HC Deb 14 February 1956 vol 548 cc2156-7
27. Mr. Swingler

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce discriminatory tax reliefs in favour of the exhibition of British films as part of a scheme to lower the level of taxation on cinematograph entertainment.

The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Henry Brooke)

The hon. Member will not expect me to anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget statement.

Mr. Swingler

Will not the Financial Secretary give an assurance that the Treasury will pay more attention to suggestions of this kind than it has done in the past? Will he, at any rate, give an undertaking that the Treasury will give serious consideration to proposals put to it for such a discriminatory tax relief, which would be beneficial both to the film-producing industry and cinemas in general?

Mr. Brooke

I think that this proposal was put up by the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association two or three years ago. The whole tax will be reviewed by my right hon. Friend before the Budget, but I cannot say more than that.