HC Deb 14 May 1928 vol 217 cc660-2
40 and 42. Mr. KELLY

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) what estimate has been made as to the relief in rates which it is expected will be received by the chemical trade in October, 1929, under the Budget proposals;

(2) what figure has been arrived at as the amount of relief which is expected to come to the artificial silk trade in October, 1929, under the Budget proposals, and what will be the amount for the silk trade?

41. Mr. E. BROWN

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether relief of rates to marine engineering was included in his recent estimate of the relief to the engineering industry; and, if not, what estimate has been made as to the relief of rates which the marine engineering and shipbuilding trades will receive under the proposed Government scheme?

Mr. H. WILLIAMS

Comprehensive information regarding the amount of direct relief from local taxation that each trade will obtain, is not available, but for a few trades some approximate estimates have been made. As has already been stated in the House, the direct relief for the engineering industry, including marine engineering, will be from £2,000,000 to £2,500,000 a year. For shipbuilding it will be about £400,000 a year; for the chemical industry about £600,000. For coal the direct relief is estimated to be about £2,500,000 a year; for cotton spinning and weaving about £1,500,000 a year; for wool combing, spinning and weaving about £750,000; for the heavy iron and steel industry about £550,000; for breweries and distilleries about £400,000. In respect of other trades the amount of information available is not sufficient to justify an estimate of the amount of relief which will be obtained.

Mr. BROWN

Are these figures based on the total establishments concerned in each trade, or do they distinguish between those parts of the establishment which are used by manual labour and those parts where the office staffs are working?

Mr. WILLIAMS

The estimates are approximate.

Mr. BROWN

May I have an answer to my question as to whether the estimates which have been made are actually based upon the rates paid by the whole of these properties or on parts of the properties, and are they divided between manual labour and the office?

Mr. WILLIAMS

As the Valuation Ascertainment Bill is not yet law, those data are not accessible, and no answer can be given to the hon. Member's question?

Mr. BROWN

Then what use are these estimates at all?

Mr. WILLIAMS

They have the same high value that all my estimates have.

Mr. KELLY

When presenting these figures will some definition be given to enable us to understand which are the Departments concerned, and What are the limitations of the particular industry—for instance heavy or light chemicals?

Mr. SPEAKER

I think we had better wait for the Bill.

Mr. SKELTON

Do the investigations which have already been made enable the hon. Member to say if the dyeing and cleaning industry is included as a producing industry?

Mr. WILLIAMS

That is a question which can be dealt with when we discuss the Bill.