§ 8. Mr. Dribergasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of the present high cost of tea, he will institute a scheme of tea-tokens for old-age pensioners.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerI regret that I cannot accept the hon. Member's suggestion.
§ Mr. DribergCan the Chancellor explain why, if it is possible to do this in respect of tobacco, which is consumed by far fewer people, it is not possible to do something like it in respect of tea?
§ Mr. ButlerRelief to pensioners comes from a remission of duty on tobacco, which is a very much larger factor than the possibility of remission of the duty on tea, for the reason that the proportion of tea taxed is only the foreign portion. That amounts to very little compared with the Commonwealth portion, and, therefore, the remission of tea duty to help old-age pensioners in this way would give practically no relief at all.
§ Mr. DribergIf the right hon. Gentleman merely means that it is administratively inconvenient, could he not look at the matter again and see whether, by some form of subsidy or another, he cannot do it?
§ Mr. ButlerThe Government thought it preferable, apart from the difficulties to which I have drawn the hon. Member's 1861 attention, to deal with the problems of pensioners by raising the pensions themselves.