§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether it is a fact that certain sums of money, varying from £150 to £300, and others pro rata, were paid as gratuities to the permanent officials in the Legacy Duty and Solicitors Department of the Inland Revenue for extra services, for the purpose of gathering into the Exchequer as large a sum as possible by the end of the financial year; whether he is aware that application for similar recognition was made by the writers in the Departments referred to, in accordance with Clause 9 of their Regulations, who rendered valuable clerical service, and whose petition was strongly supported by their official chiefs; whether the Board of Inland Revenue refused to grant the prayer of the petitioners, on the ground that they had "no power" to do so; and, whether, under these circumstances, the Treasury would empower the Inland Revenue Commissioners to do so?
§ MR. HIBBERTCertain extra payments have been made to clerks in the Inland Revenue Department for special work. The copyists engaged during extra hours were paid at the proper rate, and the Board of Inland Revenue consider that rate sufficient. In any case there would probably be no power to grant a higher rate, the regulation referred to being apparently not applicable to such a case.