§ MR. M'CRAE (Edinburgh, E.)I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, having regard to the fact that of the total amount of income-tax, inhabited house duty, and land tax leviable for the year ended 31st March, 1901, only 32 per cent. of the amount levied in England was recovered by 31st January, as against 67 per cent. of the amount levied being recovered in Scotland, and that at 28th February only 53 per cent. had been recovered in England, as against 93 per cent. collected in Scotland, he can state what action he intends to take to remedy this inequality of treatment of the two nationalities, and 962 to prevent in future the loss which the Exchequer has annually sustained.
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHThe comparative slowness of the collection in England is due to the difference in the system of collection, and it could not be assimilated to the system in Scotland without material changes in the law. There is no reason to suppose that the delay in getting in the taxes in England, as compared with Scotland, results in any ultimate loss to the revenue.