Debates between Jim Shannon and Richard Fuller during the 2024 Parliament

Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Exemptions

Debate between Jim Shannon and Richard Fuller
Tuesday 8th October 2024

(1 month, 2 weeks ago)

Westminster Hall
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Richard Fuller Portrait Richard Fuller (North Bedfordshire) (Con)
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My hon. Friend is speaking eloquently about the impact on children’s education, on children with special educational needs and on children being ripped out of their schools, perhaps in the year of their GCSEs or A-levels. This is obviously a debate about education. There are Members of Parliament in the Chamber from the Conservative party and the Liberal Democrats, as well as independent MPs and Members from Reform—

Richard Fuller Portrait Richard Fuller
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And the DUP.

Jim Shannon Portrait Jim Shannon
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I am always here, by the way.

Richard Fuller Portrait Richard Fuller
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It is not always about the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon). The Labour party has marshalled all but two of their MPs, one of whom hates the policy—I do not know what the other thinks.

Does my hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove (Bradley Thomas) think that it is shocking that not a single member of the Education ministerial team of the Labour Government has bothered to show up today, yet they continue to use the airwaves to spew out spiteful and divisive messages about this Labour policy? The Minister present, the hon. Member for Ealing North (James Murray), does not care about education; he cares about money—he is a Treasury Minister. He knows that the policy will not raise any money, but it is going to cost taxpayers.