HC Deb 31 July 1978 vol 955 c71W
Mr. Faulds

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now exempt all works of art from value added tax in accordance with the recommendation number 36 of the Eighth Report of the Expenditure Committee, bearing in mind that this tax provides an incentive for dealers to export works of art and the urgent necessity to preserve the national heritage.

Mr. Robert Sheldon

The Expenditure Committee's recommendations are being studied, as are the comments of the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities, which said that in its 31st report, in paragraph 16the solution to this problem must be sought elsewhere than in pressing for amendment of VAT law".