§ MR. HOYLE (Lancashire. S.E., Heywood)asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a Statement showing the amount now contributed to the Imperial Revenue from personal property in the form of Probate Duty by each of the counties in England and Wales.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GOSCHEN) (St. George's, Hanover Square)I regret that it is impossible to give such a Return as the hon. Member asks for. I should be very glad to possess, and make public, information as to the amount now contributed to the Imperial Revenue from personal property in the form of Probate Duty in each of the counties in England and Wales; but from the manner in which probate is taken out it is impossible to allocate the duty paid to the various counties.
§ MR. HOYLEasked, Whether the Returns did not show where the property was situated on which Probate was paid?
§ MR. GOSCHENsaid, he did not know whether the accounts showed this or not; but certainly there was no classification. For instance, the amount of personal property might be in Foreign Bonds or in Colonial Bonds. It would be impossible to allocate the various forms of property possessed by a particular person to a county.
§ MR. HANDEL COSSHAM (Bristol, E.)asked, Whether the right hon. Gentleman would be good enough to give the total of Probate Duty, if not the details?
§ MR. GOSCHENThe total of the whole of the Probate Duty is, I think, £4,000,000, or thereabouts.