§ 9. Mr. Ogdenasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the annual yield to the Treasury from motor vehicle registration fees for each of the past five years, and give his estimate of the annual yield for each of the next five years on the basis that the licence fee was reduced by £2 10s., £5 and £7 10s., respectively.
§ Mr. DiamondWith permission, I will circulate the figures for the last five years in the OFFICIAL REPORT. It is not possible to make any accurate forecast five years ahead on the basis of alternative rates of duty.
§ Mr. OgdenIs my right hon. Friend aware that that tells me nothing at this time and therefore I decline to ask a supplementary question?
§ Mr. Arthur LewisAs so many thousands are not paying the fees, would it not be better to drop it altogether? That would be the easiest way out for all concerned.
§ Mr. DiamondI must ask my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis) to keep this matter in proportion.
§ Following are the figures:
| Current | 1964–65 | ||
| prices | prices | ||
| £m. | £m. | ||
| 1964–65 | … | 187 | 187 |
| 1965–66 | … | 245 | 235 |
| 1966–67 | … | 262 | 243 |
| 1967–68 | … | 283 | 254 |
| 1968–69 | … | 401 | 351 |
| 1969–70 (estimated) | … | 422 | 355 |
§ 10. Mr. Ogdenasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he is giving to proposals to reduce the motor vehicle licence registration fees.
§ Mr. DiamondMy right hon. Friend will bear in mind the proposals that have been made when he is considering his Budget statement.
§ Mr. OgdenIs my right hon. Friend aware that I have asked a similar Question to this one for the last four years? Does he not think it time that virtue and diligence were rewarded and that if there were an attempt to reduce the tax on registration fee it would mean that those who use most petrol would pay most in tax?
§ Sir G. NabarroThat is better than putting it up to £35.
§ Mr. DiamondMy hon. Friend, who is to be congratulated on his consistency, will remember and recognise the various arguments which apply if one is thinking of changing the tax on petrol as opposed to what is before us now. This is too long a subject to go into in Question and Answer.