HC Deb 10 February 1954 vol 523 cc1165-6
9. Mr. T. Williams

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether, since it was not the intention of Her Majesty's Government when negotiating the passage of the Transport Bill through the House in 1953 that house coal delivery service vehicles should be made liable for payment of the transport levy, and since such schemes, co-operatively run by miners, are non-profit-making schemes which in no way compete with the railways, he will have this matter re-examined with a view to removing the levy from domestic schemes of this kind.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

It was made clear during the debates on the Transport Bill that the cheapest and simplest way to collect the levy was to relate it to the categories of vehicles established for vehicle taxation and that it would be impracticable to discriminate between the various uses to which vehicles were put within those categories. This principle was incorporated in the Transport Act, 1953, and I have no power to alter it.

Mr. Williams

Is the Minister aware that these domestic schemes run by coal miners' co-operatives were neither nationalised nor de-nationalised, and that the only effect of the de-nationalisation legislation was to impose a burden upon them which never existed before? Does not he think that, as the schemes never can compete with the railways, the position ought to be re-examined?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

Had the right hon. Gentleman put those considerations to me during the passage of the Bill, I should have listened to them with sympathy, but now I am advised that legally such vehicles—however much I sympathise with what the right hon. Gentleman has in mind—must be classed as businesses. I have no option but to carry out the terms of the Act.

Mr. Callaghan

Is not the simplest way out to stop selling the lorries?

Mr. Williams

Willthe Minister between now and the forthcoming Budget consult the Chancellor of the Exchequer to see if the Finance Act, 1952, can be amended to exclude these schemes from the levy?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I could give no such undertaking, I am afraid. The complications if we attempted to discriminate would, I think, daunt even the bravest soul.