§ MR. BUCHANAN (Edinburgh, W.)asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he will take steps to ascertain the opinions of Scotch Members on the subject of the extension of the Wheel Tax and Horse Tax to Scotland; whether he is aware that there has been no general demand in Scotland of recent years for relief to local rates from Imperial Funds; and, whether he will, in the absence of such demand, abstain from imposing upon Scotland new and additional taxation? The hon. Gentleman complained that the Question did not appear on the Paper in the form in which he handed it in. He had based it upon a statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget Speech, quoting the words used; and without that basis his Question was hardly intelligible.
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid, the Question had been altered under a known Rule of the House, for the purpose of avoiding controversy as to what had previously passed in the House.
§ MR. MARK STEWART (Kirkcudbright)asked, whether it was not the fact that the assessments of the Poor Law and School Board and other rates pressed very heavily upon people?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GOSCHEN) (St. George's, Hanover Square)I will establish a basis for the Question of the hon. Member opposite by admitting and reminding the House, if necessary, that in my Budget Speech I alluded to the extension of the proposed Wheel and Horse Taxes to Scotland, and that I drew a distinction between England and Scotland, inasmuch as in Scotland there would this year be no reform of local government, and so the two countries did not stand on an entirely similar footing. And I said I would pay attention to Scotch opinion on the matter. I am not aware whether 339 or not there has been as general a demand in Scotland as there has been in England for relief to local rates from Imperial funds. I gather, however, from the Question of the hon. Member who succeeded the hon. Member for West Edinburgh, that there certainly is some demand for local relief. I will confer with the Secretary for Scotland and the Lord Advocate on this question, and endeavour to ascertain the Scotch opinion; but if Scotch Members consider that this matter ought to be treated from the Scotch point of view, I hope they will not think it necessary to vote against a Resolution framed according to the English point of view, when English Members may be asked to decide the question as far as it affects themselves.
§ MR. BUCHANANsaid, the right hon. Gentleman had told them that the exemption of Scotland from the tax was a question for the opinion of Scotch ratepayers. How was an answer to that question to be ascertained except through the expressions of opinion of the Representatives of the Scotch ratepayers in this House?
§ MR. GOSCHENsaid, he did not wish to tone down in any way the answer he had given. He should not give an answer to this Question without consultation with the Secretary for Scotland and the Lord Advocate. He would confer with them, and would communicate through them with Scotch Members on the subject.