§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—(1) what is the annual Crown revenue from pawnbrokers' licences in Dublin; (2) whether there is any similar tax in the British Empire; (3) does the Crown also draw a revenue from the Hackney cars and tramcars of Dublin, and to what annual amount; (4) is there any parallel for this in other cities; and (5) will he provide, in the forthcoming Irish Rating Bill, for the release by the Treasury to the Dublin Corporation of these licence duties, in aid of the local rates?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe average annual revenue from pawnbrokers licences in Dublin in the last five financial years has been £4,853. I have no information regarding the second paragraph. As to the third paragraph, the revenue from hackney vehicles, including horse trams, has averaged £3,531 in each of the last five years. A similar revenue, I understand, is derived in London, In reply to the last paragraph, I cannot give an undertaking to deal with the matter in the Bill dealing with the equivalent grant accruing to Ireland in connection with the corresponding grants for Great Britain.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Government regard the Act under which they extract £4,000 a year from the Dublin pawnbrokers as a public or a private Act?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURIn answer to that I can only say that I believe the Act dates from pre-Union times.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYIs it possible for the Dublin Corporation to appropriate this by a private Act of their own?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI cannot answer that without notice.