§ 14. Mr. Bryant Godman Irvineasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now seek to exempt British consulting engineers from Selective Employment Tax, in view of their contribution to exports.
§ Mr. CallaghanIt is impracticable to exempt them from payment of tax. As promised, in the coming months I will be taking stock of a number of aspects of the arrangements of paying premiums or refunds. But I cannot anticipate now what changes, if any, will be made.
§ Mr. IrvineMay I take it that one of the intended purposes of the tax is to increase exports? If that be so, why should a business which, in most of its firms, has at least 75 per cent. of its work going in exports be subjected to this tax, and why should it be subjected to the tax when most of its competitors abroad are being subsidised?
§ Mr. CallaghanI shall be taking stock of a number of aspects of these arrangements, and this will undoubtedly come into consideration; but I could not give any promise on it.