33. Captain CRAIGasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the hardship inflicted on officers of the Royal Irish Constabulary in consequence of the action of the Treasury in charging Income Tax on the allowance of £45 per 1469 annum for a groom; and whether, in view of the fact that the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland stated in this House that the Government had carefully considered the question and had decided not to tax the allowance, that from 1873 to 1909 it was paid free of Income Tax, and it comes under the description of a necessary expense—namely, the maintaining of a servant otherwise supplied by Government—he will cause the Treasury to revert to the former established practice of paying the amount free of tax?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI am not prepared to give instructions for a reversion to the practice of exempting the allowance in question from Income Tax, the exemption, which is not supported by statutory authority, having been discontinued in deference to an opinion expressed by the Public Accounts Committee in 1909.
Captain CRAIGHas the right hon. Gentleman the permission of the Chief Secretary, in view of his statement in this House that this allowance would not be taxed?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe Public Accounts Committee represent the wishes of the House of Commons in this matter, and we must, as far as possible, defer to their considered opinion.