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Finance Bill

My hon. Friend makes a valid point. Bingo is played not only in licensed bingo clubs but in places used by charities, during get-togethers and, dare I say it, in political clubs where we try to fundraise. After a lot of hard campaigning, a lot of people thought that in this year's Budget the Government had answered the problems of the bingo operators by removing VAT on participation fees and ending the policy of double taxation. Only then did they realise that the gross profits tax had been increased from 15 to 22 per cent.—an incredible 50 per cent. increase in that rate of tax, as applied to the bingo clubs.