15. Mr. H. Wilsonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish as a White Paper all the memoranda submitted by the Board of Inland Revenue to the Royal Commission on the Taxation of Profits and Income on all aspects of the subject of exemption of overseas profits from home taxation.
§ Mr. PowellThe Royal Commission decided on grounds of expense, against publication of the written evidence submitted to it but arranged that copies should be deposited with the libraries mentioned in paragraph 12 of its Report. I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library of this House.
Mr. WilsonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that since it is generally known that the Board of Inland Revenue produced the most blistering memoranda on the original proposals for these overseas trade corporations, the interest in this matter goes much wider than this House? Will he not, therefore, consider publishing the memoranda as a White Paper so that newspapers and other commentators can inform themselves of the reason for the opposition of the Board of Inland Revenue thereto? Secondly, while we are grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for agreeing to put the document in the Library, because of the widespread interest, may I ask whether he can arrange not only that one copy should be available, but that there will be a number of copies, and that they should be put in the Library almost immediately, so that we can put down appropriate Amendments to the Finance Bill?
§ Mr. PowellI hope that it will be in the Library in a day or two. I will look into the point about how many copies can be made available. As to the first part of the right hon. Gentleman's question, I suggest that he verifies his surmise.