HC Deb 26 November 1931 vol 260 cc511-3
91. Mr. HUTCHISON

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider the desirability of granting a housekeeper's allowance for widows on the same scale as such allowances are now possible to widowers or, alternatively, of permitting widows and widowers to claim the same Income Tax deduction as married persons?

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Chamberlain)

I would refer the hon. Member to the provisions of Section 19, Finance Act, 1920, as amended by Section 22 of Finance Act, 1924, from which he will see that the law giants the same allowance and under the same conditions to widows as to widowers.

93. Rear-Admiral SUETER

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the aggregate amount of share capital and also the turnover of the wholesale and retail co-operative societies when they were first exempted from paying Income Tax under Schedule D and why was this exemption given?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

The first statutory exemption was given by the Industrial and Provident Societies Act of 1862. Complete statistics of share capital and turnover at that date are not available but in House of Commons Paper No. 202 of 1863 it is recorded that, for 332 societies out of a total of about 400 societies in the year 1862, the share capital amounted to £429,000 and the sales for cash to £2,332,000. My hon. and gallant Friend will find an account of the growth of the Income Tax exemption in question in the evidence presented to the Royal Commission on the Income Tax of 1920 by the Inland Revenue Department (Command Paper 615 Minutes of Evidence, Part II, page 952).

Mr. ARTHUR MICHAEL SAMUEL

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that private traders are not getting fairplay against competing co-operative stores?.

Sir WILLIAM DAVISON

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the loss of revenue through private shops being shut up and purchased by co-operative societies?

Mr. McGOVERN

Why do they not reduce their profits?

95. Captain MACDONALD

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will be able to make a statement arising out of his investigations into the liability of co-operative societies to Income Tax before the House rises for the Christmas Recess?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply that I gave on the 24th November to the hon. and gallant Member for Hertford (Rear-Admiral Sueter).

109. Mr. PERKINS

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the German Government, out of revenue, allow manufacturers to write off each year the amount of money they have spent in plant, with the object of encouraging the export trade, and whether he will consider adopting any such procedure in this country?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

I am not aware of any provision in the German Taxation Code of the character suggested by my hon. Friend. I may remind him that, in connection with the revised Budget for this year, my predecessor announced that a special additional allowance for wear and tear of plant and machinery, equivalent to a 10 per cent. increase in the amount of the ordinary allowances, would be given for Income Tax purposes next year. The Finance Bill will include provisions to carry out this promise.