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Defence in the UK

The hon. Lady is exactly right. Small businesses are the bedrock of our economy and whenever we can help them, we should. Now is an appropriate time to pay tribute to the large number of small defence businesses in the UK. They are often niche businesses, and they are vital not only to the economic well-being of the country, but to our research and development base and the well-being of much larger companies inside and outside this country. The hon. Lady might want to get in touch with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to ask why he was so harsh in the Budget with the income and taxation of small businesses.