That this House notes reports that British Gas plans to increase its standing charge to customers from ??37 to ??42 - an increase of about 14 per cent.; further notes that this increase could push up overall gas bills by as much as 7 per cent. for low use customers; is concerned that these increases will adversely hit those on low incomes who are already penalised by the Government's imposition of VAT on fuel and its proposed rise to 17.5 per cent. next year; and calls on both British Gas and the Government to scrap their respective proposals and to stop using regressive systems of taxation and payment.

That this House notes reports that British Gas plans to increase its standing charge to customers from ??37 to ??42 - an increase of about 14 per cent.; further notes that this increase could push up overall gas bills by as much as 7 per cent. for low use customers;...

That this House records its appreciation for the work carried out by the trade unions of Scotland and the United Kingdom on behalf of pensioners; equally appreciates what has been achieved by the STUC and TUC Pensioners' Committees in their endeavour to unite the broad pensioners' movement and organisations; expresses its profound concern that, in the '1993 Year of the Elderly' called by the European Commission, pensioners throughout Britain have failed to make any advances in pensions and other inter-related matters; deplores the action of this government in its intentions to implement VAT increases in 1994-95 and 1995-96; considers the compensation payments offered as totally inadequate; and calls upon the Government to respond to pensioners' organisations and reverse its long-term intentions of eroding pensioners' rights.

That this House records its appreciation for the work carried out by the trade unions of Scotland and the United Kingdom on behalf of pensioners; equally appreciates what has been achieved by the STUC and TUC Pensioners' Committees in their endeavour to unite the broad pensioners' movement and organisations; expresses...

That this House considers it axiomatic that the Government's regressive income taxation policy benefits the highly paid, whilst its policy of imposing an unprecedently high rate of VAT, like the earlier poll tax, redistributes the taxation burden from the highly paid to the lower paid; notes that most United Kingdom citizens now pay approximately 45 per cent. of wages in one form of taxation or another, and can calculate that the 5.7 per cent. offer to the railway signal workers, which was withdrawn following the Government's veto, is worth less than 3 per cent. in real terms, and that nearly half of the 5.7 per cent. rise would have returned to the Treasury via taxation; notes that the 3 per cent. figure is consistent with the Government's pay guidelines; and therefore draws the inevitable conclusion that the Government's motives for inflicting misery on the travelling public is purely political malice.

That this House considers it axiomatic that the Government's regressive income taxation policy benefits the highly paid, whilst its policy of imposing an unprecedently high rate of VAT, like the earlier poll tax, redistributes the taxation burden from the highly paid to the lower paid; notes that most United Kingdom...

That this House opposes the threatened imposition of VAT on grass seed and calls on the Government immediately to abandon a proposal which would damage the seed industry and consumers alike, which seeks to overturn the long-standing agreement that this seed should be zero-rated, which seeks to rely on a distinction between amenity and other grass seeds which is particularly unworkable in Scotland, and is further evidence of the Government's continuing drive to extend VAT in breach of its promises at the General Election; and furthermore condemns the Government's inadequate consultation and failure to seek the views of the Scottish Seed and Nursery Trade Association.

That this House opposes the threatened imposition of VAT on grass seed and calls on the Government immediately to abandon a proposal which would damage the seed industry and consumers alike, which seeks to overturn the long-standing agreement that this seed should be zero-rated, which seeks to rely on a...

That this House notes the concern being felt in the retail industry about an EC proposal, to be discussed on 16th May, to harmonize VAT refunds, in the hope of introducing a minimum of 175 ecus, ??136, to be spent before non-EC visitors can claim a VAT refund; further notes that ??2,550 million was spent on shopping by tourists to Britain in 1993, of which ??1,630 million was spent by non-EC visitors, that more than half the refunds claimed would not fall within the proposed ??136 EC limit and that this would threaten the loss of much of the ??1,630 million of shopping expenditure by non-EC visitors, affecting retailers, especially small shopkeepers, and the manufacturers of British-made clothes, footwear, toys, records, small electrical goods, and souvenir gifts of china and glass, and could have a negative impact on employment beyond the retail sector; and urges the Government to fight to retain the present system of no minimum purchase requirement, thereby protecting the British manufacturers and retailers and their employees, and retaining the revenue accrued by visitor expenditure in this country.

