Finance (No. 2) Bill Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Finance (No. 2) Bill

Helen Goodman Excerpts
Wednesday 25th March 2015

(9 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Shabana Mahmood Portrait Shabana Mahmood
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It is a little unfair of the hon. Gentleman to shake his head at such an early stage of my speech. He should at least give me a chance to develop my arguments.

Helen Goodman Portrait Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) (Lab)
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Does my hon. Friend agree that one of the worst aspects is the massive loss to the Revenue? Am I right in recollecting that the projected annual revenue loss to the public purse in 2011 was some £3 billion?

Shabana Mahmood Portrait Shabana Mahmood
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My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The measure has a static cost of £3 billion a year, and behavioural changes also have an impact. That is the hot debate in which the Minister and I have been engaged ever since I have been in the shadow Treasury team.