Oral Answers to Questions

Michael Connarty Excerpts

Wednesday 18th April 2012 Commons Chamber

[Michael Moore]

The hon. Lady is entirely right to draw this issue to the attention of the House and to highlight that across Scotland and the UK, businesses, like individuals, want answers. We need to resolve this hugely important issue sooner rather than later, so we do not lose out on investment in jobs and we understand our future within the UK.

[Michael Connarty (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (Lab)]

5. How many people in Scotland will be affected by the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s proposal to withdraw the additional personal allowance for people over 65 years of age.

[Lindsay Roy (Glenrothes) (Lab)]

9. How many pensioners in Scotland will be affected by the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s decision on age-related personal allowances.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (David Mundell)]

Three hundred and sixty-seven thousand.

[Michael Connarty]

Will the Government not admit that the figures do not reveal the fact that this is an attack on people who have put away money for their retirement? The amount involved is up to £30,000 a year. This is an attack on middle-class people. There is also an attack on single people, who will lose income through being hit by the bedroom tax. People cannot be elderly and they cannot be single—and it would appear they cannot be hungry either, as there is a tax on fish and chips.

[David Mundell]

It will not surprise the hon. Gentleman that I do not accept his analysis. He and others who scaremonger on this issue fail to point out that more than half of those in Scotland aged over 65 will not pay any tax at all.