§ Sir HENRY CRAIKasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that there are 162 distilleries in Scotland, as against nine in England and 30 in Ireland, that the average output during the last three years in Scotland has been very nearly equal to that of England and Ireland combined, that about four and a-half millions of the new tax on whisky, out of a total of a little over nine millions, would fall upon a Scottish industry, and that no Scottish Member has had any opportunity of giving expression to the widespread feeling in Scotland as to the unfair and unjust incidence of this tax, 2008 he will reconsider the expediency of imposing a tax which will bear so heavily upon that Kingdom?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEMy right hon. Friend does not see his way to reconsider the proposals in this particular, but he does not admit the accuracy of the figures quoted by the hon. Member.
§ Sir HENRY CRAIKDoes the hon. Gentleman know that these figures were taken from the Abstract which appeared in the Votes and Proceedings the other day?