Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between George Osborne and Mike Freer

Tuesday 22nd March 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Osborne]

Yes, it will.

[Mike Freer (Finchley and Golders Green) (Con)]

T2. The Financial Services Authority’s mortgage market review stated:“Our existing regulatory framework has been shown to be ineffective”and that“regulatory reform is needed to reduce the probability and severity of future financial crises”.Does the Minister agree?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between George Osborne and Mike Freer

Tuesday 21st December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Osborne]

I absolutely do agree with that. Interestingly, as I said in my opening reply, anyone who has ever looked at the issue in government, as we did over the summer and as the shadow Chancellor did when he was the Minister responsible for higher education, has concluded that it is unworkable. It destroys the independence of universities, and it is unfair, because some students would pay much more than the cost of their education, others would avoid it altogether by moving abroad, and millions of students on lower incomes than those specified by our proposals would be hit by a tax rise. It is also unaffordable, and as Lord Browne pointed out in the report that the previous Government commissioned, it would take until 2041 for the system to start paying for itself.

[Mike Freer]

Has the Chancellor, in developing our policy on a graduate tax, been able to bear in mind the policies of the Opposition?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between George Osborne and Mike Freer

Tuesday 12th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Osborne]

The presence of the Liberal Democrats in the coalition means that two parties are working together to sort out a problem that one party created.

[Mike Freer (Finchley and Golders Green) (Con)]

11. What steps his Department is taking to simplify the tax system.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Osborne]

I will make one observation if the hon. Gentleman wants to lay into my background: I went to the same school as the deputy leader of the Labour party.

On child benefit, we have had to take some difficult decisions. It is quite extraordinary that the Labour party finds itself opposing our decision. Yes, it was a tough decision, but it was fair in the context of the decisions that we must take. The fact that Alan Milburn today warned Labour Members not to oppose the measure—[Interruption.] Of course, the sensible part of the Labour party is no longer on the Front Bench. The fact that Alan Milburn, whom Labour appointed as its social mobility tsar, is warning them is something to which Labour Members should pay attention.

[Mike Freer (Finchley and Golders Green) (Con)]

T6. Although my constituents accept the need to tackle Labour’s legacy, many of them have large families and are concerned about the changes in child benefit. Will the Minister consider transitional arrangements to help families to adjust?