§ Mr. G. BARKERasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if two unemployed miners, named Clifford Jayne, 4, Bridge Street, Abertillery, and Tom Edmunds, 73, Glandwr Street, Abertillery, have been arrested for non-payment of arrears of Income Tax on 28th February, 1922, and taken to Usk prison; and will he consider the possibility of taking new steps to prevent the arrest and imprisonment of unemployed and destitute men for a tax that they are utterly unable to pay?
Mr. YOUNGI understand that the arrears of tax for which proceedings were taken in these two cases relate to the year 1919–20. It appears, moreover, that neither of these men took any action at all with reference to these arrears so that it was not known to the Revenue authorities that they were unemployed when the warrant for their arrest was executed. Further inquiry is being made in the matter and I will communicate the result to the hon. Member. As regards the latter part of his question, I would refer him to the answers (a copy of which I am sending him) given on the 8th November, 1921, in reply to questions on this subject by the hon. Member for the Rother Valley (Mr. Grundy).