§ MR. KENNYasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, If it is a fact that Mr. Daniel Best, a first class supervisor in the Inland Revenue Department, was, when in charge of an Irish district some years ago, proved to the satisfaction of the Board of Inland Revenue to have endeavoured to obtain payment of an expenditure not incurred in the public service; whether, since then, various descriptions of misconduct have been proved against him; if, within the past two years, Mr. Best has been proved, at an inquiry held by Mr. Inspector Grant at Sheffield, to have obtained under false pretences from the public Treasury numerous sums of money as rewards arising out of the detection and prosecution of persons at Sheffield for keeping unlicensed dogs; whether he was allowed to escape prosecution and retain his position as Inland Revenue officer upon refunding the money so obtained; if some officials are dismissed the public service for misconduct much less grave; and, if he will state the reasons for the leniency extended to Mr. Best?
§ MR. COURTNEYMr. Best's errors were not so grave as the terms of the Question would suggest; he has been twice severely reprimanded and removed; and the Board of Inland Revenue say that they would not have treated any other officer more severely under the circumstances.