§ 53. Mr. CURRIEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money has been repaid to payers of Excess Profits Duty in respect of deficiencies arising in business results subsequent to a payment of duty to the Treasury; whether many claims for repayment of this kind have been actually lodged, or are expected to be lodged, with the Inland Revenue Department; what is their estimated amount for the financial year now current and for last year, respectively; and whether there is any option with the Government as to making a cash repayment or an entry of book credit in respect of such amounts reclaimed in the case of firms continuing in business and therefore subject to a still further accounting?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWClaims of the character referred to are continually being received and dealt with. The amount of duty in respect of such deficiencies of profits set off in the assessments at the time they were made was nearly £9,000,000 for the assessments made in the financial year 1917–18, but no separate classification of the subsequent discharges of assessments and repayments of duty under this head is available. The reply to the last part of thi3 question is in the negative.