§ 54. Mr. Alexanderasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account he took, in deciding to raise certain duties by amounts incorporating a halfpenny, of the fact that the halfpenny is no longer legal tender; and what assessment he has made of the practical implications of this decision.
§ Mr. BrookeThe legal rates of excise duty for hydrocarbon oils are expressed per litre to a hundredth of a penny, and duty is charged on the quantity delivered in bulk from refineries and import warehouses. The retail price of petrol and dery is shown at most pumps to a tenth of a penny for both litres and gallons, while heating gas oil is commonly sold in bulk to final consumers. My right hon. Friend's Budget decision to raise the duties on these products by amounts which (including any consequential VAT) do not approximate to whole numbers of pence per gallon should, as in previous years, cause no practical problems.