Oral Answers to Questions — National Finance – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 13 May 1947.
Sir Patrick Hannon
, Birmingham Moseley
12:00,
13 May 1947
asked the Chancellor of the exchequer if he has taken into consideration the letter addressed to him by Sir Malcolm Delevingne, dated 1st May, pleading for exemption from Stamp Duty in favour of premises to be used for charitable purposes; and if he will treat this application on the same principle as the exemption made relating to Legacy and Succession Duties.
Mr Hugh Dalton
, Bishop Auckland
I doubt whether so wide an exemption could be justified.
Sir Patrick Hannon
, Birmingham Moseley
Would the Chancellor of the exchequer look at the categories I have submitted to him, owing to their peculiarities, and reconsider the matter to see whether some concession is not possible?
Mr Hugh Dalton
, Bishop Auckland
That is a very natural matter to consider when we are taking the Finance Bill in Committee. Charity, of course, in the legal sense is very widely used, and it was for that reason that I have given the reply I have. I do not think a wide exemption would be practical.
The chancellor of the exchequer is the government's chief financial minister and as such is responsible for raising government revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling overall government spending.
The chancellor's plans for the economy are delivered to the House of Commons every year in the Budget speech.
The chancellor is the most senior figure at the Treasury, even though the prime minister holds an additional title of 'First Lord of the Treasury'. He normally resides at Number 11 Downing Street.
