§ Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing in money terms by how much 44W the national income has increased in the last 12 years, and the increase in the yield of Estate Duty in the same period; and whether he will take steps to tighen up the law in this field of taxation, in view of the evidence of tax avoidance.
§ Mr. DiamondThe figures for the last 12 years are shown in the table below. On the second part of the Question, my hon. Friend will not expect me to anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget Statement.
TABLE (1) National Income (2) Net Receipt of Eatate Duty Estate Duty as percentage of National Income £m. 1952 12,716 1952–53 150.6 1.18 1953 13,711 1953–54 160.1 1.17 1954 14,513 1954–55 186.6 1.29 1955 15,388 1955–56 174.4 1.13 1956 16,743 1956–57 167.2 1.00 1957 17,720 1957–58 171.4 .97 1958 18,490 1958–59 186.7 1.01 1959 19,419 1959–60 226.2 1.16 1960 20,706 1960–61 235.9 1.14 1961 22,113 1961–62 261.1 1.18 1962 23,014 1962–63 270.4 1.17 1963 24,212 1963–64 312.4 1.29 (1) National Income Blue Book 1964, Table 1. (2) Monthly Digest of Statistics, Table 142.