MR. CLAUDE HAYHoxton) (Shoreditch,To ask Mr. Chancellor of the 498 Exchequer whether, with the view of ascertaining if larger sums would be realised by the collection by the county authorities of the gun and game licences, he will consider the expediency of transferring to the County Councils the powers of collecting the duties specified in Schedule 1 of the Local Government Act, 1888, as provided in Section 20 (3) of that Act.
(Answered by Sir Michael hicks Beach.) It is by no means certain that collection by the local authorities would increase the yield of the gun and game licence duties, and I doubt if the County Councils would care to try the experiment, especially as the cost of collection at present falls on the Exchequer. The change would raise various complicated questions which could only be decided in connection with a general resettlement of local taxation.