Finance (No. 2) Bill

Debate between Dan Tomlinson and Dave Doogan

2nd reading
Tuesday 16th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Dan Tomlinson]

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I look forward to contributions from Members on both sides of the House on the various measures in the Finance Bill. On the point that the hon. Member raises, this Government considered really carefully the reforms that were announced at the Budget last year, and have put forward changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief. There is an additional £1 million allowance—an allowance that was made transferable between spouses in this Budget—and also a 50% discount on the inheritance tax rate, so tax on that higher allowance will be at 20%, rather than 40%.

As well as making changes to lift children out of poverty, this Government have chosen to increase the national living wage from 1 April 2026 by 4.1% to £12.71 an hour, and to increase the national minimum wage for 18 to 20-year-olds to £10.85.

[Dave Doogan (Angus and Perthshire Glens) (SNP)]

Will the Minister give way?

[Dan Tomlinson]

I happily give way—I look forward to it.

[Dave Doogan]

The Minister will know that for the vast majority of employees in Scotland, the increase in the national living wage is redundant, because it is less than the Scottish living wage. He talks about the things that the Government increased in the Budget; was it their intention to increase unemployment by 25% as a result of their jobs tax?

[Dan Tomlinson]

This Budget will lift thousands of children in Scotland out of poverty, because of decisions that we have made. This Government have made £10 billion more spending available to the Scottish Government, yet we still see public services failing up and down Scotland; the NHS is not working as well as it should north of the border.