§ MR. GEDGE (Walsall)I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer if his attention has been drawn to the follow- 72 ing case: A.B. died in January last, leaving a large sum of money to his nephew, CD., on his attaining the age of 21 (which he will do in October), but in the event of his dying under age the money is to go to three other persons, the share of one of those persons being directed to be settled. Estate Duty on A.B.'s death is being paid. If CD. lives to October next no part of the money will be settled, and if he dies in November Estate Duty will be again paid on the whole sum; but the Controller of Inland Revenue has claimed settlement Estate Duty also in respect of one-third of the amount, on the ground that it is contingently settled; and whether, in view of the fact that the injustice of this claim has been recognised by him, and prevented in the cases of persons dying after the 1st July instant, the day on which the Finance Act, 1898, commenced, he will give directions that the claim shall not be enforced in such cases?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir M. H. BHACH,) Bristol, W.Section 14 of the Finance Act of this year was intended to meet cases such as that put by the honourable Member. But it applies only in the case of deaths occurring after the commencement of the Act, and I cannot give directions which would make it retrospective.