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Finance Bill

The hon. Member for Argyll and Bute (Mr. Reid) was sympathetic and I entirely agree with him that the regulations should be tightly drawn. The hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Browne) was sympathetic in parts, but he taught us all the important lesson that one should not speak when one has very little to say. He was followed by the hon. Member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine (Sir Robert Smith), who actually made the speech that the hon. Member for Taunton should have made. The hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) spoke about difficulties in defining the matrix and he quite rightly drew a distinction between lifeline and lifestyle—a very good way to put it, but I was disappointed that he followed that up by finding problems rather than solutions to what are very real problems in many parts of the country. That brings me to the Minister. I welcome the fact that the Government are looking at what can be done for mountain rescue, and I appreciate that. There is, however, a singular lack of pragmatism in seeing the equality of treatment between charities as important, yet being unable since last year's discussions to find a way to help lifeline 4x4s for people setting off in mountains in the middle of winter to rescue people and save lives. In short, having listened to what the Minister said, she was seeing difficulties in the solution rather than seeking a solution to the difficulties faced in many remote and rural areas—difficulties that will be intensified not just by the burden of high fuel costs, the burden of high inflation and the burden of low wages, but by the additional higher vehicle excise duty charge on essential vehicles. With that, I am sorry to disappoint the Minister, but I shall press the amendment to a vote. Question put, That the amendment be made:— The Committee divided: Ayes 43, Noes 287.