HC Deb 15 April 1937 vol 322 cc1179-80
68. Mr. E. Smith

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the estimated amounts in Customs and Excise revenue per head of the population of Great Britain for the year ended March, 1936, in respect of food, drink, and tobacco?

The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Lieut.-Colonel Colville)

The estimated amounts of taxation in Customs and Excise revenue per head of the population of Great Britain for the year ended 31st March, 1936, in respect of food, drink, and tobacco were as follow:

£ s. d.
Food (including tea, coffee and cocoa) 0 15 6
Drink (alcoholic liquors, table waters and fruit juices) 2 5 7
Tobacco 1 12 3
The Excise duties incidental to the manufacture and retail of articles included in the above-mentioned categories have been taken into account in framing these estimates. Items falling under Group B (namely, feeding-stuffs for animals) of Class 1 of the Official Trade Accounts have been excluded. Some of the items in other groups in this class (e.g. wheat, barley, oats) have been included in full, although an unknown quantity is used as feeding-stuffs for animals.

Viscountess Astor

Will the Financial Secretary also bear in mind that, in spite of the taxation on the drink trade, the profits are £7,000,000 more than in 1932, and that convictions for drunkenness have gone up by 24 per cent.?

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