§ 43. Mr. LAMBERTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the estimated amount to date of the payments to and receipts from the various Irish sweepstakes in respect of subscribers to those sweepstakes in Great Britain?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir Herbert Samuel)On 15th April last I gave an estimate of the amount subscribed in Great Britain to the five Irish sweepstakes which had been held up to that time. So far as I am aware an audited statement relating to the latest sweepstake has not yet been published, but an estimate based on the available material appears to indicate that the amount subscribed to it from Great Britain would be about £3,785,000 (including sellers' commission of about £757,000) and that £2,086,000 was received in prizes. Altogether in respect of the six Irish sweepstakes so far held, approximately £13,285,000 has been subscribed in Great Britain (including sellers' commission estimated at about £2,357,000), and £7,086,000 has been won in prizes.
§ Sir WILLIAM DAVIS0NDo not these tremendous figures given by my right hon. Friend show him that it is very desirable that we should have an interim report from the Royal Commission on this matter; and will he make some representations to them, by way of request in that respect?
§ Sir H. SAMUELThat is a separate question. I think the Royal Commission have the matter already in hand.
§ Mr. LEVYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Irish Free State Government is taking a large proportion of these funds for their own Exchequer?
§ Sir H. SAMUELThat does not arise out of the question.