Finance Bill Debate

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Department: HM Treasury
Tuesday 3rd July 2012

(12 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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None Portrait Several hon. Members
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rose

Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)
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Order. May I inform hon. Members that I want to bring the Minister in at twenty-past?

Julie Hilling Portrait Julie Hilling
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I took my car for a service last week at my local garage, which is a one-man band. He said, “For heaven’s sake, will you get rid of that lot? They are ruining my business.” When I asked him what he meant and what the Government were doing that was ruining his business, his reply was, “VAT—the 20% rate is destroying my business, and all the other small business owners I know think exactly the same.” Sadly, a reduction in VAT from 20% is not an option in this debate, but putting VAT on to so many other things just increases the problem for hard-pressed businesses and struggling people.