HC Deb 14 February 1956 vol 548 cc251-2W
Wing Commander Bullus

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amount of money staked on totalisators on greyhound racecourses, including the

Month Financial Years
1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56
£ £ £ £ £
April … 5,468,090 5,398,960 5,762,430 5,353,700 4,941,940
May … 6,948,580 6,192,370 5,317,800 4,751,610 4,900,690
June … 5,864,020 5,986,260 5,506,670 5,764,070 6,842,500
July … 6,340,820 7,254,480 6,668,190 6,142,570 5,446,680
August … 7,509,450 6,519,500 5,999,810 5,983,500 6,428,060
September … 5,462,090 5,450,890 5,419,810 5,622,940 5,810,700
October … 5,642,430 5,757,910 5,271,440 4,602,070 4,493,310
November … 5,174,620 4,400,140 4,252,720 4,197,080 4,482,900
December … 4,458,060 4,011,880 4,839,830 4,126,520 4,257,080
Total (9 months) … 52,868,160 50,972,390 49,038,700 46,544,060 47,603,860

Mr. Lewis

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the amount by which the present 10 per cent. Pool Betting Duty on bets placed on greyhound racetrack totalisators could be reduced if there were instituted a percentage flat rate tax on all bets placed on totalisators at greyhound and horse-racing tracks, so as to ensure the same total revenue to the Treasury as that received for last year on the 10 per cent. duty on greyhound racetrack totalisators.

Mr. H. Macmillan

I cannot give such an estimate since it is not possible to say how far a duty on totalisator bets at horse racecourses would result in a switch to betting with bookmakers, but the reduction would clearly be small.

Mr. Lewis

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that there is a 10 per cent. betting duty on bets placed on greyhound racetrack totalisators whereas there is no such betting duty on bets placed on totalisators at horse-

individual monthly totals, during the present financial year, up to the latest convenient date; and how these totals compare with the similar returns during the previous four financial years.

Mr. H. Macmillan

Monthly figures of the amounts staked on totalisators on greyhound racecourses are not available as such; but the totalisator stakes in respect of which Pool Betting Duty was received during the first nine months of the current financial year, and the corresponding figures for the four preceding years are as follows:

racing tracks; and what is the reason for this discrimination against greyhound racing.

Mr. H. Macmillan

Yes. This duty was introduced in this form in 1947 because of differences in the conditions of betting on horse and dog racing, and past experience has shown that, while these continue, the taxation of horse-race betting, whether on the totalisator or with bookmakers, is not practicable.