§ Mr. Websterasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the total money accruing to the Revenue from the sale of matches in the financial years 1964–65, 1965–66, 1966–67 and 1967–68; and what were the rates per box at which these were collected;
(2) what is the current taxation per box on matches imported from European Free Trade Association countries;
(3) what is the current taxation per box on matches imported from Commonwealth countries;
262W(4) what is the current taxation per box on matches imported from countries outside the European Free Trade Association and non-Commonwealth countries.
§ Mr. TaverneFrom September, 1963, until the present, the match duty has been charged at the rate of 13s. 9d. per 7,200 matches on matches made in the United Kingdom and on matches of E.F.T.A. origin, and at the rate of 14s. 5d. per 7,200 matches on other matches, including those from Commonwealth countries. The average contents of a box of matches have varied during this period, but for a box containing 50 matches these rates would be equivalent to 1.15d. a box and 1.2d. a box respectively.
The revenue receipts have been as follows:
£ million 1964–65 … … 10.64 1965–66 … … 10.31 1966–67 … … 9.70 1967–68 … … 9.73 (provisional)