§ 2. Mr. Wadeasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the estimated total expenditure during the latest period of 12 months for which information is available incurred by the Government in the administration and collection of Purchase Tax.
§ Mr. H. BrookePurchase Tax work is largely done by the staff of the Customs and Excise Department in conjunction with their other responsibilities for collecting the Customs and Excise revenue. 751 Separate figures for the total expenditure incurred in administering and collecting Purchase Tax are, therefore, not available.
§ Mr. WadeWhile I regret that the figures are not available, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he agrees that if the expenditure referred to in the Question were added to the expenditure incurrd by manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers in calculating and collecting the tax, the total would amount to a very considerable sum?
§ Mr. BrookeThe Customs and Excise revenue, of course, amounts to a very considerable sum. The average cost of collecting the revenue is about three-quarters of 1 per cent. of the revenue collected.