§ 96. Major Beamishasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the duty per gallon on port wine each year since 1938, together with the annual revenue collected and the approximate annual domestic consumption of this wine; and whether, in view of the strongly held opinion that this wine that used to be widely enjoyed here has been overtaxed, he will give sympathetic consideration to a reduction in the duty on it.
§ Lieut. - Colonel Bromley - Davenportasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the duty per gallon on port wine for each year since 1938, together with the annual revenue collected and the approximate annual consumption of such wine; and, in view of the fact that a large amount of British capital and enterprise is involved in the port wine trade, what steps he proposes to take to improve the situation with regard to the import of port into Great Britain.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftThe rates of duty were set out in my Written Answers to the hon. and gallant Member for Lewes (Major Beamish) on 28th February. The other figures are given below. As to the last part of the Question, I cannot anticipate the Budget.
IMPORTATIONS OF PORT WINES NET QUANTITIES AND RETAINED FOR CONSUMPTION AND REVENUE RECEIPTS, FOR THE YEARS 1937–38 TO 1955–56. Financial year Quantities retained for consumption Net Revenue receipts Gallons £ 1937–38 … … 4,005,830 1,602,871 1938–39 … … 3,778,112 1,511,636 1939–40 … … 3,753,376 1,864,794 1940–41 … … 3,709,837 2,772,752 1941–42 … … 1,843,334 1,475,509 1942–43 … … 705,967 962,171 1943–44 … … 453,961 762,603 1944–45 … … 388,087 660,197 1945–46 … … 463,525 788,562 1946–47 … … 1,608,518 2,735,267 1947–48 … … 1,733,665 3,155,231 1948–49 … … 1,421,696 3,544,396 1949–50 … … 1,819,197 4,544,391 1950–51 … … 1,836,964 4,589,062 1951–52 … … 1,653,441 4,134,157 1952–53 … … 1,548,024 3,866,801 1953–54 … … 1,618,505 4,044,958 1954–55 … … 1,624,920 4,057,311 1955–56 … … 1,638,882 4,091,454