§ 20. Mr. J. Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will bring to the attention of the Governors of Nyasaland and Kenya the advisability of placing a tax on land values, thereby ensuring that the best use is made of land.
§ Mr. LytteltonBefore considering a question of this kind, I would prefer to await the report of the Royal Commission on Land and Population in East Africa.
§ Mr. JohnsonWould not the Secretary of State agree, even before the Land Commission gives its findings, that a tax of this kind has met with much success in young, under-developed lands—for example, New Zealand and Australia? Does he not think that there are un-developed parts of East Africa where a tax of this kind would be an incentive to development?
§ Mr. LytteltonI am afraid I must adhere to my original answer. I am waiting for this report, and I do not propose to take any action until I receive it.
§ Mr. StokesThe right hon. Gentleman will remember, will he not, that on the previous occasion when this question was raised he told the House that he could not give a proper reply until he had studied the proposals? [Interruption.] Yes, he did. Now he says he is awaiting the report. Will he undertake to give proper consideration to the proposal, perhaps by meeting some of us and so giving us an opportunity of explaining to him what it means?
§ Mr. LytteltonI think the right hon. Gentleman is wrong about my saying 1938 that I would study it. I said I remained to be convinced whether this would be the best thing. As so very often happens, the right hon. Gentleman offered me the advantage of his tutelage.
§ Mr. StokesI am doing it again.
§ Mr. BaldwinAs the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Ipswich (Mr. Stokes) failed for five years to get his party to go in for the taxation of land values in this country, will my right hon. Friend resist any attempt at this experiment overseas?
§ Mr. StokesWill the Minister make a close study of "Challenge to Britain," wherein he will find the answer to that question?