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(Clauses 1, 4, 8, 189 and 209, Schedules 1, 23 and 33, and new Clauses and new Schedules relating to value added tax)

I see the hon. Lady on the Opposition Front Bench agrees with me about that. Perhaps it is appropriate to start by reminding the House of what our right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said on 26 May 2009. He said that he had accepted, as Conservative party policy, that"““The House of Commons should have more control over its own timetable, so there's time for proper scrutiny and debate.””" He said that"““there should be much less whipping during the committee stages of a Bill,””" because"““that's when you really need proper, impartial, effective scrutiny—not partisan point-scoring and posturing.””" It is against that background that I enter into this debate with confidence. The Government's proposals will, by their own admission, result in more complexity and less simplicity, which is completely at odds with their avowed intent on tax policy. The administrative costs alone will exceed £100 million, and 650 extra staff will have to be taken on to administer what is effectively the removal of child benefit from 1.2 million families.