§ Mr. Ridleyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the assumptions made in the calculations of the future movements of the relative price 123W effect in Command Paper No. 7049; if he will estimate the weighting attributed to each of the selected economic categories quoted in Part A of the table on page 139 of Command Paper No. 7049-II; if he will publish the information given in that diagram in index number form for the years 1968–69 to 1979–80; and if he will publish the comparable indices for 1980–81 and 1981–82.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettThe main assumptions are illustrated in part A of the chart on page 139 of Command Paper No. 7049-II. It would be wrong to attach precise significance to movements in any one year, and for this reason the relative price movements are presented in a chart only. The long-term trend in the total can be put at a relative rise of about ½ per cent. The weighting attributed to each of the selected economic categories shown in Part A of the chart varies from year to year. For wages and salaries and for procurement—"other current expen-
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Revised rates of the excise duties* Estimated extra revenue including additional VAT in a full year Specific duties £ £ million Hydrocarbon Oil (per litre): (a) Petrol … 0.074 225 (b) Heavy oil used as road fuel (derv) … 0.086 (c) Rebatable oil … 0.0062† 30 Tobacco: (a) Cigarettes (per thousand) … 10.09 135‡ (b) Cigars (per lb.) … 10.65 (c) Hand-rolling tobacco (per lb.) … 10.31 (d) Other tobacco (per lb.) … 8.18 Alcoholic Drink: (a) Spirits (per proof gallon) … 30.37;[...] 20 (b) Beer (per bulk barrel at 1037 degrees of gravity) … 24.09 100 (c) Wine (per gallon)║ Lower (not exceeding 15 per cent.) … 3.64 25 Middle (15 to 18 per cent.) … 4.20 Higher (18 to 22 per cent.) … 4.95 (d) Made-Wine (per gallon)║ Lower (not exceeding 10 per cent.) … 2.37 Middle (10 to 15 per cent.) … 3.54 Higher (15 to 18 per cent.) … 3.90 (e) Cider and Perry (per gallon) … 0.27 Matches (per 7,200) … 0.55 Negligible Mechanical Lighters (each) … 0.22 Betting and Gaming: (a) Gaming machine licence duty (per machine per annum) … 8.41–224.2 (b) Gaming licence duty (per table per half-year) … 560.5–12,611.25 Vehicle Excise Duty (per year): Variable according to type of vehicle, e.g. private cars (per vehicle) … 56.05 120 *Applying the 12.1 per cent. increase in the retail prices index (all items) in the year to December 1977 to existing rates, with an assumed rounding. † Except that for kerosene the duty would be 0.25p. ‡ Based on the tobacco duty structure from 1st January 1978. § The rate given would apply to mature spirits. ║ There is an additional flat-rate surcharge for sparkling wine and made-wine. diture on goods and services "—the weightings can be derived from Table 5.2 of Command 7049-II. The weightings for the other economic categories shown are roughly land and existing buildings 1 per cent.; new dwellings 4 per cent.; other new construction 5 per cent.