§ Sir J. BUTCHERasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether demands are now being made upon pensioners of the Royal Irish Constabulary for arrears of Income Tax, the assessment of which was delayed owing to the disordered state of the country, and that in some cases their pensions have been completely stopped for months to pay these arrears of tax, 1824W thereby causing great hardship: and whether he will give directions that the arrears of tax shall be recovered by monthly deductions or that the payment shall be allowed to stand over until the special tribunal appointed to inquire into pensioners' claims for expenses and compensation has made its awards?
§ Mr. BALDWINI am not aware of any case in which a man's whole pension has been stopped in order to pay off arrears of unpaid Income Tax. The general principle adopted in dealing with these cases has been to fix in each case an appropriate monthly deduction to be made from a man's pension. Great latitude has already been shown in affecting recovery of Income Tax, in many cases permission having been given for recovery to be spread over a long period of months. I do not think, therefore, that the adoption of the course suggested in the last part of my hon. and learned Friend's question would be justified. I shall, however, be pleased to consider any particular cases in which he thinks that hardship is being inflicted by the too rapid recovery of unpaid tax.