HC Deb 08 March 1933 vol 275 cc1170-2
42. Mr. T. WILLIAMS

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many witnesses were heard by the committee to inquire into the position of co-operative societies in relation to Income Tax; whether the evidence is to be published; and, if not, will he state the reason?

The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Hore-Belisha)

The full list of witnesses is to be found in the appendix to the Committee's report (Command Paper 4260). As regards the second part of the question, the evidence is voluminous and publication would be costly. As at present advised, I do not see sufficient ground for incurring this expense.

Mr. WILLIAMS

May I ask the hon. Gentleman whether, seeing that there are in excess of 6,000,000 members of co-operative societies who are likely to be involved in any taxation, they ought not to have the privilege of seeing the evidence?

Mr. HORE-BELISHA

I have no doubt that they will not be debarred from that privilege, because any societies who think that the evidence which they have given is of interest to their members will probably publish it.

Mr. WILLIAMS

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the co-operative societies are not responsible for the Committee; and will the evidence be placed in the Library and made available to Members?

Mr. HORE-BELISHA

It was not the intention of my right hon. Friend to incur the expense of printing what would be some hundreds of pages of evidence, and past experience shows, as I have told my hon. Friend, that those societies who think that the evidence which they have tendered is of interest to their members will publish it.

Mr. WILLIAMS

As Members of this House are likely to be called upon to deal with this case shortly, ought not such evidence to be made available to them in the Library?

Mr. HORE-BELISHA

If it is represented that any hardship is involved and that societies do not think that it is advisable to publish the evidence which they have tendered, I will consider the suggestion of any hon. Friend.

Mr. BUCHANAN

Could not the hon. Gentleman make the evidence available to Members? After all, this is likely to be a very important piece of legislation. It is causing a great deal of public comment, and are not Members entitled to have evidence, both for and against, on the matter? Some of us are in the dark, and will the hon. Gentleman kindly see that he does not shut out one side or the other?

Mr. MARTIN

Does not my hon. Friend think that if 6,000,000 members each guaranteed to take a copy it would pay for its publication?

Mr. HORE-BELISHA

In reply to the hon. Member for Gorbals (Mr. Buchanan), it is not the intention of my right hon. Friend to deprive anybody of access to any useful parts of the evidence which were tendered. The House will realise that much of the evidence was redundant, and to print it verbatim would involve us in disproportionate expenditure of public money. It has been the practice in the past for societies to publish the evidence, and I have no doubt they will do so in this case.

Mr. BUCHANAN

Apart from that, some of us are deliberately excluded from many of these things, but we are Members of Parliament and have rights, and so have members of co-operative societies. In view of the fact that we are Members, cannot the hon. Member, on a matter which is of tremendous public importance, see to it that those of us who are affected are given equal rights in having the evidence?

Mr. HORE-BELISHA

I have already informed the House that my right hon. Friend will naturally consider any repre- sentations which are made, but the arguments tendered in evidence were duplicated many times, and most of them are contained in speeches by those who are interested in the report. But I have said that I will consider the matter to see if there is any hardship.