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Finance Bill

I am delighted that we have been joined on the Front Bench by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing, who has a particular interest in the well-being and future of pubs and has done some very helpful work on that subject. I would take the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Sir Nicholas Winterton) back to his earlier intervention when he drew attention to the need to address the deficit. We are committed to halving it over four years and this is an important step towards achieving that. I am pleased that he has been able to make a further valedictory intervention and, along with everyone else, I want to wish him well for the future and express my appreciation for his contribution to the House over many years. Given that he has already made a point about the importance of addressing the deficit, I am sure he will recognise the importance of this measure, and I am pleased that his Front-Bench team has agreed not to resist this proposal.