33. Lieut.-Commander KENWDRTHYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that fishermen are being pursued for arrears of Income Tax on sums earned during the War and which they are now unable to pay owing to slack trade; that Skippers James Mcguire and Tess Johnson, of Grimsby, have twice been in prison; that Skipper John Robinson has been once in prison; and Skipper Fred Wellborn, all of the same port, who has a wife and six children under 14, first had his home sold up by the Inland Revenue officials and was then arrested and kept in prison for 14 days; and whether he will order a stay of these proceedings until the matter has been discussed in the House of Commons?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSMy attention had not been drawn to this matter, but I have now inquired into it. I cannot accept the suggestion in the first part of the question, that the failure of these men to discharge their liabilities to the State is wholly to be ascribed to the diminution in the earnings of the industry. Every consideration is shown for this circumstance, but I cannot see my way to confer an immunity on these individuals at the expense of others who do make provision for meeting their obligations.