§ 73. Mr. Callaghanasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the total of the levy paid to date under the Transport Act, 1953, to compensate for the loss on selling British Road Services vehicles.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterUp to the end of March, 1955,£7,677,000.
§ Mr. CallaghanIn view of the fact that this is a burden on industry and that the Minister cannot sell the lorries, does not he think it time that he called it a day and relieved industry of this ridiculous burden?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI would refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I have given him to similar supplementary questions on several occasions.
§ Mr. RentonIs it not a fact that, contrary to the suggestions so often made by the hon. Member for Cardiff, South-East (Mr. Callaghan), there will be no loss on the sale of British Road Service vehicles on account of the fact that the levy will be paid and will cover it?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI have endeavoured to explain matters to the hon. Gentleman on several occasions, as I have indicated. I doubt whether further efforts will avail much.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonDoes it not seem to the Minister at this stage rather unreasonable that he should go on levying this tax on his own private enterprise friends in road commercial transport and at the same time break up the services of the British Transport Commission? In view of the lack of sales of vehicles, ought he not to bring it to an end and thereby enable us to have something in the way of a commercial road transport service?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI do not accept that there has been a lack of sales. As the right hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well, this matter has been thrashed out in great detail in this House, and I am carrying out the instructions of Parliament.