§ Mr. E. G. PRETYMANI beg to ask the Patronage Secretary to the Treasury a question of which I have given him private notice in regard to a letter which has been published in the Press to-day. The letter is stated to have been written by the right hon. Gentleman in answer to a correspondent. In it he says: "Apparently the meeting was under some misapprehension, as the Finance Bill does not involve any increase of taxation whatever upon the land, or upon the agricultural industry." Is the right hon. Gentleman correctly reported?
§ The PATRONAGE SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Joseph Pease)The right hon. Gentleman gives me the opportunity of correcting what appears to have been a clerical error. I dictated the letter, which contained the word "agricultural" in front of land. I have written to "The Times," so that any misapprehension may be corrected.
§ Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINAre we to understand from that letter that the Government are going to withdraw their proposal to put a tax upon land, the value of which has been enhanced owing to its being used for market gardening or allotments?
§ Mr. JOSEPH PEASEIn my opinion there is, in the proposals, no increase of taxation upon agricultural land. Questions of detail as to which there are differences of opinion must be threshed out in Committee.
§ Mr. PRETYMANWhat about Death Duties?