Air Passenger Duty

Lindsay Hoyle Excerpts

Thursday 1st November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Several hon. Members]

rose—

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. We have a lot of Members who wish to speak and they should recognise that if they have already intervened, they will go down the list—and not be upset about that.

[Priti Patel]

I take on board the hon. Lady’s point.

As well as compromising trade, the cost of APD is felt by the aviation and tourism sector across the country. Last year, more than 30 million visitors came to Britain and spent £18 billion in our economy. We all want to see that number increase, and I want to see more foreign tourists flying to our international airports and travelling to see attractions elsewhere in the country—including the county of Essex, where the tourist sector supports 54,000 jobs and adds £3 billion to our local economy.

--- Later in debate ---

[Several hon. Members]

rose—

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

Order. I am introducing an eight-minute limit. I hope that I will not have to reduce that, but interventions cause problems.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr MacNeil]

Surely the idea behind devolving APD would be to cut it to make Scotland more competitive.

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. I warned the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar Mr MacNeil) that he would be at the bottom of the list, but there is a danger that he will fall off the list because the amount of time available is disappearing.