§ 25. Mr. Gibsonasked the President of the Board of Trade what is the amount of the levy per standard, added to the market price of timber by his Department; why this levy is made; and whether he will consider taking early steps to reduce the amount of the levy in order to reduce the cost of house building.
§ Sir S. CrippsThe amount of the levy varies for different descriptions of softwood, but for most it is £19 15s. per standard. The recent increase in timber selling prices, which was made necessary by the increased cost of imported timber, would have resulted in a windfall profit to merchants on the resale of timber they had in stock at the time of the increase. The levy, which is charged only on timber which merchants had bought from the Timber Control at the lower prices previously prevailing, is intended to withdraw this windfall profit; it is not added to the present price of timber, nor would any reduction in it reduce the cost of building.