§ Mr. RAPHAELasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if motor-car licences issued in January last or since that time have ceased to have effect; if, as a result, a large number of motor cars are being used without a licence; if he is aware that persons who desire to comply with the law and to take out their licences are unable to do so on account of the conduct of the authorities in not having supplied the postal authorities with the necessary forms for declaration; if he can estimate the loss to the Exchequer which will be occasioned by this failure to obtain licences; and if he will immediately issue the forms of declarations for licences to the postmasters, in order that they may be able to cope with the responsibilities imposed upon them by Statute?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGESection 86 (8) of the Finance (1909–10) Act, 1910, provides that any licence to keep a motor car 1935 granted for the year 1910 before the passing of this Act shall, if the motor car is a motor car charged with duty under this Section, cease to have effect from 30th June, 1910. The preparation of the necessary new forms of declaration and licence has been unavoidably delayed owing to the congestion of work in the Departments concerned resulting from the delay in passing the Budget, but every effort is being made to have them available at an early date. I do not anticipate that there will be any appreciable loss of licence duty in consequence of the new duties coming into force before the necessary forms were available.