§ 60. Mr. HIGHAMasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what investigations he has made into the merits and demerits of the Turnover Tax; whether he will reconsider his decision re introducing a Turnover Tax to relieve the present Income Tax; and, if not, will he state 1602 what are the conclusions which he has arrived at which make it impossible for him to introduce a tax on turnover, particularly in view of the fact that the Belgian Finance Minister is introducing a tax on turnover in his next Budget, and that the Finance Minister of Canada says that the tax has been favourably received by the business community and the public generally, and the Inland Revenue Department of Canada has found that the tax may be administered and controlled without undue cost or effort?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINMy predecessors and I have carefully considered the merits and demerits of a turnover tax on more than one occasion. I cannot, of course, enter upon them in reply to a question, but I may say that, whatever be the merits of such a tax, I do not consider the present moment favourable for introducing a new tax on trading transactions.
§ Mr. A. M. SAMUELIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that the British industrial community is by no means unanimous in the view that it would like to have a turnover tax?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI have never known the British industrial community to be unanimous in favour of anything.