§ Mr. Hirstasked the Secretary to the Treasury the Purchase Tax yield on sales of wool piece-goods coming under group 6 during the financial year ended 31st March, 1956.
§ Mr. H. BrookeThe yield is estimated to be about £2 million.
§ Mr. Hirstasked the Secretary to the Treasury the respective volume and/or value of wool cloth and non-wool cloth, as defined for Purchase Tax purposes, sold over the counter in the most recent convenient period.
§ Mr. H. Brooke1 regret that this information is not available.
§ Mr. Hirstasked the Secretary to the Treasury (1) the number of persons or firms carrying on a business of dressmaking; how many of these are registered for Purchase Tax; and how many have not been required to register although their turnover exceeds £500 per annum;
(2) the number of persons or firms carrying on a business of tailoring; and how many have not been required to register although their turnover exceeds £500 per annum.
§ Mr. H. BrookeNo precise figures are available. The total number of persons or firms carrying on a business of making outer garments (including bespoke tailors and dressmakers) is estimated from the 1951 Census of Production at about 10,000. Firms employing more than ten persons number about 2,500 in tailoring and 1,200 in dressmaking; it is not possible to make a similar division in the case of the smaller firms.
Of the total about half are registered for Purchase Tax. The rest consist mainly of the smaller tailors. The number of dressmakers liable to registration who have not been registered is very small.