§ Mr. HANNONasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the Revenue Return showing receipts and issues from the Exchequer from 1st April to 11th June in the current year and for the corresponding period of 1920, the amount paid out of the Exchequer on account of interest, etc., on War debt was, in the 1921 period, £105,260,288, as against £96,665,490 in the 1920 period, equivalent to an increase of £8,594,798; and what is the explanation of the larger payments on account of debt charges in 1921, having regard to the fact that the total indebtedness was substantially lower than in the corresponding period of last year?
§ Sir R. HORNENo trustworthy inferences can be drawn from the figures for a particular short period. The explanation is mainly that a considerable number of 12 months Treasury Bills have been issued in 1921–22 whereas practically none were issued in the corresponding period of 1920–21.