2s. 6d., or some other amount much less than the present charge, may be prescribed?

It is the case that in contested actions in county courts the fees fixed by Treasury Order with the concurrence of the Lord Chancellor may amount to as much as 3s. in the £. Certain recommendations on the question of fees (partly contingent on the adoption of other recommendations and of economies being made as a result) have been made by the Committee which has recently reported to the Lord Chancellor on the subject of county court procedure, but I am unable to say what action will be taken with regard to them. I may add, however, that the current expenses of the county courts are more than the amount of fees received.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that persons having from £1,000 to £1,500 in banks are receiving old age pensions, whilst the poorest of the poor are left to starve; and when it is proposed to remedy this inequality by removing the disqualification entailed by the casual receipt of out-door relief?

There have been a few cases in which persons with comparatively large sums of money on deposit with banks at a low rate of interest have succeeded in qualifying for old age pensions, but my information is that such cases have not been numerous. The responsibility for the maintenance of old people who have been in receipt of poor relief of such a character as to disqualify them for old age pensions rests, under the law as it at present stands, with the Poor Law authorities. Both the points referred to in the question will be dealt with in the amending Bill which the Government hope to be able to introduce next Session.

asked whether persons who have hitherto been disqualified for the receipt of old age pensions on the ground that they have had Poor Law relief will become eligible for a pension on 1st January, 1911?

also asked whether persons now in receipt of Poor Law relief will be eligible for old age pensions on 1st January, 1911?

Under the law as it at present stands, the past receipt of poor relief will, after 31st December, 1910, cease to operate as a disqualification, and persons who before that date have been disqualified on the ground either of past or of present receipt of poor relief will become eligible for pensions as from 1st January, 1911, provided they are not actually in receipt of such relief on that date.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the quantity of spirits taken out of bond in Great Britain and Ireland during the months of May to 1st November, or the latest date to which returns are available for this year, and the amount of duty paid thereon; if he will grant a similar Return for the corresponding period of last year; whether he will state the quantity of spirits taken out of bond during the remaining months of the financial year 1908–9; and what quantity will require to be taken out for the corresponding months of the financial year 1909–10 to bring the revenue for the whole year up to what it was in the previous financial year, plus £800,000?

The quantity of spirits on which duty was paid and the amount of duty received thereon, during the months of May to October (inclusive) in each of the years 1908 and 1909 were:—

	Proof Gallons.		Duty
			£
May to October, 1908	17,484,000	…	9,608,000
May to October, 1909	9,012,000	…	6,620,000

The quantity of spirits on which duty was paid in the remaining months of the financial year, 1908–1909, was:—

		Proof Gallons
November, 1908, to March, 1909	…	18,240,000

The quantity which will require to be duty paid in the corresponding months (November, 1909, to March, 1910) of the financial year, 1909–10, to bring the revenue for the whole year up to what it was in the previous financial year, plus £800,000, is equal to 17,192,000 proof gallons.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the policy of the Budget to devote money to the maintenance of hospitals, if he will say whether the Treasury were consulted by the Admiralty in regard to the letting of the disused Coastguard stations to institutions for open-air treatmen; and whether he will consider the possibility of imposing less onerous conditions on such lettings?

My right hon. Friend does not understand the reference in the first part of the question. It is the case that the Treasury were consulted by the Admiralty in this matter; but my right hon. Friend is not aware that the conditions referred to are onerous.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the rules of the Civil Service, he will explain why the views of Sir It. Thompson in relation to the Budget have been allowed to be made public?

Sir R. Thompson received a deputation on behalf of my right hon. Friend in regard to the Land Taxes and the building trade. He was subsequently represented by one of the Members of the deputation in a letter to the Press as having made certain statements at variance with the views expressed by my right hon. Friend himself on this subject, in a letter to my hon. Friend the Member for the Tottenham Division of Middlesex. Sir It. Thompson is clearly not responsible for the publicity given to his reported remarks. My right hon. Friend also understands from him that in point of fact he did not express any opinions in any way in conflict with the views contained in my right hon. Friend's letter.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that Mr. Blaylock was employed as a pensions officer in the southern part of East Wicklow recently; whether he can state-what qualifications, if any, this gentleman possessed; whether he had any experience, and, if so, what, in valuing Irish land and growing crops, or the income or means of small occupiers; whether he is aware that his figures were sharply criticised by the local pensions committee; and whether this gentleman had any previous employment in Ireland; and, if so, what was its nature and character?

Mr. Blaylock has been employed as a pensions officer in the district referred to since May last, and previously acted as a pension officer in England from the time the Act came into operation. He has had no previous employment under this Department in Ireland. I am not aware that his figures have been sharply criticised by the local pension committee. The ultimate decision in regard to the calculation of the means of claimants rests, of course, with the Local Government Board on appeal, and it is open to them to make independent inquiry into the matter.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the 93 abstractors and tabulators in the Customs Statistical Office who have been passed over by the nomination of Messrs. Rule, Gill, and Dampier are on the lowest permanent grade in the office; if so, are these 93 men unfit to be promoted to the next grade, although a number of them are engaged on special checking duties; have these 93 men had the same chance of exhibiting ability to perform work of a higher nature as the men who have been nominated; whether Messrs. Rule, Gill, and Dampier have been engaged on the most elementary work in the office; and how has their capacity for performing work of a higher nature outside the office been determined?

