§ Mr. John Evansasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is the anticipated Exchequer revenue from value added tax from firms offering funeral services to the general public in the current financial year; and in a full financial year, assuming a 15 per cent. rate of value added tax;
(2) how much the Exchequer collected in value added tax from firms offering funeral services to the public in each financial year from April 1974 to the latest available date.
§ Mr. Peter Rees,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 9 July 1979; Vol. 970, c. 35], gave the following answer:
Net payments of VAT by registered persons engaged in funeral direction, cemeteries and crematoria, which are classified together for VAT, were:
£ million 1974–75 … … … … 0.4 1975–76 … … … … 0.3 1976–77 … … … … 0.3 1977–78 … … … … 0.4 1978–79 (April-February) … 0.4 Information for 1977–78 was published in table 52 on page 114 of the report of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise for the year ended 31 March 1978. There is a copy in the Library. Net receipts of VAT in 1978–79 will be included in the next report to be published later this year.
It is estimated that net payments will be about £¾ million in 1979–80 and about £1 million in a full year at the current rate of 15 per cent.