55. Mr. G. TERRELLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the number of cases in which applications were made to the Commissioners of Inland Revenue to allow payment of Excess Profits Duty to be made by instalments and the number of cases in which the applications were granted in the six months ending 30th September, 1919, and in the six months ending 30th September, 1920, respectively, and the number of cases which are now in arrear?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Chamberlain)No tabulation has been made of the cases to which my hon. Friend refers; and, in view of the time and labour involved, I cannot undertake to obtain it.
Mr. TERRELLWill the right hon. Gentleman answer the last part of the question, and give some approximate figure as to the number of cases now in arrear?
59. Mr. TERRELLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can state the amount of the claims which he has received for refund of Excess Profits Duty?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINMany of the claims made are disposed of locally without being brought before the Commissioners. I am therefore unable to give the total, but the actual amount repaid between 1st April, 1920, and 26th October, 1920, is £0,300,385.
Mr. TERRELLIs there any truth in the report that those claims for refund amount to something like £100,000,000?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI do not know what the claims amount to because, as I have said, most of them are settled locally, the Revenue officials being able to convince the gentlemen who have made them that their claims are unfounded and that no repayment is due. Those claims never come before the Inland Revenue. What I am able to tell the hon. Member is the actual amount of the payments made.
Mr. TERRELLIs it not a fact that some particulars of these claims must roach the Treasury to enable them to form their estimates, and can the right hon. Gentleman give any information on this 199 matter, which is of such vital importance at the moment?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINNo, it is not necessary that the Treasury or the Inland Revenue should receive notice of unproved or disproved claims, and therefore I cannot give my hon. Friend the total of the claims made.
Captain R. TERRELLIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Excess Profits Duty is killing the trade of the country?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINNo, I am not aware of that. I know there is a disposition on the part of critics to attribute every misfortune to these duties, but between the attribution and the proof of the allegation there is a great gulf fixed.
Dr. MURRAYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that we were told yesterday that it was the dumping of foreign goods that was killing trade?