§ BARON DE FERRIERESasked the First Lord of the Treasury, If it is true that the Inland Revenue authorities have given instructions to prosecute the manufacturers for sale of non-intoxicating beverages in whose production balm is used, but which contain no appreciable quantity of alcohol; and, if no such instructions have been given, is there any intention of doing so?
MR. GLADSTONE, in reply, said, this was a matter which was in progress at the time he took Office. The Board of Inland Revenue, as a matter of administration, found themselves in a difficulty with respect to the increasing sale of non-intoxicating beverages in which alcohol was generated in the process of manufacture just as in the case of intoxicating beverages. The Board of Inland Revenue laid down the rule that they would not prosecute in those cases where the crude alcohol was less than 3 per cent, which ought to be tolerably safe as regarded its non-intoxicating quality. In the existing state of legislation with regard to Beer and Malt Duties, there had been an entire suspension of the proceedings against the brewers of such articles, and the subject would remain for consideration until a future day.