Tax Concessions Confirmed T HE tax concessions for farmers' goods vehicles,
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small goods vehicles towing trailers and showmen's vehicles forecast in The Commercial Motor of July 2 were approved by the Commons—but not without some reservations.
The changes, introduced by Mr. Niall MacDermot, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, were welcomed by the Opposition, but there was general criticism that they would operate only from September 1, instead of being backdated to the beginning of the financial year in April.
Licences taken out between Budget Day, and August 31 would have to be paid for at an increased rate which would never really be brought into effect, pointed out Mr. James Scott-Hopkins (Tory, Cornwall North). This was grossly unfair, he said.
He accused the Government of mess and muddle—" it did not exercise enough forethought or have consultations with the interested people ".
After other Tories had made pleas for the concession to be backdated, Mr. MacDermot said the main objection to making the change retrospective was administrative complications.