§ Sir G. SCOTT ROBERTSONasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that at a recent election of Income Tax Commissioners for the East Morley Division, held in Bradford, the chairman of the meeting put forward a list of names and stated that all sections of the community were represented thereon, whereas, as a matter of fact, the list did not contain the name of a single retail trader throughout the whole of the division; whether he is aware that the names of distributive traders are remarkable by their absence from similar lists of most of the other divisions of the country; and, if so, whether he will take steps, by legislation or otherwise, to deal with this state of affairs?
Mr. McKINNON WOODI am not aware of the circumstances referred to. Appointments to fill vacancies among the General Commissioners of Taxes are, under the existing law, made either by co-option from a waiting list of persons nominated by the Land Tax Commissioners, or by the Land Tax Commissioners themselves where there is no such waiting list. I see no reason for introducing legislation to alter the method of election or to enable the Government to influence it.