I wanted to follow up the intervention of my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon (Mr Anderson). It was not only the OECD that praised the London summit, which got the leaders of the western world to work together through fiscal stimulus to avoid recession. I remember going to the...

I wanted to follow up the intervention of my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon (Mr Anderson). It was not only the OECD that praised the London summit, which got the leaders of the western world to work together through fiscal stimulus to avoid recession. I remember going to the...

The hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness (Mr Stuart) is getting a little tired and tetchy—the hour is late—but one should avoid using crude headline statistics. As another Yorkshire MP, I can tell him that when Labour was in power, my city—the city of York—saw the number of people in...

The hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness (Mr Stuart) is getting a little tired and tetchy—the hour is late—but one should avoid using crude headline statistics. As another Yorkshire MP, I can tell him that when Labour was in power, my city—the city of York—saw the number of people in...

I wonder whether my hon. Friend has read the article in today's edition of The Guardian entitled ““Accountants attack Osborne's North Sea oil levy””, which reports on the ACCA report that my hon. Friend has just mentioned. It also reports the Chairman of the Treasury Committee as saying:"““Every time we...

I wonder whether my hon. Friend has read the article in today's edition of The Guardian entitled ““Accountants attack Osborne's North Sea oil levy””, which reports on the ACCA report that my hon. Friend has just mentioned. It also reports the Chairman of the Treasury Committee as saying:"““Every time we...

Will the Minister give way?

Will the Minister give way?

I read from a Library briefing:"““In its Budget in March 1993 the Conservative Government introduced a 'road fuel escalator'—a commitment to increase duty rates on these fuels in real terms by a specified percentage each year””." I accept that that was continued for a number of years by the Labour...

I read from a Library briefing:"““In its Budget in March 1993 the Conservative Government introduced a 'road fuel escalator'—a commitment to increase duty rates on these fuels in real terms by a specified percentage each year””." I accept that that was continued for a number of years by the Labour...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

Will the hon. Lady give way?

The Economic Secretary has been extremely generous. A few minutes ago she referred to the deficit and the debt inherited by the incoming Government. Has she forgotten that during John Major's premiership, the national debt almost doubled, and that during the first 10 years that Labour was in power, the...

The Economic Secretary has been extremely generous. A few minutes ago she referred to the deficit and the debt inherited by the incoming Government. Has she forgotten that during John Major's premiership, the national debt almost doubled, and that during the first 10 years that Labour was in power, the...

I am going to sit down shortly to let my hon. Friend himself make a speech, but I shall certainly give way.

I am going to sit down shortly to let my hon. Friend himself make a speech, but I shall certainly give way.

The premise that my hon. Friend puts forward is absolutely right. The fact that more and more people are using low-emission vehicles will obviously have an impact. However, the purpose of the review proposed in the amendment is to consider what effects the fiscal changes will have. If the price...

The premise that my hon. Friend puts forward is absolutely right. The fact that more and more people are using low-emission vehicles will obviously have an impact. However, the purpose of the review proposed in the amendment is to consider what effects the fiscal changes will have. If the price...

I keep trying to sit down, but my hon. Friends are preventing me from doing so.

I keep trying to sit down, but my hon. Friends are preventing me from doing so.

That could very well be the case, and we will listen with great interest to what the Minister says in reply to the debate. All we are asking for is transparency. We want to know whether the Government are doing this for environmental or revenue-raising reasons, what the implications of...

That could very well be the case, and we will listen with great interest to what the Minister says in reply to the debate. All we are asking for is transparency. We want to know whether the Government are doing this for environmental or revenue-raising reasons, what the implications of...

Yes, I have had third sector organisations coming to me and saying how much more difficult life is getting because sources of funding are drying up. It is clear from the interventions of my hon. Friends that the point I have raised has wider implications that ought to be studied...

Yes, I have had third sector organisations coming to me and saying how much more difficult life is getting because sources of funding are drying up. It is clear from the interventions of my hon. Friends that the point I have raised has wider implications that ought to be studied...

It is not just that banks are still not providing finance for small and medium-sized businesses. Under the Labour Government, we had support through the regional development agencies—Yorkshire Forward in Yorkshire—to help businesses with the Government loan guarantee schemes, and in my constituency that secured a very important investment for...

It is not just that banks are still not providing finance for small and medium-sized businesses. Under the Labour Government, we had support through the regional development agencies—Yorkshire Forward in Yorkshire—to help businesses with the Government loan guarantee schemes, and in my constituency that secured a very important investment for...

Is it the Government's policy, then, to use fiscal measures to reduce carbon emissions? Is that what brought about the carbon variation of 1.4 megatonnes—is that what the hon. Lady said? [Interruption.] It is 0.4 megatonnes; I am grateful to stand corrected. Has the reduction that she mentioned come about...

Is it the Government's policy, then, to use fiscal measures to reduce carbon emissions? Is that what brought about the carbon variation of 1.4 megatonnes—is that what the hon. Lady said? [Interruption.] It is 0.4 megatonnes; I am grateful to stand corrected. Has the reduction that she mentioned come about...

One would assume that a Government estimate has been made on the basis of some evidence. My hon. Friend shrugs his shoulders, but he was in government for a time and I certainly give a Government the benefit of the doubt. I believe that their civil servants would make the...

One would assume that a Government estimate has been made on the basis of some evidence. My hon. Friend shrugs his shoulders, but he was in government for a time and I certainly give a Government the benefit of the doubt. I believe that their civil servants would make the...

The Economic Secretary wants to intervene, and I hope she can tell me that the analysis has been done and what its outcome is.

The Economic Secretary wants to intervene, and I hope she can tell me that the analysis has been done and what its outcome is.

I have not read it—[Interruption.] That is why I ask the question. If the hon. Lady would care to read it to the Committee, I would be pleased to listen.

I have not read it—[Interruption.] That is why I ask the question. If the hon. Lady would care to read it to the Committee, I would be pleased to listen.

First, I want to compare the records on fuel taxation of the most recent Labour Government and the previous Conservative Government. My view is that the Labour Government were a great deal kinder to the motorist, and the following figures are provided by the current Government. Figures from the Department...

First, I want to compare the records on fuel taxation of the most recent Labour Government and the previous Conservative Government. My view is that the Labour Government were a great deal kinder to the motorist, and the following figures are provided by the current Government. Figures from the Department...

The right hon. Gentleman seems to be saying that it is important that the taxpayer gets the maximum value when the publicly owned portions of banks are put back on the market and floated, and I agree. Does he agree with me that it is therefore important that the mechanism...

The right hon. Gentleman seems to be saying that it is important that the taxpayer gets the maximum value when the publicly owned portions of banks are put back on the market and floated, and I agree. Does he agree with me that it is therefore important that the mechanism...

My point is that if we maximise the return to the taxpayer, everybody in the country—rich and poor—gets a share of the benefit. If we put some of the value into creating lower-priced shares to boost popular capitalism, we spend our public money on only a small percentage of the...

My point is that if we maximise the return to the taxpayer, everybody in the country—rich and poor—gets a share of the benefit. If we put some of the value into creating lower-priced shares to boost popular capitalism, we spend our public money on only a small percentage of the...