That this House notes the concern being felt in the retail industry about an EC proposal, to be discussed on 16th May, to harmonize VAT refunds, in the hope of introducing a minimum of 175 ecus, ??136, to be spent before non-EC visitors can claim a VAT refund; further notes...

That this House calls on the Prime Minister to ensure that no member of his Government has sought to avoid paying VAT on fuel by making a prepayment and to require any that have should made a voluntary donation to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise of a sum equivalent to that which they sought to avoid.

That this House calls on the Prime Minister to ensure that no member of his Government has sought to avoid paying VAT on fuel by making a prepayment and to require any that have should made a voluntary donation to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise of a sum equivalent to...

That this House notes that the Leader of the Opposition claimed in Prime Minister's Questions on Tuesday 22nd March that everyone other than the better off would have to pay VAT on fuel in full; points out that the Government is making available extra help with VAT on fuel worth around ??2.5 billion over three years, that around 15 million people will gain, including pensioners, disabled people and those on income related benefits; and that this help will be given in advance of the bills coming in; and calls upon the Leader of the Opposition to apologise to honourable Members and to withdraw his nonsensical accusation and to, in future, refrain from the kind of irresponsible scaremongering which is increasingly becoming his trademark.

That this House notes that the Leader of the Opposition claimed in Prime Minister's Questions on Tuesday 22nd March that everyone other than the better off would have to pay VAT on fuel in full; points out that the Government is making available extra help with VAT on fuel worth...

That this House notes with concern the problems many pre-school playgroups will experience in paying VAT on gas and electricity; regards the extension of VAT to domestic fuel consumed by playgroups to be unfair and unwarranted given the excellent work done by playgroups in providing early years education; and therefore calls on the Government to allow playgroups to recover any VAT payable on domestic fuels.

That this House notes with concern the problems many pre-school playgroups will experience in paying VAT on gas and electricity; regards the extension of VAT to domestic fuel consumed by playgroups to be unfair and unwarranted given the excellent work done by playgroups in providing early years education; and therefore...

That this House notes that 53 honourable and Right honourable Labour Members voted against the Orders to uprate pensions and social security benefits and to introduce the package of extra help with VAT on fuel; and recognises that if they had been successful, millions of pensioners and less well-off people would have been deprived of the support voted through by Conservative honourable Members.

That this House notes that 53 honourable and Right honourable Labour Members voted against the Orders to uprate pensions and social security benefits and to introduce the package of extra help with VAT on fuel; and recognises that if they had been successful, millions of pensioners and less well-off people...

That this House deplores the imposition of VAT on domestic fuel and power; is appalled by the regressive nature of the tax which will hit those on lowest incomes hardest; and notes with concern that the legislation embodies the unjust principle of one law for the rich and one law for the poor as only higher income earners will be able to take advantage of the loophole which allows VAT to be avoided during the first year of its imposition by the advance payment of fuel bills as offered by MANWEB and other regional electricity companies.

That this House deplores the imposition of VAT on domestic fuel and power; is appalled by the regressive nature of the tax which will hit those on lowest incomes hardest; and notes with concern that the legislation embodies the unjust principle of one law for the rich and one law...

That this House expresses its concern about the effects of the Government's proposals to increase VAT and to cut the social security budget by ??2.5 billion on pensioners, one-parent families, and families caught in the poverty trap; and therefore calls on the Government either to abandon these proposals or to fully compensate those affected.

