§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked the Secretary to the Treasury (1) whether he will state upon what basis the estimated true revenue of Ireland, as given in the White Paper, No. 221, ordered to be printed 12th July, 1911, is calculated; if he will state in what year it was first adopted; whether he will state if any, and what, record has been kept of dutiable articles entering or leaving Ireland, in what year, and for how many months such record was kept; and what authority kept the record; (2) whether there is in existence at present any machinery for estimating the true revenue of Ireland; and, if not, whether he will state if, in order to calculate accurately the produce of Customs and Excise duties derivable from the respective articles under those headings consumed in Ireland, it would be necessary to establish an authority in Ireland with power to compel the recording of any dutiable articles entering or leaving that country?
Mr. McKINNON WOODThe basis on which the Return is prepared will be found explained in House of Commons Paper 313 of 1894, which also contains a history of the Return. Reference should also be made to House of Commons Papers 329 of 1891, 314 of 1894, and 225 and 269 of 1904. Very thorough inquiries extending over the whole financial year were made by the Customs Department in the year 1903–4 2371 as to the import and export to and from Ireland of dutiable articles. Further investigations as regards special articles have been made by the Customs and Excise Department during the course of the present year. As regards the concluding question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to a question by the Member for Dublin University on the 27th ultimo.