Commander BELLA IRSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Isle of Man is contributing only £10,000 per annum, as fixed in 1865, to our revenue, and that while this sum then formed one-fourth of the Customs revenue it is now only one-thirteenth of the Customs revenue; whether he is aware that a large part of the Isle of Man revenue is raised by taxing the British Government's imports of beer, spirits, tea, and tobacco for the alien camps and their guards; and whether he will cause inquiries to be made with a view to a contribution to the War by the introduction of an Income Tax, or the assimilation of Isle of Man taxation to our own through annexation to Lancashire?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWIn addition to the normal annual contribution of £10,000 to the Exchequer the island, apart from the special expenditure on the Volunteer Force, has made since the outbreak of war a non-recurrent grant of £10,000 towards the cost of the War. The facts with regard to the revenue from the camps are as stated. As regards the third part of the question, I am informed that an Income Tax Bill is already under the consideration of the House of Keys.