§ Mr. MAURICE HEALYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the inconvenience and risk of loss resulting from the necessity of having deeds assessed for Increment Duty prior to registration in the Registry of Deeds and the Land Registry of Title in Ireland; whether any similar question has arisen in counties where registry of land or deeds exists in England; and whether, in view of the fact that priority of right may, in many cases, depend on priority of registration, and that such priority may, without any fault of those concerned, be lost by delay in having Increment Duty assessed, he will make such amendment in the law as will enable deeds to be registered without having Increment Duty first assessed?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEIt is not a fact that deeds are required to be or are assessed for Increment Value Duty prior to registration in the Registry of Deeds and the Land Registry in Ireland. Reasonable particulars only of the transaction carried out by a deed are required to be presented to the Inland Revenue Department, and normally the deed is stamped with an Increment Value Duty ("Particulars Delivered") stamp without delay, and in the great majority of cases is handed back on the same day as the particulars are delivered. Any inconvenience or delay is thus reduced to a minimum, and the same practice prevails in England. With regard to the third part of the question, I do not consider that any amendment of the law is required.