§ MR. HENRY H. FOWLER (Wolverhampton, E.)asked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a statement showing the present amount paid for the licences mentioned in Sections 18 and 20 of the Local Government Bill, in each of the counties in England and Wales, and distinguishing the amounts paid by the inhabitants of the Quarter Sessions boroughs mentioned in Clause 31?
§ THE PRESIDENT (Mr. RITCHIE) (Tower Hamlets, St. George's)The 705 proceeds of the Licence Duties now levied as received by the Inland Revenue have reference to collections, and not to counties or boroughs. Any analysis, such as that suggested, if undertaken by the local officers, would be a work of much labour, and involve considerable time; and, as regards licences issued through post offices, the allocation to counties could only be of an approximate nature. Moreover, no estimate could be given as to the produce of the proposed licences for trade carts and horses in the different counties and boroughs. It is also to be borne in mind that, as regards the licences which are not required to be taken out in a particular district, it is not improbable that there would be material charges as regards the districts in which they will be taken out in future. I am afraid, therefore, that such a Return as that suggested would be of little real value.
§ MR. HENRY H. FOWLERthought the right hon. Gentleman had misunderstood his Question. There could be no difficulty in obtaining the information mentioned in the Question, for he had been supplied with it as far as regarded the town of Wolverhampton.
§ MR. RITCHIEsaid, that the amounts were not allocated to counties or boroughs, but to collections.
In reply to a further Question,
§ MR. RITCHIEsaid, it would be possible for him to grant the right hon. Gentleman a Return of the existing public-house and beer licences.