§ MR. JOHN O'CONNORI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, having regard to the provisions of the statute, 56 Geo. 3, chapter 98, section 1, he will explain why the Irish Taxation Account is charged with the cost of 270 Imperial services in Ireland; whether the statute permits such discrimination between Irish and other services of any Imperial character whatever; and whether he will consult the law officers of the Crown as to the effect of the statute in this respect, and if it is found 271 that in their opinion, on a case stated, such discrimination is contrary to law, the practice of making such charges will be discontinued.
§ MR. MCKENNAThe section to which the hon. and learned Member refers is the one which combined the Consolidated Funds of Great Britain and Ireland to form the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom and directed that the charges formerly payable out of the separate funds should for the future be paid out of the combined fund. That direction has been and still is carried out in practice. In the annual Financial Relations Returns, for purposes of comparison, the Irish expenditure is shown as a set off against the amount of Revenue estimated to be contributed by Ireland. But this does not mean, as the hon. Member's Question appears to suggest, that the Revenue so contributed is diverted from the Consolidated Fund and applied to meet the Irish expenditure.
§ MR. JOHN O'CONNORThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered my Question. Will he consult the law officers of the Crown as to whether it is legal to exercise this discrimination?
§ MR. MCKENNAThe Answer is that that discrimination has not been made.