§ 46. Sir FRANK SANDERSONasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the nature of his reply to the representations made to him from the brewery trade to the effect that if he would reduce the emergency duty on beer by one-half, namely, from 31s. 6d. to 15s. 9d., the trade would be prepared to reduce the price to the consumer by 1d. per pint?
§ Sir F. SANDERSONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the question as printed is not as I handed it in?
§ 49. Captain NORTHasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury in view of the disparity, amounting to many millions, between the estimated revenue from the Beer Duties and the actual revenue therefrom in the years from 1923–24 to the present day, whether he will state the reasons for this disparity in each of those years?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Major Elliot)The reasons for the disparities to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers are, as he no doubt realises, a matter of conjecture. In general it may be said that the consumption of beer is affected by a number of variable factors, mainly trade and employment.