§ 7. Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many private owners of toll bridges are receiving susbtantial incomes from the collection of such tolls; and what steps he intends to take to ensure that all such incomes shall be taxable in the future.
§ Mr. BarberI would refer the hon. Gentleman to the speech made by my right hon. and learned Friend yesterday afternoon.
§ Mr. HamiltonDid the hon. Gentleman read the debate on 16th March on this issue? Is he aware that it was then pointed out by at least two of his hon. Friends that in one instance at Selby Bridge in Yorkshire there was a tax-free income of £20,000 a year? Is he also aware that the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) quoted the case of the Earl of Abingdon receiving a tax-free income, and an unearned income at that, of £6,000 a year? Can the hon. Gentleman tell me, with reference to the Answer which I think the Financial Scretary gave to a Question on 3rd April, in how many cases there are special exemptions from taxation and what is the estimated loss to the Revenue of those exempted cases?
§ Mr. BarberI cannot, without notice, answer the second part of that supplementary question, but I can tell the hon. Member that the number of toll bridges which enjoy exemption under longstanding enactments is five. I am having the matter examined.