Stamp duty has often been a barrier to families in my constituency owning a home of their own or moving house. The reforms that the Chancellor announced today will save £1,300 on the cost of an average house in Fareham. Does that not demonstrate that it is the Conservative party...

Stamp duty has often been a barrier to families in my constituency owning a home of their own or moving house. The reforms that the Chancellor announced today will save £1,300 on the cost of an average house in Fareham. Does that not demonstrate that it is the Conservative party...

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Guy Opperman) and the hon. Member for York Central (Hugh Bayley) on securing this debate, and the more than 150,000 who signed the e-petition that triggered it.

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Tracey Crouch), the hon....

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Guy Opperman) and the hon. Member for York Central (Hugh Bayley) on securing this debate, and the more than 150,000 who signed the e-petition that triggered it.

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Tracey Crouch), the hon....

I do not have that information available but I will ensure that either my colleagues in the Department of Health or I write to the hon. Lady with it.

The second review that is being undertaken looks at the tax position of health care charities. The Secretary of State for Health...

I do not have that information available but I will ensure that either my colleagues in the Department of Health or I write to the hon. Lady with it.

The second review that is being undertaken looks at the tax position of health care charities. The Secretary of State for Health...

Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will tell us whether he looked at the matter when he was a Treasury Minister.

Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will tell us whether he looked at the matter when he was a Treasury Minister.

I appreciate the right hon. Gentleman’s knowledge—he is a former shadow Secretary of State for Health—but my point is that the Treasury is working with Department of Health officials to ensure that the

matter is covered by the review. I can confirm that, if it is ultimately not covered, the...

I appreciate the right hon. Gentleman’s knowledge—he is a former shadow Secretary of State for Health—but my point is that the Treasury is working with Department of Health officials to ensure that the

matter is covered by the review. I can confirm that, if it is ultimately not covered, the...

Will the hon. Lady not have the courtesy to answer my hon. Friend’s question?

Will the hon. Lady not have the courtesy to answer my hon. Friend’s question?

We have heard a series of slightly strange speeches by Labour Members. We have become accustomed to their belief that they left us a golden economic legacy, but the reality is that when they left office unemployment was higher than when they came into office. They seem to believe that...

We have heard a series of slightly strange speeches by Labour Members. We have become accustomed to their belief that they left us a golden economic legacy, but the reality is that when they left office unemployment was higher than when they came into office. They seem to believe that...

The challenge that we face is dealing with the economic legacy left by Labour, with the huge boom in financial services and the huge bust that followed.

We have heard Labour Members’ story that they presided over a golden age in the financial services sector. The hon. Member for Newcastle upon...

The challenge that we face is dealing with the economic legacy left by Labour, with the huge boom in financial services and the huge bust that followed.

We have heard Labour Members’ story that they presided over a golden age in the financial services sector. The hon. Member for Newcastle upon...

Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will apologise for the approach that his party’s Government took towards the bonus culture.

Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will apologise for the approach that his party’s Government took towards the bonus culture.

We have taken action to tackle the bonus culture by ensuring that the interests of shareholders and management are aligned and that where there is wrongdoing bonuses can be clawed back. That is a significant change that has happened since this Government came to office. In the same way that...

We have taken action to tackle the bonus culture by ensuring that the interests of shareholders and management are aligned and that where there is wrongdoing bonuses can be clawed back. That is a significant change that has happened since this Government came to office. In the same way that...

When the previous Government brought forward the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, we voted against the decision to transfer the supervision of the banks from the Bank of England to the FSA. We are putting right that failure by the previous Government. We criticised the financial services reforms brought...

When the previous Government brought forward the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, we voted against the decision to transfer the supervision of the banks from the Bank of England to the FSA. We are putting right that failure by the previous Government. We criticised the financial services reforms brought...

I will give way to the hon. Gentleman; otherwise he might explode.

I will give way to the hon. Gentleman; otherwise he might explode.

The UK economy has suffered hugely as a consequence of the financial crisis. It has lost £140 billion in growth. We have to tackle the causes of that failure, as well as tackling the deficit that the previous Government left behind. That is what we are doing through the Financial...

The UK economy has suffered hugely as a consequence of the financial crisis. It has lost £140 billion in growth. We have to tackle the causes of that failure, as well as tackling the deficit that the previous Government left behind. That is what we are doing through the Financial...

I will take one last intervention on this point, then I will move on to the substance of the debate.

I will take one last intervention on this point, then I will move on to the substance of the debate.

The last Prime Minister had a problem recognising his responsibility for the problems that befell the economy.

One way in which we have sought to get the balance right in the taxation of businesses is by introducing the bank levy. We took that decision in opposition. We thought that it was...

The last Prime Minister had a problem recognising his responsibility for the problems that befell the economy.

One way in which we have sought to get the balance right in the taxation of businesses is by introducing the bank levy. We took that decision in opposition. We thought that it was...

My hon. Friend is right to ask me that question. About 15 times. Every time there is a tricky question, what is the answer? Let us reintroduce the one-off bank payroll tax. That demonstrates the emptiness at the heart of Labour’s economic policy. It has no concrete ideas to tackle...

My hon. Friend is right to ask me that question. About 15 times. Every time there is a tricky question, what is the answer? Let us reintroduce the one-off bank payroll tax. That demonstrates the emptiness at the heart of Labour’s economic policy. It has no concrete ideas to tackle...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect on competition between proprietary and members' golf clubs of the VAT rating applicable to proprietary golf club membership fees.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect on competition between proprietary and members' golf clubs of the VAT rating applicable to proprietary golf club membership fees.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to give tax relief on VAT on fuel to (a) Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and (b) other charities.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to give tax relief on VAT on fuel to (a) Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and (b) other charities.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will amend the Value Added Tax regulations so that charges levied on golf clubs operated by proprietors are the same as those levied on non-profit making clubs; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will amend the Value Added Tax regulations so that charges levied on golf clubs operated by proprietors are the same as those levied on non-profit making clubs; and if he will make a statement.