HL Deb 14 May 1946 vol 141 cc200-1
LORD MORRISON

My Lords, I beg to ask the question standing in my name.

[The question was as follows:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will exempt from purchase tax, communal street bins, or household containers, purchased by local authorities for the purpose of carrying out the collection of kitchen waste to help make up for the great reduction in imported feeding stuffs.]

LORD PAKENHAM

My Lords, as the noble Lord will be aware, the Chancellor of the Exchequer in another place has undertaken to propose some further limited Purchase Tax concessions during the progress of the Finance Bill, and has indicated that he is anxious to collect suggestions as to what are now the most urgent claims for relief from this tax. I can of course assure the noble Lord that the Government have the greatest sympathy with his concern for stimulating the collection of kitchen waste for use as animal food, and that his suggestion will be carefully considered, but I doubt if it is free from difficulty.

LORD MORRISON

My Lords, in thanking the noble Lord for his reply, might I ask if he would represent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer that if he would care to send one of his officers to consult with me, I would probably be able to give him some information, particularly with regard to the difficulty now being found in various parts of the country in continuing the collection of waste food. Already over 2,000,000 tons of waste food have been collected through this effort, and it is most desirable at the present time that that effort should not slacken in any way. In view of the fact that I could show the right honourable gentleman, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, one particular place where two kinds of bins are being used for the same purpose, one of which is subject to Purchase Tax and the other not, perhaps he would be good enough to have one of his officers make further inquiry into this matter, and he would probably be convinced of the need for carrying out the recommendation.

LORD PAKENHAM

I feel sure that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will jump at the chance of consultation between his officers and the noble Lord. Indeed, I feel he will be tempted to undertake the job himself.