HC Deb 27 May 1935 vol 302 cc883-4

9.2 p.m.

Mr. BUTLER

I beg to move, in page 84, line 20, to leave out "water."

The Amendment is consequential, although it comes at this stage, on an Amendment to be made in the Schedule. It is proposed, as hon. Members will see if they refer to the Order Paper, at a later stage, that the terminal taxes on goods or passengers carried by water should be left to the Provinces, since there will be no convenient Federal machinery for collection. It is therefore necessary to make the Amendment at this stage of the Bill, and the question of substance, if there be any disagreement on the subject, will really come on the Schedule when we reach it.

9.3 p.m.

Sir S. CRIPPS

I want to ask a question whether this may not possibly prejudice the unification of transport by dealing with the taxation on the fares and general charges and so on under three different methods of transport by different legislatures. Does the hon. Gentleman not think that they rather tend to prejudice the question of unification of the whole of the transport services under a single legislative authority?

Sir H. CROFT

I would remind my hon. Friend that the question of road transport was raised on the Committee stage, and would not that also necessitate the same consideration as that which the hon. and learned Gentleman has just mentioned?

9.4 p.m.

Mr. BUTLER

We have been ruled in this matter by the question of machinery for collecting these terminal taxes. We find that there is no considerable Federal machinery, and that it would be more convenient, therefore, for the unit to collect. We do not anticipate that the result will be that, owing to a unit collecting these taxes, it will prevent the circulation of goods or passengers by waterways. The three items can be raised on the insertion of the lists when we come to the Schedules, but at this stage I would only say to my hon. and gallant Friend and the hon. and learned Member who raised this matter, that we consider that it is more important to collect these taxes satisfactorily, and we do not consider that there will be any undue check to the distribution of goods by making a decision at this stage.

Amendment agreed to.