HC Deb 23 June 1959 vol 607 cc1008-10
18. Mr. Lipton

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, when paying postwar credits to next of kin, Her Majesty's Inspectors of Taxes will provide fuller explanations why arrears of Income Tax are being deducted.

Mr. Amory

Inspectors of Taxes are being instructed to give the fullest possible explanation in all cases where post-war credits are repaid with a deduction for arrears of Income Tax. If the hon. Member will write to me about any particular case he has in mind, I shall be glad to look into it.

Mr. Lipton

Is the Chancellor aware that widows and other next of kin are very shocked when they suddenly get a remittance slip without any explanation except that arrears of tax dating back to 1942, or some other long period like that, are being deducted? What is he doing to relieve the doubts and anxieties of those who have already had such a slip without any explanation whatever?

Mr. Amory

I am doing everything I can to ensure that a full explanation is given of the deduction, but if the hon. Member will give me any information showing that that has not been done in any case I shall be glad to look into it. As to what I am trying to do, I am trying to minimise the inevitable shock which I am afraid some holders of postwar credits will have when they find that there are some debits to be set against the credits.

20. Mr. Chetwynd

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a progress report on the payment of post-war credits under his recent regulation; and whether he will state the number of payments made.

Mr. Amory

Repayment of post-war credits is going well. Between 1st June and 12th June, the latest date for which figures are available, approximately 570,000 payments were made.

Mr. Chetwynd

Will the Chancellor bear in mind the great disappointment of many people who apply for post-war credits, particularly the long-term sick, and find they are not included in the scheme? As it is going so well and the number of widows, I understand, is less than was expected, will the right hon. Gentleman bring in urgent regulations to extend payments to these long-term sick?

Mr. Amory

I am fully aware of the point made by the hon. Member. In order to avoid as far as possible applications which could not be met under the present restrictions, I was at as much pain as I could be to make clear from the start what the three limited categories were. I think it too soon yet to consider an extension of them, but I will bear in mind the points the hon. Member and others have made about other deserving cases.

27. Mr. Owen

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications for the repayment of post-war credits have been received from people in the Ashington-Morpeth area of Northumberland; how many were seeking repayment on grounds of permanent incapacity or ill health; and how many have been granted and how many refused repayment to the nearest convenient date.

Mr. Amory

I regret that separate statistics are not available of applications for and repayments of post-war credits on hardship grounds.

Mr. Owen

Is the Chancellor not aware that within the mining industry there is a special plea for some consideration for those who are permanently incapacitated? Will he not give consideration to that plea and, if possible, give a little more power to his local administrative officers?

Mr. Amory

I am afraid that I have no discretion under the law as it stands to meet such applications as the hon.

Member has mentioned, but I have indicated that when the time comes and we can consider an extension to the present limited three hardship categories, I shall give very careful consideration to the kind of case which he has in mind. That is as far as I can go at present.