HC Deb 15 May 1890 vol 344 cc953-4
MR. BUCHANAN) (Edinburgh, W.

I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what way and in what proportions that part of the revenue, amounting to over £5,000,000, derived from stamps on deeds and instruments, on bills of exchange and promissory notes, on patent medicines, and from receipt and Inland Revenue stamps, for which totals for the United Kingdom only are given in the Report of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue, is apportioned in the Parliamentary Paper on "Incidence of Imperial Taxation," to England, Scotland, and Ireland; and what is the cause of the difference in the total of the tax revenue for Imperial purposes from the three kingdoms given by the above Paper at £72,729,488, and that given by the Secretary to the Treasury at £75,764,000?

MR. GOSCHEN

The revenue derived from stamps on deeds, &c., forms part of the total revenue derived under the general head of stamps, which, amounting to £12,240,954, as given in the "Incidence of Imperial Taxation" Return, was apportioned between the three kingdoms, as stated in the second part of that Return, according to the country in which the duties were collected. The hon. Member is aware that the figures in the second part of the Return related to the year 1888–9. The figure used by my hon. Friend the Secretary to the Treasury on Monday, May 5—namely, £75,764,000—was the estimated total of the tax revenue for the current year (1890–1), as against the year 1888–9, to which the Return relates, together with the taxes estimated to be applicable in aid of local rates (namely, Probate Duty, beer and spirit extra duties), that is—(1) payable into the Exchequer, £72,060,000; (2) applicable for local rates, as given in the first part of the "Incidence of Imperial Taxation" Return, £3,704,000—total £75,764,000.