Sir S. ROBERTSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the concessions made for the payment of Excess Profits Duty by quarterly instalments are intended to apply to solvent firms who have
2398Wwhich they may become entitled. In most cases, however, no such fees are paid.
lines asked for in the first two parts of the question. The net decrease in the total staffs employed in Government Departments, as shown in the Command Papers, during the period 1st December, 1921, to 1st March, 1922, amounted to approximately 7,150; of these about 4,700 were women. In the same period the number of employés in Government industrial establishments decreased by approximately 3,500. Information showing the rates of pay received by those officers whose services have been dispensed with cannot, I regret, be obtained except at very considerable expense. With regard to the last portion of the question, the following table shows the number of officials in the Departments referred to who are in receipt, inclusive of cost of living bonus, of salaries from £500 to £1,000 per annum:
been careful to husband their resources or whether it only applies to almost insolvent firms who have been improvident?
§ Sir R. HORNEIt is proposed that applications under the scheme referred to by my hon. Friend shall be admitted 2399W by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue in any case, if they consider that the circumstances justify the contemplated extension of time for payment, and subject to such security being given as they may consider necessary.