§ 22. Mr. WATTasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether prosecutions have been instituted in three separate years, namely, in 1910, 1911, and 1912, by the solicitor to the Inland Revenue in Scotland against the same individual for non-payment of his £6 annual attorney's licence; in how many of these cases was the attorney imprisoned and for how long on each occasion; did he, before imprisonment, express willingness to pay the licence, but could not face the expenses incurred by the solicitor to the Inland Revenue; will he say the age of the individual thus imprisoned; and whether the solicitor to the Inland Revenue is still of opinion that poverty has not been proved?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Masterman)The answer to the first and last parts of the question is in the affirmative. In each of the years 1910 and 1911 the attorney was imprisoned for ten days; the third ease is still pending. After judgment had been obtained in 1911 an offer was made to pay Certificate Duty, without expenses, at a deferred date. According to a statement made by the defendant in 1911 his age would now be about 62. The expenses incurred were £3 3s.