§ MR. MYER (Lambeth, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury if his attention has been drawn to the answer given by Sir Algernon West, K.C.B., the then Chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue, to Question No 20,739 of the Royal Commission on Civil Establishments in 1888, in which he stated that surveyors of taxes deal with two-thirds of the cases that would be appeals, that he found there existed such confidence in surveyors of taxes that very nearly all the merchants in the large towns will go to the surveyors, produce all their books, and go through their accounts and express their desire to settle the assessment with them notwithstanding, as he said, the illegality of such proceed- 1022 ings, and that in fact assessments are settled in that way by surveyors of taxes instead of by commissioners; will he say whether the answer given by Sir Algernon West in 1888 represented the actual facts at that time; and if he is aware that the practice still exists, although it was then declared to be illegal.
§ The following Questions also appeared on the Paper:—
§ MR. MYERTo ask the Secretary to the Treasury if his attention has been drawn to the evidence given by Mr. Hewitt, K.C., Clerk to the Commissioners of the City of London, before the Income Tax Commission, 1904–5, Question 1,197, to the effect that taxpayers in the city of London usually rely on the surveyor of taxes and on him, and they often try to settle the matter with the surveyor; in a case where they cannot agree the papers go to him and he endeavours to assist a settlement, and no appeal is made to the commissioners in such cases; is he aware that the surveyors of taxes in undertaking this work are acting illegally; and can he explain the statement made by the Board of Inland Revenue through him and to this House that there is no foundation for the suggestion that surveyors of taxes are doing work which legally falls upon the commissioners for general purposes and their clerks.
§ MR. MYERTo ask the Secretary to the Treasury if his attention has been drawn to the evidence given by the principal of the Repayment Department of Somerset House before the Income Tax Committee, 1904–5, when, in answer to Question 434, he said that the law required that persons should prove their title to exemptions or abatement before the district commissioner of taxes, but that in practice they do not require them to do that; the claimant sends his statement of total income to the surveyor of taxes, who, if satisfied, certifies that the person is entitled to exemption or abatement, as the case may be; and can he explain the statement made by the' Board of Inland Revenue that they know of no foundation for the suggestion that surveyors of taxes do work which legally should be done by commissioners.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. MCKENNA,) Monmouthshire, N.I will take my hon. friend's three Questions together. It is difficult to answer highly argumentative Questions of this kind without a fuller explanation than can conveniently be given across the floor of the House, but if my hon. friend will communicate with me privately, I will explain the position to him.
§ MR. MYERI think it a most unsatisfactory reply. Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the officials supply him with Answers which mislead the House?
§ MR. MCKENNANo, Sir.