MINISTER NEVER AIDS OPERATORS SAYS TORY
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IVIRS. BARBARA CASTLE was last week condemned as an "utter failure" when it came to administrative matters to benefit transport.
The charge came from Tory transport expert Mr. David Webster, who said the fact that she had not succeeded in inducing the Government to help the very hard-bit public transport was an indictment of her failure.
Mr. Webster, speaking during a Commons discussion of the Finance Bill, supported an amendment to exempt part-time employees from Selective Employment Tax.
He pointed out that many bus conductors operated on a part-time basis. And although bus operators were in the "neutral band" they still had to pay the revenue into the Treasury and did not get back their money for months. This adversely affected the cash flow of the industry.
The amendment was resisted by Mr. John Diamond, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, who said that the Government proposed to reduce S.E.T. on part-time workers by half.
The amendment was rejected by 158 votes to 105.