§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked whether the right hon. Gentleman will state the estimated gross yield in Great Britain from the increase in duties proposed in the Budget of 1909 on all classes of retail licence holders, and what amount of extra duty per barrel, both on beer manufactured here and on beer imported into this country would produce an equivalent sum; whether the raising of revenue is the sole object of the proposed increase in the 575 licence duties; and, if so, whether it could be more expeditiously collected by a duty on beer from the manufacturers and importers than from a multiplicity of retail vendors by an increase in the licence duties?
§ Mr. LLOYD-GEORGEFor the reasons given in my reply to the late hon. Member for Darlington on 16th June last I am unable to give any reliable estimate of the yield of the new duties on retailers' licences. I scarcely think that the other points raised by the hon. Member are such as can be satisfactorily dealt with within the limits of an answer to a question.