§ 6. Mr. R. Bellasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why an instrument designed for the diagnosis of bowel cancer and given for use at Amersham, Buckinghamshire, by the Memorial Centre for Cancer and Allied Diseases, New York, particulars of which have been sent to him, was subject to long delay and to duty on admission to this country.
§ Mr. SimonThe gift of this instrument was both unsolicited and unexpected,
Class Quantity Receipts of Duty Gallons £ Oils chargeable with Customs duty— Light oils: 2,028,119,842 *254,816,656 Of which motor (including aviation) spirit (1,979,788,782) (248,777,393) Heavy oils: For use as road fuel 483,287,216 60,891,285 Other (mainly lubricating oils) 152,202,922 634,179 Oils chargeable with Excise duty— Light oils: 136,354,219 8,721,320 Of which motor (including aviation) spirit (82,731,071) (5,258,245) Heavy oils for use as road fuel 24,277,051 1,544,386 TOTAL 326,607,826 Allowance on certain home produced oils used in approved refineries as raw material for chemical synthesis 4,845,421 NET TOTAL 321,762,405 126W
These particulars relate to oil subject to a net liability to Customs or Excise duty; comparable figures are not available in respect of heavy oils for which the duty is wholly rebated. * Includes £19,221 in respect of light oils contained in composite goods on which oil duty was charged at a flat rate under the Composite Goods Order, 1957, and for which information as to the quantity of oil is not available. with the result that additional information had to be sought and all necessary formalities completed after its arrival. There is no general exemption from Customs duty in respect of gifts, but I am looking into the possibility of making a concession in this particular case and will write to my hon. Friend.