§ Mr. R. MCNEILLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if ho is aware of the inconvenience caused to pharmacists and the public by the incidence of the Stamp Duty on proprietary medicines since 1915, when the stamp values were doubled, whilst the values coverable by the stamps were unaltered, which increase has added greatly to the inconvenience of the insufficient graduation of the duty; whether he is aware that manufacturers of these dutiable articles desire to establish a series of intermediate values if the Stamp Duty were correspondingly graduated; whether, in order to meet the convenience of the market, he will rearrange the incidence of the duty so that values of 1s. shall bear a stamp of 3d., values of 1s. 4d. a stamp of 4d., values of 1s. 8d. a stamp of 5d., values of 2s. a stamp of 6d., and so on, increasing the value of the article by 4d. and of the stamp by 1d. for each increment; whether such a readjustment, which would enable manufacturers to rearrange 2421W their charges without unduly increasing prices, could be made without loss of revenue; and, if so, whether he will propose an Amendment of the Finance Bill to give effect to it?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI am aware that the Select Committee on Patent Medicines which reported in 1914 (No. 414) was of opinion that the Jaw governing the medicine Stamp Duty and the sale of medicines in general requires complete revision. Numerous proposals have been received for a regraduation of the duty on the lines suggested by the hon. Member, but I do not think that any sufficient ground exists for dealing with the question of regraduation apart from the other matters, such as the repeal of a number of the existing exemptions, which were recommended by the Committee. As regards the question of the "effect on the Revenue of a permanent regraduation of the tax on the lines suggested by the hon. Member, I doubt whether any reliable estimate could be formed under the present abnormal conditions affecting the cost of production.