§ MR. C. DUNCAN (Barrow-in-Furness)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury what are the present number, grades, and salaries of the clerks set apart from the Long Room staff for the work of import jerquing in London; what was the cost of this staff for each of the last five financial years; how many queries were issued; and what additional duty was brought to the revenue as a result of the errors discovered.
§ MR. RUNCIMANI have already explained to the hon. Member that I am unable to give the information he asks for in the first two parts of the Question. The total number of jerquers' queries on all subjects issued in each of the last five years and the amount of duty brought to account as a result of errors discovered were, I learn, as follows: —
| £ | s. | d. | ||
| 1902–3 | 3,138 | 18 | 7 | 11 |
| 1903–4 | 2,468 | 13 | 1 | 3 |
| 1904–5 | 2,793 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
| 1905–6 | 2,846 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| 1906–7 | 2,359 | 4 | 11 | 1 |
§ It should be observed that the business of the jerquer is to check accounts, and that the importance of the duties is not to be measured by the amount of additional revenue brought to account by means of his inspection.