§ 8. Mr. Lewisasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce the necessary amending legislation to enable persons entitled to post-war credits to transfer these credits, or parts thereof, to the Lord Mayor's Flood Distress Fund or some other such recognised flood distress fund, by means of a Treasury transfer credit form, made payable by the Treasury, on advice by the person entitled to post-war credits, to their chosen fund.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI am afraid that my right hon. Friend cannot adopt this suggestion.
§ Mr. LewisAll this money which is in the hands of the Treasury really belongs to the people. Is not the hon. Gentleman aware that many people who cannot afford to give money out of their own savings, which are very limited, would, if my suggestion were adopted, be only too willing to pass some of their credits along to enable flood victims to buy furniture and linoleum? Surely the hon. Gentleman can adopt this suggestion. It would not cost much.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI am aware that many people for many reasons would like 1423 repayment of their post-war credits, but the amount in issue is still of the order of £580 million.
§ Mr. LewisThe Minister misunderstands this Question. I am not asking that people should have the money themselves but should pass it over to a distress fund to enable people who have lost their homes to purchase necessities to replace what they have lost in the floods.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe hon. Gentleman's suggestion is abundantly clear, and when he reads my answer I think he will find it equally so.
§ 21. Miss Burtonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will arrange for permits to be issued to those people having to replace furniture and mirrors, owing to flood damage, so that any such replacements may be free of Purchase Tax.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterAs my right hon. Friend indicated in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, East (Mr. McAdden) on Tuesday last, the question of relief from Purchase Tax for goods damaged in the flooded areas forms part of the general problem arising from the floods which the House will, I understand, be discussing this afternoon
§ Miss BurtonMay I thank the Financial Secretary for that answer and ask if he is aware what a great help it would be to those people because, for example, mirrors bear 100 per cent. Purchase Tax.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThat question was put in a hypothetical form and, therefore, calls only for a hypothetical answer.
§ 27. Mr. Lewisasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce amending legislation to enable persons so entitled to claim repayment of their respective post-war credits, irrespective of age, on production of recognised documentary evidence of their having suffered loss in the recent flood disasters.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Esher (Mr. Robson Brown) on 17th February.
§ Mr. LewisThat earlier reply, like the one which the hon. Gentleman has now given, was completely unsatisfactory. Is the Minister aware that the Treasury have 1424 always claimed that the reason that they will not repay post-war credits is the danger of inflation? Is the hon. Gentleman not aware that if the idea contained in the Question were adopted, the money would be spent mainly on textiles, furniture and other commodities from industries which at present are suffering from a trade depression? That, therefore, completely answers the Treasury claim about inflation. Will the hon. Gentleman not consider it again?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe difficulty of the hon. Member's suggestion in his Question is that it would regulate the degree of relief given, not by hardship, but by the amount of entitlement to postwar credits, and would, of course, be of no value whatever to the older people who have already received payment of their post-war credits.