All the abstractors and tabulators in the Statistical Office who have been passed over by the selection of Messrs. Rule, Gill, and Dampier for special promotion to posts outside the office are on the lowest permanent clerical grade in the office. The fact that they have been so passed over does not necessarily imply that they are unfitted for promotion to the next higher grade in the office, namely, that of minor staff officer. They have had the same opportunity of exhibiting their ability to perform work of a higher nature as Messrs. Rule, Gill, and Dampier, who have been engaged on the ordinary work of the office. The qualifications of the latter for the special promotions in question have been recognised by their official superiors, who have opportunities of gauging their general intelligence and capacity.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has received any report from the military authorities respecting the recent manœuvres of the Territorial Force in the New Forest; if so, what was the nature of the report both in its military and financial aspects; whether free access was granted to the troops for using the roads in the adjacent Crown enclosures to facilitate their manœuvres in the open forest; and if complaints of any sort have been received?

No official report of these manœuvres has been received at the War Office, but I am glad to be able to tell my hon. Friend that from the information I have received they appear to have been of a highly satisfactory nature, and the troops taking part in them have benefited by the suitable character of the area over which they manœuvred. I am glad to say that so far as I am at present aware no complaints were received, and I feel we are indebted for this to the goodwill of all the parties concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps are being taken to increase the numbers of the officers in the Special Reserve from the present strength of 1,924 to the establishment of 2,808?

No special steps are being taken in regard to this matter beyond what have been taken under the regulations; but I have every reason to hope that candidates for the special re serve of officers will be gradually forthcoming from the officers training corps.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the peace establishment in horses of the three line cavalry brigades which were trained on Salisbury Plain this year; how many horses they brought with them when they arrived for manœuvres, and how many horses were returned in the field states as fit for work after the first week?

The peace establishment of the three brigades, including chargers, is 4,635. The field states available show the fighting strengths to have been 2,680 on 1st September, and 2,511 on 10th September. It must be remembered that all the horses under six years of age were left behind, and that the regiments had already been undergoing severe brigade training for about a month previously.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether steps are being taken to ensure that officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps serving in Ireland shall this year receive the full leave to which they are entitled by the Regulations?

Under normal conditions it will now be possible to give every Royal Army Medical Corps officer serving in Ireland throughout the year full leave, provided that he is willing to take it when the exigencies of the service permit.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, at the Royal Review of Territorials lately in Norwich, the Yeomanry were mounted by the 16th Lancers, and 170 horses were sent from Colchester that day for use of the Field Artillery, and that these same horses had done duty previously on three similar occasions?

asked the Secretary of State whether he can state how many horses were borrowed from the Regular cavalry for the use of the Yeomanry at the recent Royal review at Norwich; what proportion this was to the total number used by the Yeomanry on that day; how many Regular Artillery horses were used by the Territorials at the recent Royal Review on or about the 23rd October at Norwich; and what was the proportion of these horses to the total number of horses used with the Territorial Artillery on that day?

asked the Secretary of State whether he is aware that on the occasion of the recent Royal visit to Norwich the 170 horses in the guns of the Territorial Field Artillery were supplied by the Royal Field Artillery stationed at Colchester, and the King's Own Royal Regiment Norfolk Yeomanry were mounted by the 16th Lancers, stationed in Norwich; whether he is aware that, prior to the recent Army changes, the Norfolk Yeomanry was of greater strength than at present, and that most of the non-commissioned officers and troopers owned their own horses and frequently took two to camp; and can he explain why it is necessary now either to borrow mounts or to parade these mounted corps on foot?

Ninety-five horses for the Yeomanry were supplied by the 15th Lancers out of 400 on parade; 163 horses for the Artillery were supplied by the Royal Field Artillery out of 171 on parade. No information is available at the War Office to show whether they had done similar duty on previous occasions. The strength of the Yeomanry was only five less in 1909 than in 1907. At the annual training in camp in 1909 there were present 352 horses—and of these 150 were owned by officers and men, 173 were hired, and 29 were borrowed. No information is available in regard to the numbers of officers and men who owned their own horses and took two to camp in previous years. These horses required at the Royal visit were borrowed in order to save the cost of hiring and to save owners from taking their private horses away from their ordinary work.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can state how the instructional staff of the Territorial Army compares with that allowed for the corresponding units of the late Volunteer Force?

The figures are as follows:—

	Establishment.		Adjutants		Sergt.-In-structors.
Yeomanry and Volunteers.	359,074	…	377	…	2,026
Territorial Force	312,198	…	407	…	2,125

It must also be pointed out that these figures are exclusive of the divisional staffs, who did not exist in the Volunteer Force, and who are largely employed on instructional work.