§ 56. Mr. Mathersasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take steps to prevent the profiteering now going on in house property sales by exacting a financial penalty which will ensure that 35 the exploitation does not profit those who practise it.
§ Sir J. AndersonI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health to the hon. Member for Rugby (Mr. W. J. Brown) on 28th October last, of which I am sending him a copy, from which he will see that the Ministry of Health, in co-operation with other Government Departments concerned, has under examination the general question of the selling price of houses.
§ Mr. MathersIn view of the very great difficulty, if not the impossibility, of dealing with this matter by methods of control, does not the right hon. Gentleman realise that a duty is required of him in the public interest to see that this problem, which is assuming very serious dimensions, should be checked?
§ Sir J. AndersonIf my hon. Friend means that the appropriate method of dealing with this is by the use of the taxation instrument, then, I am afraid, I do not agree.
§ Lieut.-Colonel DowerWill my right hon. Friend, when considering the matter, consider also the enforced sales of houses considerably undervalued to meet Death Duties and other tax demands?
§ Mr. GallacherDoes not the Chancellor recognise that where you have private enterprise, you always have this sort of thing?