HC Deb 06 April 1897 vol 48 cc598-9
MR. T. LOUGH () Islington, W.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury with reference to the Returns of Imperial Revenue and Revenue and Expenditure, which appears on the Paper to-day, whether it will be possible to have these Returns prepared so that they might be in the hands of Members of the House during the early stages of the Debates on the Budget, instead of being kept back, as last year, until after Parliament had separated?

THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. R. W. HANBURY,) Preston

These Returns cannot be prepared until the Revenue Departments have got in their final accounts of all the various heads of Revenue in detail, and some little time must elapse before such information is available. But there shall be no unnecessary delay, and though no promise can be given that the Returns will be issued by the time of the Budget Debate, they shall be presented without fail in the course of the Session.