§ 47. Sir W. Smithersasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his attention has been called to paragraph 132 of the First Report of the Gas Council; what steps have been taken to clear the obscurity about the liability of the council to Income Tax and Profits Tax; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GaitskellI have read the paragraph to which the hon. Member refers, but as I have already told him, I cannot make statements about the liability to tax of particular taxpayers.
§ Sir W. SmithersCan the Chancellor of the Exchequer give an assurance that the Gas Council is treated for the purposes of tax in exactly the same way as a private company?
§ Mr. GaitskellIn exactly the same way as a private company in the same position would be.