§ MR. MACVEAGH (Down, S.)I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to a recent prosecution by the Islington Borough Council in the North London Police Court, where a wine merchant was convicted and fined for selling a blend of patent spirit and brandy as genuine brandy; and, if so, will he issue intructions to prohibit the labelling in bond, under Government supervision, of blends of patent spirit and whiskey as genuine whiskey, with a view to assisting the local authorities in putting down this fraudulent trading.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThe decision does not appear to have any bearing upon this blending of patent spirit and whiskey. The law has not laid down any definition of "genuine whiskey," and the Select Committee of 1891 expressly advised that no attempt should be made to prescribe a legal definition of whiskey or to restrict the use of the name so long as the spirits added in blending are pure and contain no noxious ingredient. In these circumstances it is not open to the Treasury to issue any such instructions as those suggested by the hon. Member.
§ MR. MACVEAGHArising out of that answer, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he does not think the time has come when the Inland Revenue regulations should be so altered as to prevent these repeated frauds being carried out under Government supervision.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINI am not quite certain what the hon. Member means by these repeated expressions of fraud. I am not aware that there have been repeated frauds, but if the hon. Gentleman has any information with which he can supply me I shall be glad to look into the matter.
§ MR. MACVEAGHI have myself asked eight or nine Questions with regard to it.