§ 72. Mr. Leverasked the President of the Board of Trade how many motor cars have been imported from the United States in the last two years; how many of these were gifts to British subjects; whether Purchase Tax was paid thereon; whether it was based upon the trade value in this country of those cars; and whether he will ban any future imports.
§ Mr. BelcherThe number of cars recorded as imported from the United States in the two years ended 31st October, 1947, was 318. The majority of these were gifts. Purchase Tax is payable on all cars imported as gifts, the tax being assessed on the wholesale value in the United Kingdom. No commercial imports of motor cars are at present allowed from any source and while licences for import of cars as gifts are kept to a minimum and are granted only when the car is a gift from a near relative I am not prepared to refuse licences in all such cases.