Thursday, 10 September 1931
The House met at a Quarter before Three of the Clock, Mr. SPEAKER in the Chair.
1. asked the Minister of Labour if he will take the necessary steps, through the League of Nations, to secure the drafting of an international convention against reductions in wages?
3. asked the Minister of Labour the total number of persons registered as unemployed on 1st June, 1929, and on 31st July, 1931, or on the nearest convenient dates?
4. asked the Minister of Labour if he is in a position to state when the White Paper will be issued giving the details of the amounts received by chairmen of Courts of Referees?
6. asked the Minister of Labour if he will have inquiries made into the number of men who have left. Brandon and Carshalton training centres in June, July, and August, respectively, for whom no...
27. asked the Prime Minister whether he is prepared to accede to the request to receive a deputation of the unemployed?
2. asked the Minister of Labour how many persons were unemployed in the real silk and artificial silk industries, separately, at the last convenient date?
7. asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now in a position to make a statement with regard to the case of Mrs. Cunningham, of Middlesbrough; and whether it is his...
8. asked the Home Secretary when the report of the Royal Commission on Licensing is likely to be available for Members of this House?
9. asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that in certain districts the regulation which lays down that cycles shall carry red reflectors is not being enforced; and, in view of the danger...
Major THOMAS: 10. asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the regulation prohibiting the driving of heavy motor vehicles above a speed of 30 miles per hour is constantly being broken;...
23. asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the recent confusion caused by the lack of uniformity in road signs at present used in Great Britain; and what steps...
24. asked the Minister of Transport whether he will state the amount of the costs involved to public funds in connection with the promotion of the London Passenger Transport Bill; and whether it...
11. asked the President of the Board of Education if he will give a list of the Part III education authorities of England and Wales arranged in descending order of population according to the...
13. asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government proposes to take to give effect to the recommendation of the Macmillan Committee that this country should seek as its objective...
14. asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the aggregate profits of the brewing companies in the United Kingdom for the year 1913–14 and the latest year for which complete figures are available?
15. asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what loans have been raised abroad since the present Government assumed office; and what were the conditions imposed?
Sir GEORGE HAMILTON: 21. asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the Board of Inland Revenue has yet arrived at a decision as to the effect of Section 20 of the Finance Act, 1922,...
22. asked the Minister of Transport whether the whole of the 10 schemes designed under the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1926, covering Great Britain, have now been completed; and can he give...
26. asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the present position with regard to the negotiations with certain foreign countries for a 25 per cent. reduction of tariffs?
27. asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any consideration has been given to the proposal to establish an oil quota for the purpose of benefiting the shale oil industry, and with...
28. asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he is in a position to make a statement with regard to the recent conclusion of the trade agreement between Canada and Australia?
29 and 30. asked the Postmaster-General (1) the approximate loss on the telegraph service as shown in the commercial accounts of the Post Office for the year ended 31st March, 1931; (2) the total...
31. asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any statement to make as to the progress of the national mark system so far as Scottish-produced beef is concerned?
32. asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the additional inquiry ordered by Marshal Chiang-kai-Shek, into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Mr. John...
33. asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if it is the intention of the Foreign Secretary or himself to attend any part of the sittings of the Assembly of the League of Nations?
34. asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of commanders, lieutenant-commanders, and lieutenants (ex-mate) who have been eligible to take the naval staff course and the number of these...
Mr. LEWIS: 35. asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any increase is likely to be made in the number of officers promoted annually from the lower deck as the result of the new scheme of...
38. asked the Prime Minister what action he proposes to take with reference to the remaining stages of the Town and Country Planning Bill?
40. asked the Prime Minister whether the Economic Advisory Council is still in being; and, if not, whether it is proposed to revive it?
41. asked the Prime Minister whether the terms of the Economy Report were officially communicated by the late Government, or by any Member of it, or on its authority to the Liberal party leaders...
I wish to raise a point of Order. I should like to ask who is responsible for the seat which is reserved for His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales being occupied at the present time by another...
On a point of Order. Generally, Mr. Speaker, when you go over questions a second time you give hon. Members the opportunity of asking a question standing in the name of an hon. Friend. I had...
I desire to raise a point of Order. I want to know whether when one or two Members are standing up it is the one who can shout more than the others who is supposed to have been called? I got up...
Mr. ARTHUR HENDERSON: May I ask the Prime Minister whether he is in a position to state the business for next week?
Copy ordered, "of Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 1931–32 and 1932–33." —[Major Ethiot.]
Considered in Committee.
