§ Mr. Knoxasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was collected in Excise duty in each of the past five years.
§ Mr. HigginsThe following table shows receipts from Customs and Excise revenue duties and also motor vehicle duties. Revenue duties are customs duties when levied on imports and excise duties when levied on home-produced goods or activities.
Paper, he will alter paragraph 19 to introduce a scale whereby capital intensive firms have to pass on to the consumer a greater proportion of allowable cost increases than labour-intensive firms;
(3) by what date he expects to be able to define categories I, II and II of manufacturers in the Appendix to the Consultative Document on the Price and Pay Code, Command Paper No. 5247;
(4) if, when the Consultative Document on the Price and Pay Code, Command Paper No. 5247, is published as a White Paper, he will in paragraph 153 reduce the period for the Pay Board to give its approval to four weeks;
(5) if, when paragraph 141 of the Consultative Document on the Price and Pay Code, Command Paper No. 5247, is published as a White Paper, he will reduce the period of advance notice to four weeks and require the Price Commission to complete any examination within 28 days without power of extension;
345W(6) if, when the Consultative Document on the Price and Pay Code, Command Paper No. 5247, is published as a White Paper, he will alter paragraph 46 so that the 5 per cent. return on capital Will apply after payment of taxation instead of before tax in order to assist firms dependent upon borrowed money;
(7) if, when the Consultative Document on the Price and Pay Code, Command Paper No. 5247, is published as a White Paper, he will in paragraph 38 alter the provision relating to the "average level of the best two of the last five years" to read "the best of the last five years", for the benefit of smaller firms (Category III) in view of their particular borrowing problems.
§ Mr. HigginsI am considering very carefully the points raised by my hon. Friend, a number of which have already been mentioned in the course of the consultations with representative bodies, but while these consultations are still in progress I cannot say what the outcome will be. I would ask my hon. Friend to await the publication of the White Paper on the Code towards the end of this month.