MR. HERBERT ROBERTSI beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a notice has recently been sent by the Board of Inland Revenue to traders whose liqueur chocolates have been submitted to the Board for analysis, informing them that the sale of such articles without a licence is illegal, and directing their withdrawal from sale; whether he will state whether a general order has been issued to the officers of the Board of Inland Revenue instructing them to report to what extent such articles are being sold in their districts; and whether he can give any information as to the proof strength of the spirituous liquor found in the samples of liqueur chocolates recently submitted to the Board for analysis.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN,) Worcestershire, E.The Answer to the first Question is in the affirmative. As regards the second, a general order has been sent to the officers of Inland Revenue directing them to caution vendors that these articles cannot legally be sold by persons not holding a spirit licence, and to warn them that proceedings for recovery of the penalty incurred will be taken against persons who sell such 1336 articles without having the necessary qualification. The result of the recent analysis of samples of chocolates shows the highest strength of proof spirit to have been 33.7 per cent., i.e., 66.3 degrees under proof; and the lowest 4.8 per cent. of proof spirit, i.e., 95.2 degrees under proof.