§ MR. O'SHAUGHNESSYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that statutory declarations, contractors' building agreements, and bonds in connection with schemes under the Labourers (Ireland) Acts are still liable to stamp duty; whether it was intended that under the Labourers (Ireland) Act, 1906, no stamp duty whatever would be payable from the commencement to the end of a scheme in order to cheapen the procedure; and whether he will take steps to afford relief to the ratepayers from this tax.
§ MR. BIRRELLI understand that when the Labourers Bill of 1906 was before Parliament the question of exempting from stamp duty such documents as are referred to in the Question was fully considered and was decided in the negative. Section 23 of the Act, which remits stamp duty on agreements for the acquisition of land, makes no reference to the kind of instrument referred to in the Question. I do not propose to take any steps in the matter.