§ 4. Mr. LAWSONasked the President of the Board of Trade if he can give an approximate estimate of the amount per ton relief that will come to coal and steel as the result of the relief to productive concerns in respect of rates and freights?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERRelief from three-quarters of the local rates would, for the year 1927, have been equivalent to about 2½d. a ton on the saleable coal raised. The proposed freight rate reduction would amount to about 4d. a ton on all coal carried by railways. Three-quarters of the local rates on collieries, coke ovens, iron ore and limestone mines, furnaces and rolling mills are equivalent to about 3s. a ton on finished steel, and the proposed freight rate reductions on coal, coke, ore and limestone are equivalent to about 1s. a ton on finished steel.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSSince the suggested relief to collieries only approximates to 6½d. per ton, when the actual loss is about 1s. a ton, what advantage are the miners going to get out of this rating relief?
§ 35. Lieut.-Colonel ACLAND-TROYTEasked the Minister of Health whether he has any information as to the amount of rates paid annually by hospitals which are supported by voluntary contributions; and whether he will consider the possibility of relieving them of this burden when he brings in his proposals for the relief of rates in industries?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of HEALTH (Sir Kingsley Wood)No complete statement of the amount of rates paid in respect of voluntary hospitals is available. In my right hon. Friend's opinion any proposal to de-rate voluntary hospitals must be considered in the light of past inquiries into that proposal and in relation to similar claims made on behalf of other 152 charitable and public institutions. It is not germane to the Government's proposals for giving relief from rating burdens to agriculture and industry.
§ 43. Mr. KELLYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has been made as to the relief in rates by which he expects to relieve the engineering trade in October, 1929, under the Budget proposals?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI have been asked to reply. No comprehensive information is available, but on the basis of the available data it is roughly estimated that the direct relief to the engineering industry in respect of local taxation will be from £2 millions to £2½millions a year.
§ Mr. KELLYMay we be given the line that has been drawn indicating what is the engineering trade for the purposes of this relief?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI assume that the hon. Gentleman in putting down his question took the line given in the Census of Production, and that is the line which I took.
§ Mr. ERNEST BROWNDoes that line include marine engineering?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI rather think that marine engineering is under a separate heading, but I would like notice of that question.
§ Mr. MACLEANAre we to take it that marine engineering is not to get any relief from the rates?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERCertainly not. The question is whether marine engineering is included in general engineering, or included, as I think it is, in shipbuilding.
§ 44. Mr. JAMES HUDSONasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether under the proposals of the Budget for the partial de-rating of productive industries, breweries and distilleries will be classed as productive enterprises?
§ Sir K. WOODI have been asked to reply. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given yesterday to the hon. and gallant Member for Croydon North (Colonel Mason).
§ Mr. THURTLEAre not these industries in exactly the same position as factories which manufacture ginger-beer and lemonade?
§ Mr. J. HUDSONOn what grounds has it been decided to effect these de-rating proposals when, since the War, between £100,000,000 and £200,000,000 profit has been made by them? In what sense do they need de-rating?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member can debate that later.