Written evidence reported to the House. Clause 2 agreed to.

Written evidence reported to the House. Clause 2 agreed to.

Programme motion agreed to. Written evidence (Reporting to the House) motion agreed to. Clause 2 under consideration.

Programme motion agreed to. Written evidence (Reporting to the House) motion agreed to. Clause 2 under consideration.

My hon. Friend makes an important point. If we are talking about unfairness in the tax system as far as rates are concerned, I should say that the much greater unfairness is when wealthy individuals are paying very low rates of income tax—lower rates than are paid by the vast...

My hon. Friend makes an important point. If we are talking about unfairness in the tax system as far as rates are concerned, I should say that the much greater unfairness is when wealthy individuals are paying very low rates of income tax—lower rates than are paid by the vast...

Nobody will lose out in cash terms; that is the point.

Age-related allowances are complex and hard for older people to understand, as the Public Accounts Committee confirmed in a 2009 report. The same report also stated that too much emphasis is placed on older people having to prove their eligibility,...

Nobody will lose out in cash terms; that is the point.

Age-related allowances are complex and hard for older people to understand, as the Public Accounts Committee confirmed in a 2009 report. The same report also stated that too much emphasis is placed on older people having to prove their eligibility,...

There are four problems with the proposal that the Government are putting to the House this evening. First, it is unfair. The hon. Member for Christchurch (Mr Chope) made it clear that it is unfair as between family patterns of income, unfair as between men and women, and unfair as...

There are four problems with the proposal that the Government are putting to the House this evening. First, it is unfair. The hon. Member for Christchurch (Mr Chope) made it clear that it is unfair as between family patterns of income, unfair as between men and women, and unfair as...

Unfortunately, we are introducing more and more complexity. For example, the new charge must be paid by the higher earner, who might not be claiming child benefit when the lower earner is, even though the lower earner is not legally obliged to inform the higher earner whether he or she...

Unfortunately, we are introducing more and more complexity. For example, the new charge must be paid by the higher earner, who might not be claiming child benefit when the lower earner is, even though the lower earner is not legally obliged to inform the higher earner whether he or she...

I have a very simple question: will the hon. Lady reverse the policy on the allowance?

I have a very simple question: will the hon. Lady reverse the policy on the allowance?

I look forward to the hon. Gentleman's intervention.

I look forward to the hon. Gentleman's intervention.

Winston Churchill, a very great man, took us back on to the gold standard as Chancellor. If we were to follow every proposal of Winston Churchill's as Chancellor, we would find it very difficult to run the economy.

Winston Churchill, a very great man, took us back on to the gold standard as Chancellor. If we were to follow every proposal of Winston Churchill's as Chancellor, we would find it very difficult to run the economy.

Government Members would do well to look to Churchill rather than to their current leaders when deciding how to vote today.

Government Members would do well to look to Churchill rather than to their current leaders when deciding how to vote today.

Will the hon. Lady give way?

Will the hon. Lady give way?

The people who will be hit by this tax are those who have an income in retirement of between £10,500 and £25,000 a year. They will pay tax at 20% on any income over £10,500 a year. That is why 4.4 million pensioners will lose out by an average of...

The people who will be hit by this tax are those who have an income in retirement of between £10,500 and £25,000 a year. They will pay tax at 20% on any income over £10,500 a year. That is why 4.4 million pensioners will lose out by an average of...

I understand that age-related benefits were an idea put forward by Winston Churchill. Does my hon. Friend think that George Osborne knows better than Winston Churchill?

I understand that age-related benefits were an idea put forward by Winston Churchill. Does my hon. Friend think that George Osborne knows better than Winston Churchill?

If they were being taxed at 20%, that would mean tax of about £13 a week on their pension. Such pensioners will be hit hard by the changes. We know how hard it already is for many people to save enough for a modest pension, so why have the Government...

If they were being taxed at 20%, that would mean tax of about £13 a week on their pension. Such pensioners will be hit hard by the changes. We know how hard it already is for many people to save enough for a modest pension, so why have the Government...

Putting aside the fact that people on incomes such as my hon. Friend the Member for Redcar (Ian Swales) mentioned would pay zero in tax, which makes the hon. Lady's argument purely academic at best, is it not true that she is referring to the same group of people who...

Putting aside the fact that people on incomes such as my hon. Friend the Member for Redcar (Ian Swales) mentioned would pay zero in tax, which makes the hon. Lady's argument purely academic at best, is it not true that she is referring to the same group of people who...

I know that my hon. Friend sticks up for pensioners in his constituency, unlike Government Members, who want to grab the incomes of pensioners in their constituencies. My hon. Friend points out the evidence that we have commissioned from the House of Commons Library, which shows that a small personal...

I know that my hon. Friend sticks up for pensioners in his constituency, unlike Government Members, who want to grab the incomes of pensioners in their constituencies. My hon. Friend points out the evidence that we have commissioned from the House of Commons Library, which shows that a small personal...

Can the hon. Lady tell the Committee how much tax somebody getting an occupational pension of £67 a week would pay under the new arrangements?

Can the hon. Lady tell the Committee how much tax somebody getting an occupational pension of £67 a week would pay under the new arrangements?

I thank the hon. Gentleman. His constituents have had a hard time in the past few days. Older people will be hit by the changes to pensioners' tax allowances, and of course the pasty industry in Cornwall and the south-east will be hit hard, so there is a double hit...

I thank the hon. Gentleman. His constituents have had a hard time in the past few days. Older people will be hit by the changes to pensioners' tax allowances, and of course the pasty industry in Cornwall and the south-east will be hit hard, so there is a double hit...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

My hon. Friend represents a seat with a huge personal vote. I was not lucky enough to take over from a Conservative Member of Parliament with a huge personal vote such as his. I was therefore targeted in the last few weeks of the campaign by the Labour party and...

My hon. Friend represents a seat with a huge personal vote. I was not lucky enough to take over from a Conservative Member of Parliament with a huge personal vote such as his. I was therefore targeted in the last few weeks of the campaign by the Labour party and...