§ Mr. GRANTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the permanent and substantial increments which have been granted recently to the salaries and pensions of Civil servants, he can now consider the increasing hardships borne by Civil servants whose pensions have not been increased; and, if so, whether some relatively just, if temporary, relief may be afforded to them by-modifying the rates of Income Tax which they have been called on to pay during the last three years?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs I stated in answer to my hon. Friend on the 24th November, I am not prepared to depart from my previous decision with regard to pensioners who were not in receipt of war bonus at the time of their retirement. But in any case I could not consider the possibility of asking Parliament to pass legislation with the object of treating this class differently from the rest of the community as regards liability to Income Tax.