Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

We have made it clear that we do not intend that the provisions—indeed, we have deliberately drawn them up to this end—should affect those who operate through personal service companies. My hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North treated the House to an insight into his experiences as...

We have made it clear that we do not intend that the provisions—indeed, we have deliberately drawn them up to this end—should affect those who operate through personal service companies. My hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North treated the House to an insight into his experiences as...

May I respond to the hon. Lady’s principal point? If I do not answer it, of course I will give way. The hon. Lady was particularly concerned about freelancers. It is only freelancers operating through MSCs who are affected by the changes. Freelancers who are engaged directly by an agency,...

May I respond to the hon. Lady’s principal point? If I do not answer it, of course I will give way. The hon. Lady was particularly concerned about freelancers. It is only freelancers operating through MSCs who are affected by the changes. Freelancers who are engaged directly by an agency,...

Does the Financial Secretary believe that any contractor who outsources administrative and management matters relating to their personal service company is a tax dodger?

Does the Financial Secretary believe that any contractor who outsources administrative and management matters relating to their personal service company is a tax dodger?

Getting the derogation is certainly welcome, but it is deeply regrettable that it has come at the expense of our rebate. The Prime Minister’s original decision to give £7.2 billion more of our money to the EU is regrettable, and the Chancellor is only confirming that in the negotiations on...

Getting the derogation is certainly welcome, but it is deeply regrettable that it has come at the expense of our rebate. The Prime Minister’s original decision to give £7.2 billion more of our money to the EU is regrettable, and the Chancellor is only confirming that in the negotiations on...

I am happy to give way to the hon. Gentleman, but I should say that I do not usually go on at such length.

I am happy to give way to the hon. Gentleman, but I should say that I do not usually go on at such length.

The hon. Gentleman is being very generous. I just wondered how many service industry small businesses there are in his constituency, because there would appear to be none. More importantly, the hon. Gentleman seems to discount the impact of regulation, taxation and other problems faced by small businesses. Does he...

The hon. Gentleman is being very generous. I just wondered how many service industry small businesses there are in his constituency, because there would appear to be none. More importantly, the hon. Gentleman seems to discount the impact of regulation, taxation and other problems faced by small businesses. Does he...

Of course I accept that there is a disproportionate impact on small businesses. That is bound to be the case as it is in the nature of small businesses. But my general point, which I am not moving from, is that that does not generally affect the prosperity of the...

Of course I accept that there is a disproportionate impact on small businesses. That is bound to be the case as it is in the nature of small businesses. But my general point, which I am not moving from, is that that does not generally affect the prosperity of the...

Or services.

Or services.

Yes. The service sector is crucially important, but we are now seeing changes in definition. When I used to work at Rolls-Royce, we did everything, but it is all subcontracted now. Some of the subcontractors are classified as service industries, such as the catering, management systems and accountancy, but previously...

Yes. The service sector is crucially important, but we are now seeing changes in definition. When I used to work at Rolls-Royce, we did everything, but it is all subcontracted now. Some of the subcontractors are classified as service industries, such as the catering, management systems and accountancy, but previously...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving way, because I am keen that he does not underestimate the importance of the contribution that micro-businesses make to the economy. Micro-businesses are the largest employers in the county of Cornwall, which has one of the lowest GDPs in the country, so supporting...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving way, because I am keen that he does not underestimate the importance of the contribution that micro-businesses make to the economy. Micro-businesses are the largest employers in the county of Cornwall, which has one of the lowest GDPs in the country, so supporting...

The hon. Lady has been so helpful that I must give way to her again.

The hon. Lady has been so helpful that I must give way to her again.

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that one key to ensuring that we have more stable inflation and interest rates was the decision to give independence to the Bank of England to allow the Monetary Policy Committee, rather than a politician, to decide such things? That was obviously a Liberal Democrat...

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that one key to ensuring that we have more stable inflation and interest rates was the decision to give independence to the Bank of England to allow the Monetary Policy Committee, rather than a politician, to decide such things? That was obviously a Liberal Democrat...

I come back to the point that I raised with the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet. I am not underplaying the importance of taxation regimes for the small business world, although they have to be fair. There must be equity between people who work for themselves and people who work...

I come back to the point that I raised with the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet. I am not underplaying the importance of taxation regimes for the small business world, although they have to be fair. There must be equity between people who work for themselves and people who work...

Beijing?

Beijing?

The leader of the hon. Lady’s party was helpful in the Budget debate in acknowledging the success of the British economy. I am grateful that she has acknowledged the correctness of the policy that was struck in 1997. If that was a policy that the Liberal Democrats agree with, it...

The leader of the hon. Lady’s party was helpful in the Budget debate in acknowledging the success of the British economy. I am grateful that she has acknowledged the correctness of the policy that was struck in 1997. If that was a policy that the Liberal Democrats agree with, it...

Does the hon. Gentleman appreciate that we are in the middle of a cycle where UK plc is shedding about 1.5 million jobs and the small and medium-sized business sector is creating about 2 million jobs? In the light of his comments about employment, what impact does he think the...

Does the hon. Gentleman appreciate that we are in the middle of a cycle where UK plc is shedding about 1.5 million jobs and the small and medium-sized business sector is creating about 2 million jobs? In the light of his comments about employment, what impact does he think the...

Before the hon. Gentleman intervenes again, he should know that I am not a born sycophant. Although I have a list, it does not include every measure. If one consults the bodies that represent small companies in my constituency, such as the chamber of commerce, one finds that they have...

Before the hon. Gentleman intervenes again, he should know that I am not a born sycophant. Although I have a list, it does not include every measure. If one consults the bodies that represent small companies in my constituency, such as the chamber of commerce, one finds that they have...

I do not wish to interrupt the hon. Gentleman’s paeon of praise for the various measures in the Budget, but he mentioned the welcome that he anticipates that they will receive from smaller companies. How many smaller company proprietors or managers in his constituency have actively welcomed the measures to...

I do not wish to interrupt the hon. Gentleman’s paeon of praise for the various measures in the Budget, but he mentioned the welcome that he anticipates that they will receive from smaller companies. How many smaller company proprietors or managers in his constituency have actively welcomed the measures to...

Beijing, yes. Bombay—well, that has changed to Mumbai. Small business people who are trying to sell engineering products or the like know who they must compete with. They know the market: they know what other businesses compete in it, and what those businesses are doing. There is now a recognition...

Beijing, yes. Bombay—well, that has changed to Mumbai. Small business people who are trying to sell engineering products or the like know who they must compete with. They know the market: they know what other businesses compete in it, and what those businesses are doing. There is now a recognition...