§ 57. Mr. McGOVERNasked the Secretary to the Treasury the amount of land annuities paid by the Governments of Northern Ireland and the Free State since the passing of the Government of Ireland Act; and what monetary grants have been made to each Government during the same period?
§ Major ELLIOTThe answer contains a number of figures, and I am therefore circulating it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. MAXTONCan the Financial Secretary tell us whether the agreement referred to in the White Paper is available for the information of Members?
§ Major ELLIOTI am afraid that that scarcely arises out of this question, but I will communicate with the hon. Member.
§ Mr. MAXTONIf it does not arise out of this question when does it arise? We have asked a question about the payment of these land annuities, and we are told that they are governed by a particular agreement. I am asking now if that agreement is available for the information of hon. Members?
§ Major ELLIOTI must ask the hon. Member to observe the answer. The answer contains the figures referred to, 824 and I am circulating them in the OFFICIAL REPORT. There is nothing in the question about any instrument governing it.
§ Mr. McGOVERNMay I ask whether the Government of Northern Ireland have been freed from any of their land annuity payments?
§ Major ELLIOTI must ask the hon. Member to look at the figures which will be circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT. It is a somewhat complicated question.
§ Mr. McGOVERNIt is not a question of my looking at the figures. I am asking my right hon. and gallant Friend if he will look at them and tell me. Surely, I can have an answer?
§ Major ELLIOTIt would be impossible to answer that question without reading the whole of the answer and taking up the time of the House by quoting a number of figures, which it is impossible for hon. Members to grasp when given verbally.
§ Mr. McGOVERNI am asking a simple and direct question: if the Government of Northern Ireland have been freed from any of their land annuity payments; and, if so, the amount? Surely that is a simple and direct question.
Mr. DEPUTY-SPEAKERThe hon. Member cannot expect to have an answer to that question; it is not on the Order Paper.
§ Mr. HEALYPerhaps the right hon. and gallant Member can answer this question: whether the total grants to Northern Ireland last year did not exceed the total Imperial contributions from Northern Ireland?
§ Mr. DEVLINWill the hon. and gallant Member answer this simple question? Are land annuities retained in Northern Ireland and paid by Southern Ireland to the Imperial Exchequer?
§ Following is the answer:
§ The following figures refer to the period from the 1st April, 1922, to the 31st March, 1932.
§ The land purchase annuities in Northern Ireland amounted to about £7 millions of which about £700,000 has been recovered by deduction from reserved taxes.
§ The land purchase annuities in the Irish Free State amounted to about £29 millions. Details are given in the annual Estimates on the Vote for the Land Purchase Commission (Class III 20).
§ The grants made to the Government of Northern Ireland have been as follow:
| £ | |
| For the provision of buildings under Sections 24 (1) (b) and 34 (1) of the Government of Ireland Act | 1,746,000 |
| Under the Unemployment Insurance (Northern Ireland Agreement) Acts, 1926 and 1929 | 3,726,000 |
| Special grants in the financial years 1922 to 1925: | |
| Buildings and initial expenses | 838,326 |
| Compensation for damage grant | 2,000,000 |
| Special constabulary | 6,492,534 |
| £14,802,860 |
§ During the same period the Government of Northern Ireland have paid £22,750,000 by way of Imperial Contribution. No similar grants have been made to, and no similar payments have been received from, His Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State.