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Finance Bill

As I have said, I am completely sympathetic to the problems of road hauliers and other motorists in present circumstances. My party has set out various proposals for alleviating that difficulty, but I am dealing now with the specifics of the new clause and I have to say that, for the reasons that I have set out as a matter of principle and that the hon. Member for Rayleigh has provided as a matter of practicality, it will not deliver the objectives that we may well hold in common. I fear, therefore, that we cannot support new clause 7 because it has not been thought through in such a way as to deliver the objectives that we agree are necessary. I am conscious of the need to move on, so I shall sum up by saying that if, in further conversations with the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan and his party, we can develop a proposal that would smooth matters and preserve the pressure to deal with the overwhelming problem of global warming, we should do so. However, I am afraid that this new clause does not do that.