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Finance Bill

I am happy to put this question to my hon. Friend, but if he is unable to answer it, I intend to try to catch your eye, Mr. Deputy Speaker, to ask a single question of those on the Treasury Bench. Is my hon. Friend worried that the Budget does very little to reduce the Budget deficit? Unless we reduce our indebtedness in this country, the money markets are going to lose confidence in our ability to take sensible steps to do that. If they lose that confidence, we will lose our triple A credit status, which will immediately lead to increased taxation, increased interest rates and, I believe, increased unemployment. Is my hon. Friend, who is a young and virile Member of this House and who will go a long way in his parliamentary career, able to answer that question, or will I have to put it to those on the Treasury Bench in a speech, short though it will be?