§ Captain Kerbyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that, whilst public catering establishments are required to provide hygienic food storage facilities below 50°F., only about 8 per cent. of electrically-wired homes possess a domestic refrigerator, and that the average family is denied at home the hygienic food storage conditions it enjoys in public catering establishments because of a 60 per cent. Purchase Tax and a 50 per cent. hire-purchase deposit upon domestic refrigerators; and if in the interests of health and hygiene, he will consider drastically reducing the Purchase Tax and easing the hire-purchase restrictions upon domestic refrigerators when framing his Budget proposals.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftI will bear this point in mind.