That this House expresses its concern about the effects of the Government's proposals to increase VAT and to cut the social security budget by ??2.5 billion on pensioners, one-parent families, and families caught in the poverty trap; and therefore calls on the Government either to abandon these proposals or to...

That this House welcomes the forceful statements opposing VAT on fuel by the honourable Members for West Gloucestershire, Corby, Macclesfield, Littleborough and Saddleworth, Aldridge-Brownhills, Stafford, Billericay and Ayr; looks forward to them joining the opposition in the lobby against this unfair tax; also urges the honourable Members for Perth and Kinross, Congleton, Northampton, North and Suffolk Central to continue the principled abstention which they showed on the Report Stage of the Finance Bill last July; and notes that if all those honourable Members follow their consciences the proposal can be defeated.

That this House welcomes the forceful statements opposing VAT on fuel by the honourable Members for West Gloucestershire, Corby, Macclesfield, Littleborough and Saddleworth, Aldridge-Brownhills, Stafford, Billericay and Ayr; looks forward to them joining the opposition in the lobby against this unfair tax; also urges the honourable Members for Perth and...

That this House would welcome an early debate on the cost of domestic fuel and the impact on the poor of severe weather conditions which prevail from time to time in various parts of the United Kingdom; regrets the action of the Scottish National Party in seeking to exploit this serious issue in their leaflet Scotland; Chill-Southern Comfort which contrasts the plight of the Scottish pensioner with those resident in the South of England; recalls that as recently as Saturday 4th December the Scottish National Party was denouncing 'scapegoats' and promising to expel from their ranks those who campaign on anti-English sentiment; questions the sincerity of this decision while the Scottish National party continues to generate a grievance factor founded on dubious statistics blatantly aimed at fuelling anti-southern sentiment which is no different from anti-English sentiment.

That this House would welcome an early debate on the cost of domestic fuel and the impact on the poor of severe weather conditions which prevail from time to time in various parts of the United Kingdom; regrets the action of the Scottish National Party in seeking to exploit this...

That this House believes that public passenger transport should remain zero-rated for VAT; and expresses its concern that any attempt to impose VAT will hit the poorest sections of the community hardest, substantially reducing their mobility, will increase congestion in already overcrowded cities and will, by reducing the level of transport available, produce adverse social and economic effects throughout the United Kingdom.

That this House believes that public passenger transport should remain zero-rated for VAT; and expresses its concern that any attempt to impose VAT will hit the poorest sections of the community hardest, substantially reducing their mobility, will increase congestion in already overcrowded cities and will, by reducing the level of...

That this House congratulates the children of Hainsworth Moor Middle School, Queensbury, in Bradford on organising a petition of nearly two thousand signatures opposing the threat of value-added tax on books; applauds their sense of justice in recognising VAT as a potential tax on knowledge and that education and self-teaching will suffer if VAT is applied; and hopes that Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer will recognise the mature judgement of the pupils and accept their use of the democratic processes to campaign for their right of access of knowledge without the barrier of value-added tax imposed by one of the architects of failed and discredited economic policies.

That this House congratulates the children of Hainsworth Moor Middle School, Queensbury, in Bradford on organising a petition of nearly two thousand signatures opposing the threat of value-added tax on books; applauds their sense of justice in recognising VAT as a potential tax on knowledge and that education and self-teaching...

That this House notes the continuing worry among elderly people about the impact of VAT on fuel bills; is concerned that linking compensation for higher fuel bills to income-related benefits will not help pensioners with incomes just above the qualifying limit, nor those who do not claim; believes that many hundreds of thousands of pensioners who miss out on benefits will have real difficulty meeting the extra costs of fuel once VAT is levied; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to increase the basic state retirement pension to cover the cost to pensioners of VAT on fuel.

That this House notes the continuing worry among elderly people about the impact of VAT on fuel bills; is concerned that linking compensation for higher fuel bills to income-related benefits will not help pensioners with incomes just above the qualifying limit, nor those who do not claim; believes that many...