HL Deb 22 April 1969 vol 301 cc369-70

2.40 p.m.

LORD BROOKE OF CUMNOR

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government why it has taken them more than two years to perceive the rightness of the view of this House, declared in a Division on the Land Commission Bill on December 5, 1966, that it would be wise to exempt small transactions from liability to betterment levy.]

THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT (LORD KENNET)

My Lords, the modifications to the betterment levy contained in last week's White Paper are substantially different from the addition to Clause 27 which was moved in this House on December 5, 1966, and derive from consideration by Her Majesty's Government of two years' operation of the Land Commission Act.

LORD BROOKE OF CUMNOR

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for answering my Question, though I do not find his answer wholly convincing. Is the noble Lord aware that on January 30, 1967, I said to him in debate: … the Land Commission will curse the day when it was not relieved by Statute of the necessity of dealing with hundreds of thousands of small transactions."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 30/ 1/67, col. 791.] The noble Lord replied: … it does not seem to us worth it. And he added that it would not achieve any desirable social end for the small man which is not already achieved …" [col. 796] in other ways.

LORD KENNET

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, partly on his foresight and equally on his memory.

LORD AIREDALE

My Lords, may we hope that the £1,500 exemption limit which is proposed will in fact be the first £1,500 of the value of any land, avoiding the situation that land worth £1,550 will be caught for the full 40 per cent. levy, whereas land worth £100 less will escape levy altogether?

LORD KENNET

My Lords, I think that that question should await detailed consideration of the Finance Bill in another place.