§ 28. Mr. Gowerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to facilitate a further increase in house ownership by reducing stamp duties on deeds of conveyance and assignment.
§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. John Boyd-Carpenter)I am afraid I cannot adopt my hon. Friend's suggestion. I would remind him that, following the concessions my right hon. Friend introduced in 1952, conveyances on sale of property other than stocks and securities already enjoy preferential treatment for stamp duty purposes where the price does not exceed £3,450.
§ Mr. GowerIn any future consideration of this subject, will my right hon. Friend take into account the fact that some reduction of these duties would assist people who themselves assist the community by relieving it of the burden of housing them? Secondly, would not my right hon. Friend agree that the 1440 suggestion made in this Question is more in accordance with the policy of the Minister of Housing and Local Government than is the present policy of the Treasury?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI would remind my hon. Friend that, of course, the reductions made in 1952, to which I referred in my answer, indicates that we have very much in mind the considerations to which my hon. Friend quite properly gives a good deal of weight.