§ 29. Mr. Crouchasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department will, in future, keep separate returns of the Purchase Tax collected on the sale of wet and dry wireless batteries, respectively.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterNo, Sir. The collection of detailed information of this kind would impose on traders and officials alike a heavy administrative burden which I consider would not be justified.
§ Mr. CrouchDoes my hon. Friend's reply suggest that among the thousands of civil servants that we have there are not a few who could be spared for this task? Is he also suggesting that he is unable to distinguish the wets from the dries?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe last part of that supplementary question seems to have a Transatlantic ring. My hon. Friend will appreciate that a good deal of the burden which he suggests should be imposed would fall not on the public service but on the traders concerned. It is our desire to effect every possible reduction in the size of the public services.