§ 34. Lord Malcolm Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of Income Tax he received in the last financial year from persons resident in the seven crofting counties of Scotland.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIt is quite impossible to give a precise figure for the amount of Income Tax paid by residents in a particular area. Subject to this, the best estimate I can give my noble Friend would be somewhere between £2¼ million and £2½ million for the year 1952–53.
§ Lord Malcolm Douglas-HamiltonAs this is a relatively small amount, would it not pay the Treasury to forgo at any rate some of it in order to foster more real trade and industry which that region so badly needs, thereby saving any subsidy and other help given at present out of Central Government funds?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI think I largely answered that question in reply to my noble Friend's Question a few weeks ago, when he directly made this suggestion. I do not think that differential Income Tax would be a proper solution of the problem which I know he has very much at heart.