HC Deb 22 June 1926 vol 197 cc333-4

Motion made, and Question proposed, That, on and after the first day of January, nineteen hundred and twenty-seven, there shall be charged on a licence to be taken out annually by a moneylender an Excise Duty of fifteen pounds, or, if the licence be taken out not more than six months before the expiration thereof, of ten pounds.

The SOLICITOR - GENERAL

This Resolution is necessary in order that the Committee may be able to consider the Moneylenders Bill to which the House gave a Second Reading a few weeks ago. Hon. Members will recollect that one of the provisions of that Bill is that moneylenders in future would pay as Excise licence a sum of £15. No serious criticism is directed to that proposal, except from the point of view of pawnbrokers, who already have to pay £7 10s. The Government is quite prepared to accept an Amendment, if it should be moved upstairs, reducing the £15 to £7 10s. in the case of pawnbrokers, so that the amount of the duty they will have to pay will be the same as moneylenders. That course is open to the Committee to consider. Question put, and agreed to.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolution to be reported To-morrow; Committee to sit again To-morrow.

The remaining Government Orders were read and postponed.