§ Mr. FLYNNasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in reference to Return No. 208, Revenue and Expenditure, whether he can explain more fully than is done in the brief marginal note how the sum of £1,706,000 collected in Ireland as Customs duty on tobacco is reduced to £1,309,000 under the heading of true contribution, and the sum of £5,420,000 Excise duties is reduced to £3,153,000?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe "true contribution" of Ireland to the Revenue under the heads of Tobacco (Customs) and Beer and Spirits (Excise) represents the duty on the amounts consumed in that country, so far as they can be ascertained, the method being to deduct from the duty collected the duty on the quantities removed from Ireland duty-paid, and to add the 583 duty on quantities removed to Ireland duty-paid. As regards the precise methods by which the results are arrived at, I may refer the hon. Member to the Memoranda annexed to the Parliamentary Return, House of Commons 329 of 1891, and the prefatory note to House of Commons 225 of 1904, and also to a reply given by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for East Worcestershire, who was then Chancellor of the Exchequer, to a Parliamentary question on 21st July, 1904 (" Hansard," Volume 134, page 771).