Oral Answers to Questions — National Finance – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 24 February 1959.
Mr John Barter
, Ealing North
12:00,
24 February 1959
asked the Chancellor of the exchequer the amount claimed, or his estimate of the amount claimed, in the latest convenient year, by residential owner-occupiers as being payable by them in respect of their owner-occupied residential accommodation by way of ground rent, and the amount of Income Tax at standard rate which they would be entitled to deduct from such payments.
Mr John Barter
, Ealing North
Is my right hon. Friend aware that the figures apparently were not available at that time but that every taxpayer is required to complete on his return of income and claimed allowances a note of the claim he makes in respect of ground rent payments by him? Cannot my right hon. Friend give an answer?
Mr. Amory:
The difficulty is that the details asked for are not available, because the taxation of ground rent is not normally tied up with the Schedule A assessments in respect of which they are paid. It is the aggregation of information which is not possible without a very great deal of expenditure of time.
Mr John Barter
, Ealing North
asked the Chancellor of the exchequer to what extent claims for relief from Income Tax, Schedule A, by virtue of payments of ground rent by residential owner-occupiers, have been taken into account in his estimate of a net revenue of £34 millions from Income Tax, Schedule A, as applied to residential owner-occupiers.
Mr John Barter
, Ealing North
Is my right hon. Friend aware that if Schedule A tax for owner-occupiers were abolished, the tax paid on ground rents could be deducted under another Schedule? Will he bear in mind that whereas window tax lasted for 155 years, this iniquitous tax will have lasted 156 years up to the date of his next Budget? Does not he feel that the time has come to do away with Schedule A tax?
Mr Stanley Awbery
, Bristol Central
asked the Chancellor of the exchequer if he is aware that one of the deterrents to a man purchasing his own home is the fact that he has to pay Schedule A tax on the house which he occupies; and if he will now give consideration to the reduction or abolition of this tax.
Mr Stanley Awbery
, Bristol Central
Is the Chancellor aware that the Government have been advocating for a large number of years a property-owning democracy, inferring that we on this side of the House are opposed to people owning their own houses? Is he aware that this tax prevents people from purchasing their own houses, and that a man living in a house costing £3,000 has to pay 6s. 2d. a week as tax? Will he do something to relieve house owners; of this terrible burden?
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.
The Chancellor - also known as "Chancellor of the Exchequer" is responsible as a Minister for the treasury, and for the country's economy. For Example, the Chancellor set taxes and tax rates. The Chancellor is the only MP allowed to drink Alcohol in the House of Commons; s/he is permitted an alcoholic drink while delivering the budget.
