§ Captain CHARLES BATHURSTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the increase of the Income Tax assessment under Schedule B, he will consider the desirability and the equity of amending the present system of taxing woodlands, seeing that the occupying owner of this description of property now pays a double Income Tax, first under Schedule A and again under Schedule B, on a hypothetical value which is either nonexistent or is greatly in excess of the income which he actually receives, and that neither the option to be assessed under Schedule D nor the abatement from tax under Schedules A and B, after proof that the amount assessed exceeds the actual profits, is applicable to woodlands owing to their not being occupied for the purposes of husbandry only?
§ Mr. McKENNAOn the facts at present before me I am unable to introduce legislation on the lines suggested by the hon. Member. Woodlands are often maintained as much for the purposes of sport1288W and ornament as for commercial reasons, and it would be difficult to distinguish between the two classes of case. Even when the purpose of the woodlands is purely commercial, the profits could only be properly estimated over varied and sometimes prolonged periods. The ascertainment of a fair profit basis would therefore be a very troublesome matter for the owners of these lands. I doubt moreover whether they really suffer any substantial grievance as woodlands are ordinarily assessed on the basis of the rating value which represents more or less prairie value, and so is exceptionally low.