§ 74. Viscount WOLMERasked the Secretary of State for War whether he can state how much the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes would be liable to 674 pay in Income Tax for the past three years in the event of it being decided that they should pay such a tax; and whether any decision has been come to in the matter?
§ Sir R. HORNEI have been asked by my right hon. Friend to reply to this question. The Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes only came into existence on the 1st January, 1921, and the question of their liability to Income Tax, which is still under consideration, would not arise for any year prior to the year 1920–21. I ought to add that in any case the Board of Inland Revenue would be precluded from disclosing particulars of any Income Tax charge imposed on this or any other taxpayer.
§ Viscount WOLMERIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes have been in being since 1917 under the name of the Navy and Army Canteen Board?
§ Sir R. HORNEThat is entirely a different question.
§ 75. Viscount WOLMERasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will state what is the position of the employés of the Navy, Army, and Air-Institutes in the Irish Free State; whether the Clause in the Irish Treaty protecting those who will be thrown out of employment through the change of Government is applicable to these men and women; whether he is aware that many of them have been serving the troops for years, recently at the peril of their lives; and if he can say what compensation it is proposed to offer them for their loss of employment?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Lieut.-Colonel Sir R. Sanders)The personnel of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes are not Government employés and consequently the Clause in the Irish Treaty to which my Noble Friend refers is not applicable. The question of the position of the employés of the organisation is purely a domestic one affecting the Board of Management and is not one in which the War Office can intervene. I understand, however, that the Board are making arrangements to compensate according to length of service those employés whose services will not be required after the South Irish regiments have been disbanded.
§ Viscount WOLMERWill the War Office do their best to induce the Board to deal generously with these men who have served the troops so well during the last two years?
§ Sir R. SANDERSI am sure they do not require any representation from the War Office in that respect.
§ 79. Mr. MORRISONasked the Secretary of State for War whether any sum has been advanced from the United Services Fund to the Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes; and, if so, what is the amount and on what terms has the advance been made?
§ Sir R. SANDERSI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave yesterday to my Noble Friend the Member for Aldershot.
§ Viscount WOLMERIs my hon. Friend aware that that answer was not very satisfactory?
§ Sir R. SANDERSThe answer is in the negative.