§ 35. Mr. MAURICE HEALYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the reasons why in the Amendments to the Budget he proposes to reduce the proposed new Grants to Ireland during the present financial year from £246,500 to £74,500, seeing that the additional taxation to be imposed for the same period is only to be reduced from £259,000 to £178,000, thus penalising Ireland to the extent of £91,000 for the year, merely because valuation proposals which never applied to Ireland are to be dropped from the Finance Bill; and whether, seeing that, apart from Insurance and Tuberculosis Grants, he still proposes to give £515,000 in local Grants to England and £71,000 to Scotland during the present year, he still proposes to give nothing to Ireland, while increasing Ireland's taxation by £178,000, or a net sum of £104,500, after giving credit for the Irish Insurance and Tuberculosis Grants?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Lloyd George)I may point out to the hon. Member that under the amended proposals, for 1914–15 England and Wales will pay in additional taxation £5,330,000, and will receive in new Grants £1,553,000, while Scotland will pay £592,000 and receive £208,500. The excess of taxation over Grants is therefore in the case 1903 of England £3,777,000, and of Scotland £383,500, as compared with the Irish figure of £103,500. I would, moreover, remind the hon. Member that in 1915–16 it is estimated that Ireland will contribute in additional taxation £415,000, and will receive £762,000.
§ Mr. T. M. HEALYDuring my speech on the Second Reading the right hon. Gentleman on three occasions asked me if I would drop Ireland out of the Bill. Does that offer still remain?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI am not aware that an option was ever proposed, but if the Irish Members make that proposal certainly it is a matter for consideration.
§ Mr. T. M. HEALYYou ask me to make the offer; I make it now.
§ Mr. DILLONThe Irish Members certainly will not.
§ Mr. W. O'BRIEN"Molly Maguires"—Irish Members!