To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of businesses not registered for value added tax in (a) Ochil and South Perthshire constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of businesses not registered for value added tax in (a) Ochil and South Perthshire constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK.

As I have just explained to the hon. Gentleman, the major lending banks have all been providing training to their staff. There is no doubt that as the scheme is a new product, some people will not have received the training that they may might need in the future, but...

As I have just explained to the hon. Gentleman, the major lending banks have all been providing training to their staff. There is no doubt that as the scheme is a new product, some people will not have received the training that they may might need in the future, but...

Indeed. I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that intervention. He is right. Once a company has lost trade credit insurance, the possibility of gaining it from another organisation is very low indeed. For months, hon. Members in all parts of the House have been asking for Government action...

Indeed. I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that intervention. He is right. Once a company has lost trade credit insurance, the possibility of gaining it from another organisation is very low indeed. For months, hon. Members in all parts of the House have been asking for Government action...

indicated dissent.

indicated dissent.

Well, that is the evidence in at least 100 letters that my office alone has received. When our constituent businesses go to their bank, they are told that it does not have the information and that the staff have not been briefed or trained. We are left at best with...

Well, that is the evidence in at least 100 letters that my office alone has received. When our constituent businesses go to their bank, they are told that it does not have the information and that the staff have not been briefed or trained. We are left at best with...

May I just return for a second to what the hon. Gentleman was saying about the German guarantees that have been put up of about €2 billion? He may be more up to date than I am, but the last time I heard about that, at least half that amount,...

May I just return for a second to what the hon. Gentleman was saying about the German guarantees that have been put up of about €2 billion? He may be more up to date than I am, but the last time I heard about that, at least half that amount,...

My understanding is that most of that sum has been cleared and delivered, certainly according to the reports that I have read. That represents a sharp difference in that our Government have only just obtained permission from the European Commission to propose guarantees.

My understanding is that most of that sum has been cleared and delivered, certainly according to the reports that I have read. That represents a sharp difference in that our Government have only just obtained permission from the European Commission to propose guarantees.

That is the whole point. The Germans have made the allocation, have said that they are going to do it, and have guaranteed it. Months ago, they did that for Opel, and announced €1 billion before the end of last year. It certainly had not been agreed at that point,...

That is the whole point. The Germans have made the allocation, have said that they are going to do it, and have guaranteed it. Months ago, they did that for Opel, and announced €1 billion before the end of last year. It certainly had not been agreed at that point,...

Clearance is one thing, but delivering it to businesses' bank accounts is the critical point. That is the difference between the Government and the French and German Governments. The Bill seeks to provide the Government with the ability to extend financial support for industry to up to £16 billion. In...

Clearance is one thing, but delivering it to businesses' bank accounts is the critical point. That is the difference between the Government and the French and German Governments. The Bill seeks to provide the Government with the ability to extend financial support for industry to up to £16 billion. In...

The Bill is the most recent in a long line of attempts by Government to give industry a shot in the arm. Unfortunately, the well-meaning but incompetent doctor has yet again missed the vein, plunging the hypodermic containing life-giving fluid into a part of the economy where it will do...

The Bill is the most recent in a long line of attempts by Government to give industry a shot in the arm. Unfortunately, the well-meaning but incompetent doctor has yet again missed the vein, plunging the hypodermic containing life-giving fluid into a part of the economy where it will do...

Just on the subject of VAT, is my hon. Friend aware that, like so many firms, John Lewis recently said that the reduction in VAT—coming down from 17.5 to 15 per cent., it was so costly to the taxpayer—has made no difference whatever to overall sales? In any case, on...

Just on the subject of VAT, is my hon. Friend aware that, like so many firms, John Lewis recently said that the reduction in VAT—coming down from 17.5 to 15 per cent., it was so costly to the taxpayer—has made no difference whatever to overall sales? In any case, on...

My hon. Friend is exactly right. The Government have struggled to find anybody, certainly in the retail sector, prepared to say that the 2.5 per cent. VAT cut has been successful. It has, in fact, been a burden to businesses as they struggle to try to deliver it to their...

My hon. Friend is exactly right. The Government have struggled to find anybody, certainly in the retail sector, prepared to say that the 2.5 per cent. VAT cut has been successful. It has, in fact, been a burden to businesses as they struggle to try to deliver it to their...

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am glad that my hon. Friend was allowed to make his point, which I think I would have made. The double guarantee is clearly unacceptable because taxpayers' money is being provided for a purpose—to share the risk so that we might help the flow...

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am glad that my hon. Friend was allowed to make his point, which I think I would have made. The double guarantee is clearly unacceptable because taxpayers' money is being provided for a purpose—to share the risk so that we might help the flow...

I was struck over the weekend by the applicability to today's debate of comments made in the Health Committee. Let me remind the House of the conclusions of the Health Committee. Its report was""highly critical of policy design and implementation, which… has made meaningful evaluation of initiatives impossible."" It went...

I was struck over the weekend by the applicability to today's debate of comments made in the Health Committee. Let me remind the House of the conclusions of the Health Committee. Its report was""highly critical of policy design and implementation, which… has made meaningful evaluation of initiatives impossible."" It went...

This has been a short debate. That may be simply because this is a relatively uncontroversial Bill, but I am saddened to note that the Minister has sat in pretty much solitary splendour on the Labour Benches. No Labour Back Benchers have spoken, although one or two are present and...

This has been a short debate. That may be simply because this is a relatively uncontroversial Bill, but I am saddened to note that the Minister has sat in pretty much solitary splendour on the Labour Benches. No Labour Back Benchers have spoken, although one or two are present and...

My hon. Friend knows that I was in business long before I became a Member of Parliament and I am therefore well aware that banks require guarantees for lending. However, they do not require double guarantees—double indemnity. I am disappointed that the Minister did not correct me—I hoped that he...

My hon. Friend knows that I was in business long before I became a Member of Parliament and I am therefore well aware that banks require guarantees for lending. However, they do not require double guarantees—double indemnity. I am disappointed that the Minister did not correct me—I hoped that he...

I will happily give way so that my hon. Friend can defend himself. Otherwise, I will have to do it for him.

I will happily give way so that my hon. Friend can defend himself. Otherwise, I will have to do it for him.

Will my hon. Friend give way?

Will my hon. Friend give way?

I am grateful for having been called to speak on the Bill, which is important; it adds a significant amount to public expenditure. It is disappointing that there are so few Members on the Government Benches to speak in support of what the Government are doing. I tried to listen...

I am grateful for having been called to speak on the Bill, which is important; it adds a significant amount to public expenditure. It is disappointing that there are so few Members on the Government Benches to speak in support of what the Government are doing. I tried to listen...

I am following my hon. Friend's argument with considerable interest. Is she aware that a constituent of mine has been told that even when the Bill becomes law, as I am sure it will, the banks will still be asking for 100 per cent. guarantees from their clients? There will...

I am following my hon. Friend's argument with considerable interest. Is she aware that a constituent of mine has been told that even when the Bill becomes law, as I am sure it will, the banks will still be asking for 100 per cent. guarantees from their clients? There will...