§ 25. Mr. DENVILLEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the desirability of minimising unemployment due to the levy of the Entertainments Duty, he will arrange to obtain statistics showing the proportion of this duty which is yielded by the duty on dramatic entertainments, musical entertainments, music hall entertainments and cinematograph entertainments and sporting events, respectively?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI regret that separate particulars of the receipts of entertainments duty from different classes of entertainments are not obtainable, because in the case of duty paid by the purchase of stamps or stamped tickets there is no information as to the class of entertainment for which the stamps or tickets may be used.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIn view of the deadly effect of this tax on small cinemas, does not the right hon. Gentleman think that he ought to attempt to ascertain this information before the Amendments on the Order Paper are dealt with?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINBefore we could do that the method of selling stamps or tickets would have to be changed.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSCould the right hon. Gentleman not call for a return from cinema proprietors on which he could base his final judgment when the Schedule referred to is fiNaily dealt with?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINNo, the duty is paid by purchase of stamps, and cinema proprietors could not give that information.