§ 72. Mr. Loganasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the expenditure of the Northern Ireland Government has been steadily increasing with consequent reduction of the amount of the Imperial Contribution since the principles recommended by the Special Arbitration Committee in 1924 and 1925 were adopted; whether, as the Agreement of 1938 provides that the Exchequer makes good any deficit in the Northern Ireland Budget in future, he will say whether, in the past five financial years, the total payments to Northern Ireland by the Exchequer have exceeded the contributions by Northern Ireland to the Exchequer; and, if so, by what amount?
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sir John Simon)I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT the figures for which the hon. Member asks. The Imperial Contribution has been increasing in the past five financial years. As stated in the Memorandum embodying the Agreement referred to in the question, it is not considered under present circumstances that there is any prospect of a deficit on the Northern Ireland Budget.
§ Following are the figures:
| — | Northern Ireland: Imperial contribution. | Payments to Northern Ireland.(a) | |
| £ | £ | ||
| 1934–35 | … | 24, 000 | 500 |
| 1935–36 | … | 365, 000 | 762,500 |
| 1936–37 | … | 900, 000 | 937,000 |
| 1937–38 | … | 1,100,000(b) | 1,607,000(b) |
| 1938–39 | … | 1,000,000(b) | 1,240,000(c) |
| (a) Excludes Land Purchase Annuities retained by Northern Ireland under Section 25 of the Government of Ireland Act, 1920. | |||
| (b) Provisional. | |||
| (c) Estimate. |