§ 56. Mr. NEIL MACLEANasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can state the annual contributions paid to the British Exchequer by the Northern Ireland Government since 1926 and the annual sums remitted by the British Government in the same years; and the subjects upon which the contributions were paid and the purposes or subjects for which the sums were remitted?
§ Major ELLIOTI would refer the hon. Member to the figures given in my reply to the hon. Member for Walthamstow West (Mr. McEntee) on 27th June, and would add that the figures there given of the payments made to Northern Ireland since 1926 include the cost of providing the Parliament buildings, Law Courts and other public buildings, the Land Purchase Annuities collected in Northern Ireland, and the contribution payable under the Unemployment Insurance (Northern Ireland Agreement) Acts, 1926 and 1929. The Imperial Contribution paid by Northern Ireland is fixed as a single amount each year by the Joint Exchequer Board and is in respect of such Imperial liabilities as National Debt charges, Defence expenditure, Diplomatic services, etc.