§ VISCOUNT EMLYNasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he can, without going into details, state to the House whether any portion of the proposed increased Tax upon Carriages will 956 be applied to the maintenance of main roads in South Wales? He explained that he had asked this Question a fortnight ago, and that the right hon. Gentleman had stated in reply that he would let him see some correspondence that had passed between the right hon. Gentleman and Gentlemen representing portions of South Wales. A week afterwards, however, he had received a letter from the right hon. Gentleman saying that he regretted that the correspondence to which he had referred did not exist. Then the right hon. Gentleman went on to say that if he wanted any additional information—he had at that time received none—he was to refer to an answer given to a Question put by the hon. Member for Hertford (Mr. A. J. Balfour). He had referred to that answer, and found that it did not convey any information either. He did not mention this with a view of finding fault, but simply to explain why he asked the Question a second time.
§ MR. DODSON (for The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER)explained that his right hon. Friend was under a misapprehension when he spoke of correspondence on this subject between himself and Members from South Wales. In answer to the present Question, he could only say that the case of South Wales was a special case requiring special consideration. The Government were not prepared, however, to state their intentions with regard to it, until an opportunity was afforded them of going into details, and of explaining their complete scheme.