§ MR. EDWARD CARSON (Dublin University)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he can now state when he will be prepared to bring in the Bill for extending the Agricultural Rating Act, 1896, to Ireland; whether the amount to be provided by the Bill for the relief of taxation in Ireland has been ascertained; and whether the calculation of the amount due to Ireland is based upon the treatment of Ireland as a separate entity for financial purposes?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI have already several times in the course of the present Session stated that it is not the intention to introduce an Agricultural Rating Bill for Ireland. By an Act passed in the last Session an equivalent grant at the rate of nine-eightieths of the sum payable under the Agricultural Rating Act of 1896 was secured to Ireland. The precise amount payable has not yet been definitely determined for either country, but will, I understand, be known before the end of the present month.
§ MR. CARSONMay I ask whether the amount will be ascertained on the same principle as if Ireland were composed of English counties?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI have already stated the principle on which it will be ascertained.
§ MR. T. LOUGH (Islington, S.)Will the amount, whatever it may be, be allocated in the same way as under the present Bill, and when will a Bill be introduced?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURSimilar questions have been asked. I ask the right hon. Gentleman to wait until he sees the Irish legislation of this year before I can answer that.