Budget debate (fourth day). Motion on amendment of the law agreed on division (326 to 243). Motion on high income child benefit charge agreed on division (318 to 244). Motion on air passenger duty agreed on division (323 to 13). Motion on future taxation: rates of income tax) agreed on division (319 to 22). Motions to approve ways and means resolutions. Resolved. Other resolutions agreed on question.

Budget debate (fourth day). Motion on amendment of the law agreed on division (326 to 243). Motion on high income child benefit charge agreed on division (318 to 244). Motion on air passenger duty agreed on division (323 to 13). Motion on future taxation: rates of income tax) agreed on...

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for making these interesting points. Was he as shocked as I was to see that, as a result of the measures that he introduced as Chancellor, there was £16 billion to £18 billion-worth of forestalling in 2009-10?

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for making these interesting points. Was he as shocked as I was to see that, as a result of the measures that he introduced as Chancellor, there was £16 billion to £18 billion-worth of forestalling in 2009-10?

This has been a great Budget for business growth, for work incentives and, as the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey) rightly says, for technology, too. However, I shall focus my comments on a huge potential opportunity for...

This has been a great Budget for business growth, for work incentives and, as the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey) rightly says, for technology, too. However, I shall focus my comments on a huge potential opportunity for...

Inevitably, there is some forestalling and there will be an awful lot more of it this year when people realise that they will pay a lesser tax rate next year. The hon. Lady makes a point, but perhaps not the one she intended. The real problem we face as a...

Inevitably, there is some forestalling and there will be an awful lot more of it this year when people realise that they will pay a lesser tax rate next year. The hon. Lady makes a point, but perhaps not the one she intended. The real problem we face as a...

I completely agree with the hon. Gentleman. Before Virgin took over Northern Rock, Metro Bank was the only company to have been granted a full banking licence in 100 years. I have met entrepreneurs who would love to finance and set up new banks, and we have seen the launch...

I completely agree with the hon. Gentleman. Before Virgin took over Northern Rock, Metro Bank was the only company to have been granted a full banking licence in 100 years. I have met entrepreneurs who would love to finance and set up new banks, and we have seen the launch...

The hon. Lady is making an interesting speech, and she is talking about the 1990s, when she was at Barclays. Does she agree that one of the major errors of the late 1980s was the incredible centralisation that took place through the privatisations and the ending of local building societies,...

The hon. Lady is making an interesting speech, and she is talking about the 1990s, when she was at Barclays. Does she agree that one of the major errors of the late 1980s was the incredible centralisation that took place through the privatisations and the ending of local building societies,...

I am delighted to follow the right hon. Member for South Shields (David Miliband) who said quite clearly that the coalition Government were not responsible for and had not invented the problem. I might ask him to consider who did. Our country has had to face the biggest boom and...

I am delighted to follow the right hon. Member for South Shields (David Miliband) who said quite clearly that the coalition Government were not responsible for and had not invented the problem. I might ask him to consider who did. Our country has had to face the biggest boom and...

The Minister did not manage to mention in his speech the export potential of football, but I am happy to refer the House to my declared interest as the vice-chairman of Sunderland football club. Since last Wednesday, the consensus has formed that the Budget spin was cack-handed. I want to...

The Minister did not manage to mention in his speech the export potential of football, but I am happy to refer the House to my declared interest as the vice-chairman of Sunderland football club. Since last Wednesday, the consensus has formed that the Budget spin was cack-handed. I want to...

I believe in low tax. Low tax fosters personal responsibility and generates the incentives that create greater wealth and greater national prosperity, in which all can share. I therefore welcome the tax-reducing measures in the Budget, such as reducing corporation tax to 22p by 2014, so that we will have...

I believe in low tax. Low tax fosters personal responsibility and generates the incentives that create greater wealth and greater national prosperity, in which all can share. I therefore welcome the tax-reducing measures in the Budget, such as reducing corporation tax to 22p by 2014, so that we will have...

