§ DR. HUTCHINSON (Sussex, Rye)I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can state the results of the analysis made by the officials of the Inland Revenue during the past two years ending April 30th, 1905, of all the ingredients used in the manufacture of beer, including regenerators and yeast foods, and whether the Inland Revenue officers have full knowledge of all the-substances used by brewers in the manufacture of beer; and will he state what penalties, if any, there are against the-brewer for not making a full return of all the materials he uses.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN, Worcestershire, E.)During the two years ended April 30th, 1905, the following samples of materials used in brewing have been examined at the Government Laboratory:—1,893 samples of malt, rice, and maize, in various forms, sugar, glucose, invert sugar, syrups, etc.; 238 samples of yeast foods, heading powders, and liquids, antacids, antiseptics, hop. 957 substitutes, etc. The object of the analysis of these samples was either the determination of the brewing value for revenue purposes, or to test their purity, particularly as regards freedom from arsenic. The results of the analysis may be summarised as follows:—In 1,972 cases no objection was raised to the articles of which samples were examined. In seventy-nine cases the articles submitted were not objected to, but the applicants were informed that the non-interference of the Board would not protect the user from any action which might be taken under the Foods and Drugs Act. In the remaining eighty cases objection was raised to the use of the articles submitted on some one of the following grounds—(1) that the samples examined showed the presence of arsenic beyond the limit recommended by the Royal Commission on Arsenical Poisoning; (2) the presence of copper; (3) the presence of Quillaia bark or extract; or (4) that they were alcoholic flavouring essences. Inland Revenue -officers have full knowledge of the substances used by brewers for sale in the manufacture of beer. The penalty incurred by a brewer for not entering a full account in his brewing book of the materials used in brewing is £100.