Business of the House Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Business of the House

Baroness Burt of Solihull Excerpts
Thursday 12th January 2012

(12 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Sir George Young
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I commend the hon. Gentleman’s work on that issue. I would like to pursue the discussion through the usual channels, and then come back to him.

Baroness Burt of Solihull Portrait Lorely Burt (Solihull) (LD)
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Given the increasing number of schools offering A-levels, there is an increasing anomaly with VAT, in that schools do not pay it but sixth-form colleges do. The Treasury has rejected requests from the Sixth Form Colleges Forum and others to rectify that. With VAT standing at 20%, may we have a debate to explore ways to equalise the situation and be fairer to sixth-form colleges?

Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Sir George Young
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I understand my hon. Friend’s concern. There will be an opportunity on Monday to raise this issue with the Secretary of State for Education. For now, I think the appropriate answer to my hon. Friend is that the Chancellor of the Exchequer is in the process of drawing up his Budget, the date of which has been announced, and I will take her request as a bid for him to consider that matter as part of his broader Budget considerations.