I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman has looked at the detail of the OBR's calculations, but if he does, he will see that the additional money going to pensioners totals £1.75 billion and the cost of the removal of the age-related allowance is £360 million. That means a...

I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman has looked at the detail of the OBR's calculations, but if he does, he will see that the additional money going to pensioners totals £1.75 billion and the cost of the removal of the age-related allowance is £360 million. That means a...

The only place I could take them is the canteen. I might get something there, but I am sure I would not get anything in Downing street. The 50p tax rate has been widely discussed since the Budget statement. We were told it does not do anything and that no...

The only place I could take them is the canteen. I might get something there, but I am sure I would not get anything in Downing street. The 50p tax rate has been widely discussed since the Budget statement. We were told it does not do anything and that no...

Perhaps my hon. Friend should get some wealthy Northumberland business men to pay quarter of a million pounds to have lunch with the Chancellor. Then he might get an LEZ in Blyth.

Perhaps my hon. Friend should get some wealthy Northumberland business men to pay quarter of a million pounds to have lunch with the Chancellor. Then he might get an LEZ in Blyth.

I received a letter this morning from my local county council, Northumberland, saying how pleased it was to have got £7 million for the roll-out of broadband. I take from that letter that the council is quite satisfied. I know the council ran a campaign and met with the Minister,...

I received a letter this morning from my local county council, Northumberland, saying how pleased it was to have got £7 million for the roll-out of broadband. I take from that letter that the council is quite satisfied. I know the council ran a campaign and met with the Minister,...

If the hon. Gentleman looks at the figures on applications to our universities, he will see that the predicted fall-off has simply not happened. As we heard earlier in the debate and in the Budget statement, investment in science is being increased. The creative industries want a better base than...

If the hon. Gentleman looks at the figures on applications to our universities, he will see that the predicted fall-off has simply not happened. As we heard earlier in the debate and in the Budget statement, investment in science is being increased. The creative industries want a better base than...

Is the right hon. Gentleman happy that as a result of the tuition fees introduced by his Government, we are seeing a massive collapse in the numbers studying modern languages, humanities and the creative industries?

Is the right hon. Gentleman happy that as a result of the tuition fees introduced by his Government, we are seeing a massive collapse in the numbers studying modern languages, humanities and the creative industries?

I will not give way because I want to make progress. I was pleased with the comments of my hon. Friend the Minister because he was able to put at the heart of what the Government are doing some of the really important work of the Department for Culture, Media...

I will not give way because I want to make progress. I was pleased with the comments of my hon. Friend the Minister because he was able to put at the heart of what the Government are doing some of the really important work of the Department for Culture, Media...

Let me come to that in a moment. First, let me tell the hon. Gentleman what I thought this Budget needed to do. First, it needed to continue the process of reducing the deficit. It needed to continue to maintain confidence in the international markets not least to keep interest...

Let me come to that in a moment. First, let me tell the hon. Gentleman what I thought this Budget needed to do. First, it needed to continue the process of reducing the deficit. It needed to continue to maintain confidence in the international markets not least to keep interest...

The hon. Gentleman is making some pressing points, but in light of everything he has said is he seriously saying that the priority at this time should be a tax cut for those earning more than £3,000 a week?

The hon. Gentleman is making some pressing points, but in light of everything he has said is he seriously saying that the priority at this time should be a tax cut for those earning more than £3,000 a week?

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to mention pensioners and the disadvantages to them of the Chancellor's proposals. The Government could get things right for small business by simplifying the processes, but none of those proposals will be enough to stimulate the economy. It is also fair to say that...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to mention pensioners and the disadvantages to them of the Chancellor's proposals. The Government could get things right for small business by simplifying the processes, but none of those proposals will be enough to stimulate the economy. It is also fair to say that...

My hon. Friend mentions tax simplification. What does he make of the tax simplification for pensioners?

My hon. Friend mentions tax simplification. What does he make of the tax simplification for pensioners?