§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLTo ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been directed to the fact that in the rules relating to discipline of officers of his Majesty's Customs, Rule 30 in the Abstracts of Regulations of 1905, whereby superior officers are prohibited from undertaking to collect or promoting a collection of subscriptions for any purpose whatever among the officers of a lower 946 grade is omitted from the Abstracts of Regulations of 1907; what has been the reason of this omission and under what circumstances has this rule been abrogated; and whether, having regard to the practically enforced subscriptions by subordinate officials to testimonials promoted and encouraged by official superiors, the old rule prohibiting the promotion of the collection of subscriptions by superior officers amongst officers of a lower grade will be restored and enforced.
(Answered by Mr. Asquith.) The Abstracts of Regulations referred to appear to be those contained in "Ham's Customs Year Book," an unofficial publication for which the Board of Customs are in no way responsible. The rule against superior officers collecting or promoting the collection of subscriptions among their subordinates, which has been in force for about half a century, remains unaltered, and the Board have no reason to believe but that it has been faithfully observed. They would rigidly enforce the observance of the rule if any breach of it were brought to their notice.