To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claims for higher rate tax relief on pensions were rejected by HM Revenue and Customs in financial year 2009-10 on the basis that the period within which claims were required to be submitted had expired.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claims for higher rate tax relief on pensions were rejected by HM Revenue and Customs in financial year 2009-10 on the basis that the period within which claims were required to be submitted had expired.

My Lords, I want to take this opportunity in the gap to raise two matters. The first relates to the provisions on the very popular and useful ISAs which are continuing and for which allowances have been raised. This was referred to by the noble Lord, Lord Myners, in his...

My Lords, I want to take this opportunity in the gap to raise two matters. The first relates to the provisions on the very popular and useful ISAs which are continuing and for which allowances have been raised. This was referred to by the noble Lord, Lord Myners, in his...

My Lords, as my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said when he delivered his Budget Statement, the past few years have been a difficult time for people, not just in the UK but globally. It has required difficult choices, with Governments around the world taking unprecedented steps...

My Lords, as my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said when he delivered his Budget Statement, the past few years have been a difficult time for people, not just in the UK but globally. It has required difficult choices, with Governments around the world taking unprecedented steps...

My Lords, we usually take an opportunity of a debate on the Finance Bill to debate the Budget which preceded it, but we had an excellent debate on the Budget, led by my noble friend Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market. The Minister will notice that my usual team of supporters...

My Lords, we usually take an opportunity of a debate on the Finance Bill to debate the Budget which preceded it, but we had an excellent debate on the Budget, led by my noble friend Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market. The Minister will notice that my usual team of supporters...

My Lords, I am delighted to do so; the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay, made a very good point. Like many of the Government’s policies, the bank bonus tax has been totally ineffective in practice, despite the strictures of the noble Lord, Lord Myners, which have often been very...

My Lords, I am delighted to do so; the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay, made a very good point. Like many of the Government’s policies, the bank bonus tax has been totally ineffective in practice, despite the strictures of the noble Lord, Lord Myners, which have often been very...

Yes. I am sure that I am on the edge of breaking a rule by intervening a third time, but as regards every service provided, from dustbins through to economic regeneration, in what sense does the noble Baroness think that this is not money well spent? On that basis, would...

Yes. I am sure that I am on the edge of breaking a rule by intervening a third time, but as regards every service provided, from dustbins through to economic regeneration, in what sense does the noble Baroness think that this is not money well spent? On that basis, would...

The noble Lord is quite right that procurement savings form part of our strategy. However, we have not said that the rest of the savings will come from jobs. I have given the noble Lord one way in which efficiency savings can be made by reducing the costs of the...

The noble Lord is quite right that procurement savings form part of our strategy. However, we have not said that the rest of the savings will come from jobs. I have given the noble Lord one way in which efficiency savings can be made by reducing the costs of the...

My Lords, we have had a short but interesting debate and I thank all noble Lords who have contributed. As one would expect with such a wide-ranging Bill, a number of points have been raised. Perhaps I may start with those raised by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay...

My Lords, we have had a short but interesting debate and I thank all noble Lords who have contributed. As one would expect with such a wide-ranging Bill, a number of points have been raised. Perhaps I may start with those raised by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay...

There are parts of the public sector that are unproductive. I was not referring to front-line services. However, there are a number of activities that do not add value to our nation. I do not think that the noble Lord would disagree with that. As I was saying, the Chancellor...

There are parts of the public sector that are unproductive. I was not referring to front-line services. However, there are a number of activities that do not add value to our nation. I do not think that the noble Lord would disagree with that. As I was saying, the Chancellor...

My Lords, I promise that I shall say this only once. Is the noble Baroness seriously saying that nurses, teachers, police officers and others who work in the public sector are unproductive? "The unproductive public sector" was an extraordinary thing to say that will be noted in the country.

My Lords, I promise that I shall say this only once. Is the noble Baroness seriously saying that nurses, teachers, police officers and others who work in the public sector are unproductive? "The unproductive public sector" was an extraordinary thing to say that will be noted in the country.

My Lords, I do not wish to prolong this. We have not said that we will cut front-line services, and we will stick to that position. This is not the right debate in which to examine the policies of my party. I would be happy to talk at length to...

My Lords, I do not wish to prolong this. We have not said that we will cut front-line services, and we will stick to that position. This is not the right debate in which to examine the policies of my party. I would be happy to talk at length to...

I am making the point that it is not —I was going to say "possible to make overly simplistic extrapolations", but regrettably the Opposition frequently do—wise or sensible to make simplistic extrapolations such as saying that an increase in this or that will have such an effect. Other economic forces...

I am making the point that it is not —I was going to say "possible to make overly simplistic extrapolations", but regrettably the Opposition frequently do—wise or sensible to make simplistic extrapolations such as saying that an increase in this or that will have such an effect. Other economic forces...

My Lords, if the Chancellor believed that, why did he tell the Treasury Select Committee in another place that there would be job losses from the increase in the jobs tax?

My Lords, if the Chancellor believed that, why did he tell the Treasury Select Committee in another place that there would be job losses from the increase in the jobs tax?

Can the Minister say whether the employers and the heads of the various companies, when making a statement against the increase of the NIC, were deceived?

Can the Minister say whether the employers and the heads of the various companies, when making a statement against the increase of the NIC, were deceived?

I am very aware of the statement made. I think there is a sleight of hand here in the way in which the shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer has talked about NIC reductions. Some of the businesspeople who have expressed views on this are perhaps rather guilty of behaviour similar...

I am very aware of the statement made. I think there is a sleight of hand here in the way in which the shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer has talked about NIC reductions. Some of the businesspeople who have expressed views on this are perhaps rather guilty of behaviour similar...

I am grateful to the noble Baroness. So this so-called jobs tax is going to create unemployment, as opposed to the alternative, which is so-called efficiency savings. If one is going to reduce expenditure by £10 billion, £20 billion or £30 billion, where is that expenditure saving going to be...

I am grateful to the noble Baroness. So this so-called jobs tax is going to create unemployment, as opposed to the alternative, which is so-called efficiency savings. If one is going to reduce expenditure by £10 billion, £20 billion or £30 billion, where is that expenditure saving going to be...

It is very rare to intervene twice, but it is a new definition of an efficiency saving to include a pay freeze. That is not what has been said by the Conservative Party, which is magically going to find savings on work being done. Some of the savings could be...

It is very rare to intervene twice, but it is a new definition of an efficiency saving to include a pay freeze. That is not what has been said by the Conservative Party, which is magically going to find savings on work being done. Some of the savings could be...

The noble Lord, Lord Lea, raises a question that people often get confused about. They think that tackling inefficiency will lead to job cuts. However, there are a number of ways of saving money. For example, a pay freeze would not cost a single job but would save a large...

The noble Lord, Lord Lea, raises a question that people often get confused about. They think that tackling inefficiency will lead to job cuts. However, there are a number of ways of saving money. For example, a pay freeze would not cost a single job but would save a large...

Finance Bill. Lords second reading debate. Agreed to on question. Committee negatived. Standing Order 47 having beeen dispensed with, the Bill was read a third time and passed.

Finance Bill. Lords second reading debate. Agreed to on question. Committee negatived. Standing Order 47 having beeen dispensed with, the Bill was read a third time and passed.