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Proceeding contribution from Danny Alexander (Liberal Democrat) in the House of Commons on Monday, 16 April 2012. It occurred during Debate on bill on Finance (No. 4) Bill.


Finance (No. 4) Bill

I will give the hon. Gentleman time to cool down, if he likes. He will know that a draft statutory instrument has been published, which goes into the matter in some detail, and the House may well have an opportunity to discuss it in due course. However, the basic answer is that food that is hot and taken away is taxed as hot takeaway food. It is as simple as that. We will stick to our plans on the economy because financial discipline is the essential pre-condition for economic growth, even though that requires difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions, and helps provide confidence and the low and stable interest rates that businesses need to invest in growth and job creation. That confidence was shown at the weekend by the reaffirmation of this country's triple A credit rating by Standard & Poor's, the same agency that called it into question when the right hon. Member for Morley and Outwood (Ed Balls) was a member of the Cabinet. We are committed to securing a recovery led by private sector entrepreneurs, wealth creators and export industries—the sort of growth that the Opposition failed to deliver in more than a decade in government. That is why we are going even further in the Bill to boost our competitiveness and ensure that Britain is again one of the best places in the world to do business, reversing our fall down the global competitiveness league tables that took place under the Labour Administration.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
543 c28 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Child benefit Alcoholic drinks Charities Business Corporation tax Banks Caravans Air passenger duty Housing Donors Income tax Excise duties Fuels Fiscal policy Economic situation Foreign companies Pension credit Personal income Pensioners Low incomes Pensions Prices Welfare tax credits Small businesses Tax allowances Tax avoidance Taxation VAT Stamp duties Tax rates and bands Stamp duty land tax Age allowances
Legislation
Finance Bill 2010-12 to 2012-13
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk