§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his attention has been called to a resolution passed at the Easter vestry meeting of St. George's Church, Tufnell Park, London, N., urging that the Easter offerings to rectors, vicars, and incumbents of the Church of England should no longer be subjected to any deductions for the payment of Income Tax by the clergy, seeing that these are freewill offerings of the people as personal gifts, and therefore ought not to be considered as stipend; and will he say whether he is prepared to introduce such legislation as may be necessary for a discontinuance of the present practice of deducting Income Tax from them?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEMy attention has been called to the resolution referred to by the hon. Member, but I am not prepared to introduce legislation to alter the law, which makes Easter offerings liable to Income Tax in common with all emoluments which accrue to any person by reason of his office whether such emoluments are legally claimable or not.