§ Mr. ASTORasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the surveyors of taxes stated, in a memorandum addressed to Members of Parliament in 1898, that nothing in a surveyor's office can be kept from the knowledge of the unestablished clerks, not even an assessment by the Special Commissioners which is supposed to be strictly confidential; if so, will he say whether it is only in the case of emergency that an unestablished clerk has access to such an assessment by the Special Commissioners?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe reply to the first part of the question is in the negative. The statement referred to was made by the clerks themselves, not by the surveyors. As regards the second part, I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for the St. Albans Division of Hertfordshire on the 9th instant.