§ MR. H. BEAUMONTsaid, he would beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether, in the case of septennial Fire Insurance Policies which have still a few years to run, and on which Fire Insurance Duty commuted at six years was paid in advance, he will be prepared, now that the Fire Insurance Duty is abolished, to return to the insured (through the Insurance Offices) the amount of Duty paid on such Policies in respect of the period occurring after the abolition of the Duty?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERIn reply, Sir, to the Question of the hon. Member I have to remark that those who insured seven years in advance obtained the remission of one year's duty, and that the arrangement so entered into was made subject to whatever might be the pleasure of Parliament. If the duty had been raised I do not think that those insurers would have applied for permission to pay a larger sum, and they must, therefore, take their chance of what has happened. Under these circumstances, it is not the intention of Government to make any return whatever.