§ (1) There shall in respect of each year be charged on and paid out of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom to the Exchequers of Southern Ireland and Northern Ireland a sum equal to the Irish share of reserved taxes in that year after deducting—
- (a)the amount of the Irish contribution towards Imperial liabilities and expenditure; and
- (b) whilst any services remain reserved services, the net cost to the Exchequer of the United Kingdom during the year of the services so remaining reserved services.
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSI beg to move, at the end of Sub-section (1, b,) to insert the words
excluding therefrom such sums as the Joint Exchequer Board may certify to have been expended in the provision of buildings (including the sites thereof) and equipment for the purposes of the Supreme Court of Northern Ireland.In the course of the Committee stage I was asked by my right hon. Friend whether the provision, under Clause 32 of the Bill, relating to new buildings for the North and South, did or did not include Law Courts. I replied I thought the provision did include Law Courts, but if they 897 did not then some alteration would have to be made in the Bill, so that Law Courts might be provided. I find on looking into the matter that there is at least a doubt as to whether the words in Clause 32 do include Law Courts, and, on the whole, I was advised they do not, because the administration of the law, at any rate in this sense, is a reserved service; and for various reasons it would be at least doubtful whether the provisions of the Clause cover the position. This will apply only to Northern Ireland, because Southern Ireland is well provided with Law Courts in Dublin. There is no distinction between the North and South in this matter. What we are doing now is to provide Law Courts for the North at the Imperial expense.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.