§ Pursuing my quest for money for the public service, I come to a windfall peculiarly refreshing in its character. When the Excise Duty on beer was progressively increased during the War, the 1716 period of one month's credit which had been hitherto granted to the brewers for the payment of duty was successively extended by Parliament, at the discretion of the Commissioners of Customs and Excise, first to two months and then to three months. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has statutory powers without fresh legislation to reduce this period should he consider it equitable. I propose, therefore, to reduce the period from three months to two months. As a consequence, I shall collect 13 months' revenue from beer in this financial year. The brewers will have the option of paying the extra month's duty in instalments throughout the year. This will produce a once-for-all payment of £5,500,000. Although I have the power to do this without legislation, I thought it would be more convenient and also more suitable to insert a Clause in the Finance Bill for the purpose, and the issue will thus be submitted to the judgment and discussion of Parliament.