§ Mr. Trotterasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is the present practice of the Inland Revenue not to assess Ministers as receiving a benefit equivalent to a proportion of the £760,000 annual cost of their Government cars and chauffeurs relating to their use for journeys between their homes and offices; if not, why not; and whether his new proposals for taxing directors and highly paid employees on their business cars will apply equally to Ministers.
§ Mr. Robert SheldonGovernment Ministers are not at present taxed under the special legislation relating to fringe benefits, because it applies only to directors and higher-paid employees of trading concerns. Under the proposals in the Finance Bill the same rules will apply to official cars used by Ministers as to the use of business cars by directors and other higher paid employees.