§ 45. Mr. Bellengerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the war damage premium will be based on the quinquennial Schedule A assessment of house property or on the figure agreed periodically by the inspector of taxes according to the return of income and outgoings rendered by the taxpayer?
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sir Kingsley Wood)Under Section 19 of the War Damage Act, 1941, the contribution in respect of house property is to be calculated on the net Schedule A assessment in force at 3rd September, 1939. This would be the assessment made at the quinquennial valuation, except where the assessment then made was replaced by another assessment having effect at 3rd September, 1939. My hon. Friend may, however, have in mind cases in which tax relief not involving a revision of the Schedule A assessment is given. In such cases the contribution will be charged on the basis of the assessment as it stands.
§ 51. Mr. Woodburnasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a regulation, under the War Damage Act, that mortgagees shall indicate, when charging interest on mortgaged property, when the mortgagee has the right to recover a proportion of his contributions, and what amount is payable by each of the two contracting parties?
§ Sir K. WoodI have no power under the War Damage Act to make, a regulation of the kind suggested, but the object which my hon. Friend has in mind will, I hope, be met in another way. The demand for the first instalment of contribution will be accompanied by a leaflet explaining, amongst other things, the cases in which, and the extent to which, a mortgagor is entitled to recover part of his liability to the instalment from the mortgagee.
§ Mr. WoodburnWould the Chancellor of the Exchequer use his good influence with the War Damage Commission to help the mortgagors, who in many cases are very poor people and are not accustomed to studying financial percentages, whereas the mortgagees, in the majority of cases, are business firms who can quite easily give the same information as is given in cases of Income Tax reduction, so that the mortgagors can know what they are entitled to deduct?
§ Sir K. WoodI will send the suggestion of my hon. Friend to the Commission.
§ 47. Sir Irving Alberyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the position will be as regards premiums for war damage insurance in cases where, on a reduction in rent, the Schedule A assessment has also been subsequently reduced?
§ Sir K. WoodAs my hon. Friend is aware, the War Damage contribution is in general to be charged on the basis of the Schedule A assessment in force at the beginning of the risk period, that is at 3rd September, 1939. Any reduction of a Schedule A assessment as from a subsequent date would not affect the charge of the contribution.