§ MR. MANSFIELDI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the Board of Inland Revenue has issued a note order to its officers, to the effect that the Board do not propose to take upon themselves the duty of prosecuting money-lenders who fail to register themselves as required by the Money Lenders Act, 1900, and that offences of that nature need not therefore be reported; will he give the reasons for issuing such a note, and say how, in the absence of action by the Board of Inland Revenue, this Act will be enforced.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThe officers of Inland Revenue have no special means of discovering infringements of the provisions of the Acts which are not possessed by the police and general public, but I think they should be instructed to report all cases which 717 come to their knowledge to the Board of Inland Revenue for submission to the Director of Public Prosecutions, and I am communicating with the Board of Inland Revenue to this effect. The Director of Public Prosecutions will be prepared to undertake the prosecution of any cases under the Act which may properly form the subject of proceedings, whether brought to his notice by the Inland Revenue or otherwise, as in the case of any other criminal offences.