§ 27. Mr. Nabarroasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will at an early date cause a substantial reduction of Purchase Tax to be made on all articles which contribute materially to national efficiency and which are now subject to high rates of tax, in particular, such items as office equipment, kitchen appliances and apparatus, clocks and watches, commercial vehicle chassis, drugs and medicines and essential toilet preparations; and what was the approximate revenue from Purchase Tax on these items for the last twelve months for which figures are available.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Derick Heathcoat Amory)My hon. Friend will not expect me to anticipate my Budget statement. The revenue in 1957 from the articles listed was £127 million.
§ Mr. NabarroI never expect my right hon. Friend to anticipate anything, but would he not have regard to the fact that on 15th April the nation expects him to produce a Budget which will be conducive to an improvement in industrial 1077 production and efficiency, as a first budgetary requirement?