I rise to discharge one of the most disagreeable tasks that has ever fallen to my lot. It is no pleasure to call upon people to make sacrifices or to bear additional burdens, and only a...
Before I begin to deal in detail with the income and expenditure of the year, there is one thing vitally affecting the Budget to which I want to call attention. The Government have decided that...
I will turn to a statement of the revised Estimates for this year and next year, and I start from the existing basis, that is, upon the existing taxes and expenditure apart from what I have just...
Before passing to my proposals to bridge the deficit, I must briefly review the prospects for next year, that is the year beginning on 1st April next. Of course, the Committee will understand...
I said, it will be remembered, that there are two ways or a combination of two ways of balancing the Budget, one by economies and one by increased taxation—or by economies and increased...
I want to say a few words about the Sinking Fund. In the original Budget the fixed Debt charge was £355,000,000, and under the law as it stands at present that sum will have to be provided...
Now I come to the taxation proposals. After taking into account the economies and the saving on the Sinking Fund I am still faced with a net deficit of £39,000,000 for the current year and...
I have very carefully considered whether anything can be done to alleviate the burden of this increase upon industry. I regard the burden of the standard rate on industry as being on that income...
Concurrently with the increase of the standard rate, I propose to revise the various personal and other allowances which determine the scope and graduation of the tax. The purpose of this...
I now pass to the other part of the Income Tax, namely the Surtax. In addition to his liability to the standard rate, the Surtax payer is already liable to surtax on a sliding scale rising to 7s....
I turn to indirect taxation, Customs and Excise. My choice here is limited. It is limited by the necessity of selecting such duties as combine the advantages of substantial yield and a certainty...
I have also selected tobacco as a suitable article to bear an increased duty in the present circumstances, and I propose that as from to-morrow the Customs Duty on imported leaf, that is the...
The next item on my list is oil. I must confess that I regret the necessity of taxing further a commodity which is so important to modern transport, but the needs of the moment are imperative. I...
Finally, I come to the Entertainments Duty. While I am no more enamoured of this tax than in the past, I feel that in the present circumstances it is a ready instrument for affording all sections...
I am now in a position to balance the Budget for the current, year. I have an estimated deficit of £74,000,000. I have allowed for economies this year of £22,000,000; saving on Debt...
The Finance Bill will include Clauses designed to facilitate the conversion of the 5 per cent. War Loan to a lower rate of interest. Since 1929 the Treasury have had the power to pay off this...
I have finished what I described as my very unpleasant task. These proposals are admittedly drastic and disagreeable. They are justified only by the regrettable necessity urged upon us by the...
Motion made, and Question proposed, That—
Resolved, That—
Resolved, That in lieu of the full duties of customs now chargeable on tobacco imported into the United Kingdom there shall, on and after the eleventh day of September, nineteen hundred and...
Resolved, That in lieu of the duties of excise now chargeable on tobacco grown in the United Kingdom there shall, on and after the eleventh day of September, nineteen hundred and thirty-one, be...
Resolved, That as respects tobacco on which the increased duties proposed by the foregoing Resolutions have been paid, drawback shall be allowed at the rates set out in the following table...
Resolved, That as from 6 o'clock in the evening on the tenth day of September, nineteen hundred and thirty-one, the customs duty on hydrocarbon oils shall be at the rate per gallon of eightpence...
Resolved, That it is expedient to prohibit the mixing of hydrocarbon oils in respect of which a rebate of duty has been allowed under subsection (3) of section two of the Finance Act, 1928, with...
Resolved, That— (a) as from the ninth day of November, nineteen hundred and thirty-one, entertainments duty shall be charged at the following rates:Where the payment for admission,...
Resolved, That— (a) Section six of the Finance Act, 1931, which determines the higher rates of income tax for 1930–31, shall have effect as if each of the amounts specified in the...
Resolved, That— (a) the reliefs by way of deductions from tax for which provision is made by Section forty of the Finance Act, 1927, and the reliefs in relation to life assurance and other...
Resolved, That it is expedient to make provision as to the income tax payable in connection with the conversion of United Kingdom Government Securities owned by persons carrying on any trade...
Motion made, and Question proposed, That— (a) the standard rate of income tax for the year 1931–32 shall be increased to five shillings in the pound; and(b) in connection with the...
Whereupon Mr. SPEAKER, pursuant to the Order of the House of 9th September, proposed the Question, "That this House do now adjourn."
Debates in the House of Commons are an opportunity for MPs from all parties to scrutinise government legislation and raise important local, national or topical issues.
And sometimes to shout at each other.
