Written Answers
Income Tax (Dividends Deduction)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any provision, in relation to the deduction of Income Tax from dividends and interest, will be made in the coming Finance Bill to meet the case of companies and others who have already prepared warrants showing deductions at 4s. 6d. in the £ for payments at dates which may prove to be subsequent to the passing of the Finance Act and who would find it impracticable to prepare fresh warrants within the limited time available?
The Finance Bill will include provisions to legalise deductions by reference to the standard rate of 4s. 6d. in the £, although they may be made after the passing of the Finance Act, if they are in fact made before 15th October next. The Bill will also contain provisions relating to the subsequent adjustment of under-deductions of tax in such cases. As was recently explained in answer to a question on a cognate matter, in the case of dividends of British companies, other than dividends payable on preferred shares at a fixed gross rate per cent., no question of any adjustment need arise because, under the existing law, the net amount of any such dividend will be taken for all Income Tax purposes to represent income of such an amount as, after deduction of tax by reference to the increased rate of 5s., is equal to the net amount paid.
Forestry Commission (Workmen's Holiday)
asked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, whether the Commissioners have come to any decision in relation to granting their workmen holidays with pay; and, if so, for how long is the period of holiday granted?
The Commissioners have not yet reached a decision.
League Of Nations (Ukraine Minority Petitions)
asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs who has taken the place of the late Foreign Secretary on the committee of three at the Council of the League of Nations dealing with Ukraine minority petitions?
Viscount Cecil of Chelwood has taken the place of the late Foreign Secretary on this committee.
Transport
Railway Electrification
asked the Minister of Transport whether the electrification of the London and North Eastern Railway line, north of King's Cross and Finsbury Park, will now be proceeded with; and at what date the work is likely to commence?
I am not in a position to add anything at present to the answer, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy, given by my predecessor to a question on this subject asked by the hon. Member for West Lewisham (Sir P. Dawson) on 22nd July.
Road Service Licences
asked the Minister of Transport the number of applications for licences under the Road Traffic Act, 1930, that have been refused up to and including 30th June, 1931, to transport operator and to persons or firms not having previously operated; and whether he is aware of the number of persons thrown out of employment by such refusal to grant licences?
I assume that my hon. Friend refers to road service licences. Up to and including 30th June, 1931, 336 applications for road service licences and backings had been refused by the traffic commissioners to whom they were made. There is, as my hon. Friend is doubtless aware, a right of appeal to me against the refusal of the traffic commissioners to grant a licence. I have no information on the last point.
asked the. Minister of Transport whether he is aware that fares have been raised by certain traffic commissioners despite the fact that traffic operators have expressed themselves as satisfied with existing fares; and whether he will give instructions to the traffic commissioners that where traffic operators are satisfied with existing fares they shall not be raised against the public?
With a view to ensuring the co-ordination of transport in the public interest, Section 72 of the Road Traffic Act expressly empowers the traffic commissioners to attach conditions regarding fares to road service licences. The manner in which the commissioners exercise their discretion in this regard comes before me only on appeal being made under the provisions of the Act. In these circumstances, it would not be right or proper for me to intervene in the manner suggested by the hon. Member.
Teachers' Pensions
asked the President of the Board of Education whether the pensions of teachers who retire during the next five years will be based upon the new lower scales of pay or upon the pay previously received, out of which they have already contributed 5 per cent.; and whether, if the lower scale is to be the accepted basis of pensions, a percentage of the contributions already paid on the higher scale will be refunded to them?
It is not proposed to make any amendments in the provisions of the Teachers (Superannuation) Act, 1925, in accordance with which the pensions of teachers are calculated. They will, therefore, continue to be based generally speaking on the average salary received during the last five years of recognised or contributory service. The Act does not admit of any return of contributions by reason of a teacher having at any time received a higher salary than that on which his pension is calculated. I may remind the hon. Member that, inasmuch as the 5 per cent. contributions by teachers were not payable before 1922, the Exchequer will in any case have to bear the main burden of the pension of those teachers who retire in the near future.
Coal Industry (Employment)
asked the Secretary for Mines whether any miners have lost their employment as a result of the quota arrangements under the Coal Mines Act, 1930?
It is not possible to specify how much any variation in employment in the mining industry is attributable to any one cause. I am, however, advised that the total output of coal permitted during each quarter of this year has been considerably in excess of the actual output, and that being so it would not appear that there has been any reduction in the total volume of employment as the result of the quota provisions of the Coal Mines Act, 1930, although the incidence of employment may have been affected.
Coal Tar Oil (War Office Experiments)
asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that the Belfast Omnibus Company has for some time been running its vehicles successfully upon a non-inflammable fuel derived from gas works by-products; and whether he will cause in vestigations to be made as to the fuel's usefulness for military purposes?
I am aware that trials have been carried out by the Belfast Omnibus Company in the use of coal tar oil. Various experiments with similar objects have been carried out by the War Office, and close attention is being given to the question.