§ 60. Mr. HEALYasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he has submitted to the Irish Joint Exchequer Board any report on the nett Imperial contribution of Northern Ireland for the year 1922–23 of £2,717,035 and for 1923–24 of £1,654,131; and if the Joint Exchequer Board is satisfied that the amount is a reasonable one?
Mr. GRAHAMThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The grants voted by Parliament in 1922–23 and 1923–24 in aid of certain services in Northern Ireland do not fall within the jurisdiction of the Joint 2005 Exchequer Board under the Government of Ireland Act, 1920. As stated in my reply to the hon. Member on the 6th May, the Board have not yet finally fixed the amount of the contribution to Imperial expenditure to be made by Northern Ireland under that Act for the years mentioned.
§ Mr. HEALYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Chairman of the Joint Exchequer Board and the Chairman of the Northern Irish Arbitration Committee are one and the same individual, and does he think that that arrangement is a desirable one?
§ Mr. FERGUSONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Northern Parliament has contributed £6,000,000 to the Imperial Exchequer, and will only get a part of that money back?