HC Deb 12 May 1914 vol 62 cc914-6
22 Mr. JAMES MASON

asked (1) what proportion of the new expenditure in the years 1914–15 and 1915–16, respectively, will be expended in Ireland on national insurance, education, public health and local taxation, valuation, collection of new taxes, Post Office, and on tuberculosis, nursing, and pathological laboratories; (2) what amount Ireland receives now in relief of rates by way of Imperial Grants; and what sum she will receive under his Budget proposals; and (3) what is the estimated relief to the rates as the result of his proposals for the relief of local taxation in the following places in Ireland: Leinster, Munster, Ulster, and Connaught; each of the following counties: Antrim, Armagh, Belfast, Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Down, Dublin, Fermanagh, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, King's County, Leitrim, Limerick, Londonderry, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan Queen's County, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Tyrone, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, and Wicklow; Dublin county borough, Belfast county borough, Cork county borough, Limerick county borough; Waterford county borough, Londonderry county borough, and Galway town?

Mr. LLOYD GEORGE

The payments to the Local Taxation (Ireland) Account for the year 1913–14 amounted to £1,471,000. For the rest I can add nothing to the explanations I have already given in my previous statements and the explanatory White Paper and in my reply of yesterday to the hon. Member for North Meath.

21. Mr. J. MASON

asked what amount of increased revenue will be obtained from Ireland in the year 1914–15, and in the first complete year, 1915–16, from the proposed alterations in Income Tax, Super-tax, Death Duties, and Settlement Estate Duties, respectively; and from the proposed new taxation as a whole?

Mr. LLOYD GEORGE

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave yesterday to the hon. and learned Member for West St. Pancras.

26. Mr. J. MASON

asked whether the proposed valuation of agricultural improvements in connection with the national system of valuation of land for local taxation applies to Ireland; and, if so, what is the estimated cost of the valuation and the estimated revenue from the taxation of agricultural land in Ireland for local purposes?

Mr. LLOYD GEORGE

This is a matter which will be considered in connection with the Revenue Bill.

28. Mr. GIBBS

asked whether, under the Government of Ireland Bill, the Irish Parliament is under any obligation to pay to local authorities the amount allocated to Ireland by the Imperial Parliament in relief of local rates?

Mr. LLOYD GEORGE

An amount equivalent to the payments to the Local Taxation (Ireland) Account will be included in the Transferred Sum and will be at the disposal of the Irish Government and Parliament who will have power to alter and readjust the relations between local and central taxation as they think proper.

25. Mr. J. MASON

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the event of the Government of Ireland Bill becoming law before his proposals for increased Grants in aid of local taxation become law, the Transferred Sum will include the Grants on the old scale or on the new scale; and, if the latter, under what provision of the Government of Ireland Bill will Grants on the new scale be included in the Transferred Sum?

32. Mr. PATRICK WHITE

asked whether Ireland's share of Grants under the Budget as introduced will be added to the Transferred Sum to be applied at the discretion of the Home Rule Government?

Mr. LLOYD GEORGE

In the case contemplated, the Transferred Sum will include an amount equivalent to the Grants on the existing scale, and an amount equivalent to Ireland's share of the additional Grants will be allocated to Ireland by legislation of the Imperial Parliament. The hon. Member for North Meath will see that this answer involves an affirmative reply to his question.

Mr. CASSEL

In that case what becomes of the argument of the President of the Local Government Board that we cut our loss with the amount of the Transferred Sum?

Mr. SPEAKER

We cannot have a discussion on this matter at Question Time.