§ 52. Sir J. BUTCHERasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will introduce a Bill during the present Session to deal with those recommendations of the Royal Commission on Income Tax which have not been already dealt with; and whether that Bill will give effect to the recommendations of the Royal Commission with regard to the relief from Income Tax on superannuation funds?
§ Mr. BALDWINI cannot add anything to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to a similar question by my hon. and gallant Friend, the Member for Greenwich. I am sending my hon. and learned Friend a copy of that answer.
§ Mr. DEVLINOn a point of Order, Mr. Speaker, and before the right hon. Gentleman answers this question. You, Sir, at the opening of last Session made a rule that on Thursdays precedence should be given to Irish questions. For the last few Thursdays Irish questions have been given precedence according to the announcement you made; but to-day a number of other questions to Ministers are inserted and certain Irish questions are put back. I desire to ask you by whose authority there has been any change in the procedure arrived at and which you announced?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe only decision arrived at, I understand, was the decision arrived between the Whips and the respective parties. I only call out the names. I do not settle the order in which the questions come.
§ Mr. DEVLINThen, can the Leader of the House give us some explanation as to this extraordinary change by which Members for Ireland are denied the advantages associated with having one day allotted to Irish questions?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI am not aware of any change. The system is exactly the 1368 same as it has always been. During the last few weeks I have not noticed any absence of Irish questions.
§ Mr. DEVLINI give notice that at the close of questions I will raise this matter again.
§ Sir J. BUTCHERArising out of the answer to my question, is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is a strong feeling amongst many members of the commercial community in favour of introducing a Bill on the subject of the Income Tax referred to in my question, and will he consider that as soon as he can?
§ Mr. BALDWINI will.
§ 55. Major GLYNasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now consider the appointment of a small committee with full powers to inquire into the whole position of co-operative societies and the claims made on their behalf before the recent Royal Commission on Income Tax; whether the views of the Income Tax Commissioners were not solely concerned with the incidence of taxation; and whether there are sufficient grounds to believe that a full inquiry into the whole matter would allay many prevailing doubts that cause considerable distrust?
§ Mr. BALDWINI am not sure that I correctly apprehend my hon. and gallant Friend's question. It appears to suggest that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer should set up a small committee to consider over again a subject to which the Royal Commission gave much time and attention, and on which they reported at some length. This would be an unusual and, I think, an unprofitable course.