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Finance Bill

As you know, Mr. Atkinson, I and my hon. Friend the Member for North-West Leicestershire (David Taylor) have tabled amendment No. 16. For reasons that we well understand—although people outside may not—it is not in order for that amendment to be called today, so I am grateful to be able to participate in this debate. In my short contribution, I shall talk about VED but also, if I may, about other forms of taxation on motorists. I accept that taxation is going to go up in the next five-year period, so I shall not undertake any special pleading to try to convince the Minister that the concerns of my constituents should somehow render them exempt from the Government's need to balance the national accounts over the medium term. The hon. Lady is the Member for Wallasey, which means that she is my neighbour in the Wirral—