§ Mr. Skeetasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the level of tax on heavy fuel oil in the major European Economic Community countries; and what is the yield of the tax in each.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneCurrent tax rates in States of the European Community are as follows:
251W
Tax rates Duty (£ per metric tonne*) VAT (per cent) Belgium Nil 17 Denmark †27.24 22 Feance 3.88 18.6 West Germany 3.50 13 Greece 3.33 —‡ Ireland 8.05 zero-rated Italy 0.40 18 Luxembourg 1.20 5 Netherlands 2.38 18 UK ║8.01 Zero-rated Notes:
* Based on exchange rates on 5 November 1982. 1 metric tonne=1040 litres of heavy fuel oil.
† Duty is refunded to registered VAT traders.
‡ VAT has not yet been introduced.
║The legal rate is £0.0077 per litre.
It is estimated that net receipts of excise duty on heavy fuel oil in the United Kingdom in 1981–82 were £110 million. Accurate figures of duty receipts for the year are not yet available. Information about tax yields in other EC countries is not readily available.