§ Mr. T. M. HEALYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether a sum of over £400 a year is annually exacted from publicans in the Dublin Metropolitan Police district by means of a 10s. duty under Section 12 of The Licensing Act, 1833, and applied to police purposes, although the general Dublin Police Rate is also payable by them; whether publicans in the added area of Clontarf are now called upon to pay this duty; and whether, as the reason for maintaining such a duty has long since disappeared, it will either be abandoned by the Government or handed over to the local authorities, as was done in the case of the pawnbrokers' licences in 1898?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe answer to the first two paragraphs of the question is in the affirmative. As the amount of the duty and its allocation is fixed by the Statute, it would not be possible to make the change suggested by the hon. Member without legislation, even if it were considered desirable to do so.