§ 47. Mr. WOMERSLEYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if any repayments of duty on oils used on board fishing vessels have been allowed; and, if so, to what amount?
§ 46. Mr. RENTOULasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the announced concession regarding the proposed repayment of duty on oils used on board registered fishing vessels and embodied in Notice 171, dated April, 1928, issued from the Custom House, London, has now been withdrawn; and, if so, on what grounds?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Churchill)The concession in question has been withdrawn, and the withdrawal has been announced in a new Notice, numbered 171A. The grounds for the withdrawal were the same as those which I gave to the House on 1st May for the withdrawal of the similar 805 concession originally proposed for agricultural tractors, namely, that kerosene, which is the oil principally used in fishing vessels, has been excluded from the duty and that petrol is only used in very small quantities to start up the engines. No repayments were made prior to the withdrawal of the concession.
§ Mr. WOMERSLEYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that it would have been more satisfactory to the fishing industry if the withdrawal of the concession had been announced in the House, just as the offer of the concession was announced in the Budget Speech?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI think that is quite true.
§ Mr. E. BROWNIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this will affect some 2,000 motor fishing vessels in England and Wales, and another 2,000 in Scotland, and that he is under a misapprehension in thinking that these boats do not use a great deal of petrol?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLMy advice is that the use made of petrol is not sufficient to justify an exception in this case.
§ Mr. BROWNIf a question is put down, will the right hon. Gentleman give us exact figures to show on what basis he has formed his estimate?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLNo, I do not think I can undertake to say exactly the basis on which my estimate is formed. The matter can, of course, be raised in debate.
§ Mr. BROWNIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there will be a great deal of disturbance in the fishing industry, especially among the men with small motor boats, about the reversal of the original decision?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI am sure if there is a great deal of disturbance that it will be much ado about nothing.
§ Mr. WOMERSLEYWould the right hon. Gentleman be prepared to reconsider it if evidence was furnished that it would make a great deal of difference to the industry in question?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLNo, I cannot hold out the slightest hope of any reconsideration.