Oral Answers to Questions — National Finance – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 23 June 1964.
Mr James Prior
, Lowestoft
12:00,
23 June 1964
asked the Chancellor of the exchequer whether he will cease to collect duty on cigarettes and tobacco consumed on lightships.
Mr Reginald Maudling
, Barnet
No, Sir.
Mr James Prior
, Lowestoft
Will my right hon. Friend take another look at this matter? Is he aware that men who work on lightships work under very arduous and difficult circumstances, and that tobacco is almost part of the job—to keep them awake and happy? Would it not be possible, through Customs reliefs, to bring about an easy scheme to allow these men to have a certain amount of duty-free tobacco each time they go out to the lightships? Would he reconsider the question?
Mr Reginald Maudling
, Barnet
It is very hard to draw the line in these cases. No doubt these men have very arduous duties, but so have many others in different occupations. The line is drawn, at the moment, at ships going to foreign ports and to distant fishing-grounds. I will certainly look at the matter again, but I should not like to encourage my hon. Friend to think that I will make any move.
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.
