§ Mr. Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby)I beg to ask leave to present a petition against any proposal to end the zero-rating system on children's shoes for VAT purposes and against any suggestion that a positive rate of VAT should be imposed. The petition is from my constituents in Great Grimsby and those of my neighbour the hon. Member for Brigg and Cleethorpes (Mr. Brown), who asks to be associated with the presentation of the petition.
The petition reads:
To the Honourable the Commons in Parliament assembled:The Petition of Her Majesty's loyal subjects living in Great Grimsby, Cleethorpes and round about sheweth:—That the extension of Value Added Tax to children's shoes will cause hardship to many, and by compelling some parents to buy shoes of inferior quality, inflict irreparable injury on the feet of the next generation.Your petitioners urge your Honourable House to reject or to repeal, as may at the time be appropriate, legislation providing for such an extension.And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.The petition is signed by Mrs. Vera Whiting of 24 Pasture street, Grimsby, who organised the petition, and by 1,547 of my constituents and those of my neighbour the hon. Member for Brigg and Cleethorpes.The petition is aimed indirectly at the Chancellor of the Exchequer to help him in his pre-Budget deliberations, but 518 it also asks the House not to sanction a positive rate of VAT on children's shoes. I hope that the House will treat the request seriously and act on it, if necessary, when the time comes.
§ To lie upon the Table.