Sub-section (6) of Section nine of the Alkali, etc., Works Regulation Act, 1906 (which relates to the Stamp Duty chargeable on certificates of registration of alkali and other works), shall have effect as if for the words "five pounds" there were substituted the words "ten pounds," and for the words "three pounds" there were substituted the words "six pounds."
Provided that nothing in this Section shall affect the Stamp Duty chargeable in respect of any certificate of registration issued before the first day of April, nineteen hundred and twenty-three.—[Sir J. Baird.]
§ Brought; up, and read the First time.
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir John Baird)I beg to move, "That the Clause be read a Second time."
It was proposed by the Geddes Committee that the stamp duty chargeable on certificates of registration of alkali and other works under the Act of 1906 should be increased so as to cover the cost of inspection and collection. That would have entailed the Government Department fixing the exact amount of duty. It was obvious when the matter was before the Committee of Ways and Means that the Committee preferred that the duty should be fixed in the Statute by the House itself. Deferring to that view, the Government are now proposing that the stamp duties should be doubled, a proposal to which I understand those interested in the trade do not offer any opposition. The effect is that while we do not carry out the whole of the proposals of the Geddes Committee by increasing the duties to an extent which would enable the whole of the cost of collection and inspection to be recovered, we do substantially increase them, so that 1438 whereas we have hitherto obtained an amount equal to one-third of the cost, we shall, if the new proposal is adopted, receive about two-thirds of the amount.
§ Clause read a Second time, and added to the Bill.