§ MR. HAROLD COX (Preston)To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, in Germany, provision for old age and infirmity is made under one insurance; that infirmity pensions are paid at the age when the infirmity begins, and old-aje pensions, eo nomine, are not paid till after seventy years of age; and that persons over seventy who can prove infirmity often draw an infirmity pension instead of an old age pension; and whether he can state how many old-age pensions were given in Germany five years ago and how many are now given, and how many infirmity pensions were then given and how many are now given.
(Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) I am aware of the facts referred to by my hon. friend. The following is a statement of the number of pensions in course of payment in Germany on 1st January, 1902, and on 1st January, 1907, respectively—
§ on which no duty was received during the last financial year.
§ (Answered by Mr. Buchanan.) I regret that I am unable to give the information 1517 asked for. The Indian customs returns of import duties collected give groups of articles only, and do not show whether there are any individual articles which do not yield duty.
§ MR. BOWLESTo ask the Undersecretary of State for India whether he can state the total number of articles subject to import duty in India; the total revenue raised in India from import duties during the last financial year; and the proportion of that total revenue yielded by the duties on the six articles of greatest yield.
(Answered by Mr. Buchanan.) As I stated in reply to a similar Question on 21st May, the Indian tariff deals with groups of articles, and I am unable to give the total number of articles liable to duty. In 1907–8 the gross customs revenue from import duties was £4,020,500. Of this 73 per cent. was raised from six articles.