HC Deb 23 May 1957 vol 570 cc1374-6
16. Mrs. Mann

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when Purchase Tax was first imposed on the Crayleigh safeguard for gas and electric cookers; and how much has been collected, to date, from this tax.

Mr. Powell

Articles of this kind have been chargeable with Purchase Tax since October, 1940. The amount of tax collected on them is not separately known.

Mrs. Mann

Is the Financial Secretary aware that this is the first time that a cooker device or any device aimed at reducing accidents in the home has been subject to Purchase Tax? Is he further aware that what he gains on the Purchase Tax swings, he will lose on the hospital roundabouts? Why does he not abolish this tax?

Mr. Powell

There are a number of accident prevention devices which fall into Purchase Tax groups, and, of course, this item has had the Purchase Tax on it reduced by half in the Budget.

Mr. H. Wilson

It is not good enough to say that because the Government are misbehaving in respect of one item, they can misbehave in respect of many others too. Will the hon. Gentleman, realising, as I am sure he does, the widespread feeling all over the country about accidents in the home, have another special look at this question, the more so in that the House of Commons cannot, on this year's Finance Bill, move separate Amendments to deal with this point? Will the hon. Gentleman have another look at this matter and give a lot of satisfaction, I am sure, in all parts of the House?

Mr. Powell

Naturally, I sympathise with the object behind the two questions, but the exemption of accident prevention devices generally is a very complicated and difficult matter.

Dame Irene Ward

Does my hon. Friend realise that what I think is that the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the rest of the Treasury Ministers are so taken up with the big financial problems of the day that they really have no time for these most important and small details? Would it not be a good thing if they got a few housewives to get down to telling them what to do?

Mr. Powell

My right hon. Friend has been able to look at this detail very carefully.

Mr. Wilson

Since, to follow the point made by the hon. Lady the Member for Tynemouth (Dame Irene Ward), the hon. Gentleman and other Treasury Ministers have made such an awful mess of the big financial and economic problems, could they not at least gain a little credit with the hon. Lady and also more widely by applying their minds to this problem a little more constructively?

20. Mr. Nabarro

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the reasons for heavy rates of Purchase Tax on domestic space and water heating appliances operated by gas and electricity, based largely on indigenous fuel, namely, coal, whereas similar domestic appliances operated by imported oil fuel are free of Purchase Tax; and, in view of current hazards in oil supply, whether he will rearrange matters to encourage maximum use of indigenous fuel resources.

Mr. Powell

My right hon. Friend has noted my hon. Friend's suggestion.

Mr. Nabarro

To return to the supplementary question asked earlier by the right hon. Member for Huyton (Mr. H. Wilson), may I ask whether my hon. Friend is aware that in the terms of the Finance Bill this year, none of these important issues can be raised in Committee or on the later stages of the Bill? As this is an anomaly which we have had now for several years, and having regard to the hazardous oil supply position in the future, is it reasonable that we should continue to give preference to oil consumption at the expense of indigenous fuels?

Mr. Powell

Those are points which my right hon. Friend has noted in connection with my hon. Friend's Question.

Mr. Nabarro

On a point of order. As I am precluded from raising this question on the Finance Bill, I give notice that I shall seek to raise it on the Adjournment when it will be in order.

Mr. H. Wilson

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Will the hon. Member not be equally out of order in trying to raise on the Adjournment a matter of taxation legislation? In view of that, will the Government again consider this matter and see whether it cannot be raised, in order, on the Finance Bill?

Mr. Nabarro

Further to that point of order—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I have not seen what question the hon. Member for Kidderminster (Mr. Nabarro) desires to raise. When I see it, I will express an opinion as to whether it is in order.