To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the savings that will be made by a person earning (a) £200,000 per annum and (b) £20,000 per annum as a result of the reduction in the rate of value added tax to 15 per cent.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the savings that will be made by a person earning (a) £200,000 per annum and (b) £20,000 per annum as a result of the reduction in the rate of value added tax to 15 per cent.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to announce a decision on the value added tax liability of unitised hotel projects following his review of the matter.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to announce a decision on the value added tax liability of unitised hotel projects following his review of the matter.

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Myners on 18 November (WA 181) stating that ““the Government believe that taxation is a matter for [European Union] member states to determine at a national level””, how that statement relates to value added tax.

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Myners on 18 November (WA 181) stating that ““the Government believe that taxation is a matter for [European Union] member states to determine at a national level””, how that statement relates to value added tax.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses have applied to defer their VAT payments in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many such applications have been granted.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses have applied to defer their VAT payments in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many such applications have been granted.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions following the Pre-Budget Report they have had with United Kingdom businesses and their representative organisations on (a) the administrative cost of implementing the reduction in the VAT rate; and (b) the number of businesses that have passed on the cut.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions following the Pre-Budget Report they have had with United Kingdom businesses and their representative organisations on (a) the administrative cost of implementing the reduction in the VAT rate; and (b) the number of businesses that have passed on the cut.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects on small businesses of administering the temporary change to the rate of value added tax announced in the pre-Budget report.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects on small businesses of administering the temporary change to the rate of value added tax announced in the pre-Budget report.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he gave to increasing the rate of value added tax above 17.5 per cent. prior to his statement on the pre-Budget report.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he gave to increasing the rate of value added tax above 17.5 per cent. prior to his statement on the pre-Budget report.

Welsh Grand Committee statement on public expenditure in Wales.

Welsh Grand Committee statement on public expenditure in Wales.

I apologise for my delayed arrival and the fact that my brief is necessarily a little shorter than I might have liked. My colleague, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, was hoping to be here, but ill health has prevented her. I am grateful for this opportunity to discuss public...

I apologise for my delayed arrival and the fact that my brief is necessarily a little shorter than I might have liked. My colleague, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, was hoping to be here, but ill health has prevented her. I am grateful for this opportunity to discuss public...

As the Member who represents the Vale of Clwyd, which has one of the highest numbers of pensioners in Wales, and some of the most vulnerable, I would like to pass on my thanks to the Minister for the help he has given to pensioners in the pre-Budget report, and...

As the Member who represents the Vale of Clwyd, which has one of the highest numbers of pensioners in Wales, and some of the most vulnerable, I would like to pass on my thanks to the Minister for the help he has given to pensioners in the pre-Budget report, and...

I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. I am fully supportive of the package announced by the Government in recent weeks and the recapitalisation of the banks in particular. Unfortunately, the banks have not responded; small businesses in Wales are still being starved of essential cash to invest and to...

I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. I am fully supportive of the package announced by the Government in recent weeks and the recapitalisation of the banks in particular. Unfortunately, the banks have not responded; small businesses in Wales are still being starved of essential cash to invest and to...

The Financial Secretary acknowledged in his statement that the Government expect the construction sector to be disproportionately affected by the economic downturn. In fact, as I think he would acknowledge, it already is. Shortly before he arrived I raised the issue with the Under-Secretary of State for Wales. I pointed...

The Financial Secretary acknowledged in his statement that the Government expect the construction sector to be disproportionately affected by the economic downturn. In fact, as I think he would acknowledge, it already is. Shortly before he arrived I raised the issue with the Under-Secretary of State for Wales. I pointed...

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the £140 million that he is allowing the Welsh Assembly Government to bring forward is for 2009-10, and that that could be deployed by the Plaid Cymru Minister for Economic Development and Transport to invest in the Welsh heads of the valley road,...

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the £140 million that he is allowing the Welsh Assembly Government to bring forward is for 2009-10, and that that could be deployed by the Plaid Cymru Minister for Economic Development and Transport to invest in the Welsh heads of the valley road,...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the importance of the manufacturing sector. It is interesting that at the beginning of this calendar year the Engineering Employers Federation was talking about the renaissance that had unfolded in UK manufacturing, and we have seen very impressive improvements in manufacturing productivity in...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the importance of the manufacturing sector. It is interesting that at the beginning of this calendar year the Engineering Employers Federation was talking about the renaissance that had unfolded in UK manufacturing, and we have seen very impressive improvements in manufacturing productivity in...

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor will announce rates of fuel duty at future Budgets and pre-Budget reports in the normal way. We have seen very dramatic reductions in the price of fuel and the world price of oil over the past few months. It is vital that those reductions...

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor will announce rates of fuel duty at future Budgets and pre-Budget reports in the normal way. We have seen very dramatic reductions in the price of fuel and the world price of oil over the past few months. It is vital that those reductions...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his contribution and ask him to extend my good wishes for a very happy Christmas to his mother and to pensioners across Wales. He is absolutely right: a large number of pensioners in 1997 were expected to live on £70 per week....

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his contribution and ask him to extend my good wishes for a very happy Christmas to his mother and to pensioners across Wales. He is absolutely right: a large number of pensioners in 1997 were expected to live on £70 per week....

Let me say from the outset that I support fiscal stimulus, as it has been clear for some time that the problems of recession and deflation were far more likely than problems stemming from inflation. That is quite clear now, and my view is that monetary policy alone will not...

Let me say from the outset that I support fiscal stimulus, as it has been clear for some time that the problems of recession and deflation were far more likely than problems stemming from inflation. That is quite clear now, and my view is that monetary policy alone will not...

That is my next point. I am grateful that I gave way, not because it is not always a pleasure to do so, but because my hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) told me that I spoke about a VAT increase, when we are, of course, debating...

That is my next point. I am grateful that I gave way, not because it is not always a pleasure to do so, but because my hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) told me that I spoke about a VAT increase, when we are, of course, debating...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. It is entirely right that the House should consider all such evidence. I have quoted that example in my constituency, but I want to draw a slightly wider conclusion. Like most other businesses, that entrepreneur in my constituency uses Sage software. He has...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. It is entirely right that the House should consider all such evidence. I have quoted that example in my constituency, but I want to draw a slightly wider conclusion. Like most other businesses, that entrepreneur in my constituency uses Sage software. He has...

I do not quite agree with my hon. Friend on that. The point made by the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Rob Marris) is right: the only protection for our constituents against an over-mighty Executive and their taking decisions on the hop is that those decisions, particularly when they pertain...

I do not quite agree with my hon. Friend on that. The point made by the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Rob Marris) is right: the only protection for our constituents against an over-mighty Executive and their taking decisions on the hop is that those decisions, particularly when they pertain...