§ Major ELLIOTI wish to make a very brief explanation to the House and an apology to the hon. Member for Plaistow (Mr. Thorne) and the House in connec- 1825 tion with one figure which I gave last night. In response to an interjection from the hon. Member for Plaistow asking for the Income Tax figures for 1913, I misread the heading of the appropriate table and quoted the figures for 1918. The correct comparative figures are: For an income of £700, £48 2s. 6d. as at present proposed and £23 12s. 6d. in 1913; and for an income of £500, £12 in 1913 as against £15 proposed to-day. I may say that what I had in mind was the range of incomes from £200 to £400, on all of which the Income Tax in 1913 was higher than that proposed to-day. My attention was called to the matter by my officials and I resolved, in view of the possibilities of grave confusion if an inaccurate figure went out under official authority, to give the correct year in the OFFICIAL REPORT and to call the attention of the House to the point at the earliest possible opportunity. I now do so, and apologise to the House and the hon. Member for Plaistow for having inadvertently misled them. I may add that the figures will be given in full for all ranges of income, in a White Paper which is being issued in a day or two in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Mr. Dalton).
§ Mr. THORNEI am extremely obliged to the hon. and gallant Member for making the correction.