Air Passenger Duty

Neil Carmichael Excerpts

Thursday 1st November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale West) (Con)]

It is a pleasure to follow the right hon. Member for Wythenshawe and Sale East (Paul Goggins), with whom I share an interest in the importance of Manchester as a key driver of growth, jobs and prosperity in the north-west of England, particularly in the part of Manchester that we both represent. I am pleased to follow the good and cogent case he made about the importance of the airport and of freeing it up to attract more investment into the UK.

I also congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Witham (Priti Patel) and others on securing this important debate. The case is unanswerable. We always want this country to be a world leader, except when it comes to the levels of taxation we impose on businesses and investment, and on our people when they have the modest aspiration of taking a foreign holiday. That is the position we find ourselves in. I am delighted to see the Economic Secretary in his relatively new position. He is a sensible man and a good Minister, and I hope that he will give this debate a good hearing.

I know that the Government believe in our key point, because they have set about reducing levels of corporation tax with the express intention of making us more competitive in the world and ensuring that businesses see the UK as a place to locate, rather than going to other places. The argument here is exactly the same. We do not want to be at the top of the international league table for aviation tax; we want to be towards the bottom, as that will help to bring in international business and investment.

[Neil Carmichael (Stroud) (Con)]

I am listening carefully to this important debate and I have heard a lot from my constituents about it. I recognise the revenue-raising function, but should we not underline the importance of international competition in transport and capacity, and think more in terms of an holistic approach to this policy area?

[Mr Brady]

That is absolutely right. It is also important to note, as the hon. Member for Belfast East (Naomi Long) did, that the Government have recognised the strength of this argument, not just in general terms about levels of taxation applied to business but specifically in relation to APD. They understand that in the case of Northern Ireland competing against the Republic there was an unanswerable case for a reduction in APD. It is apparent to us all that precisely the same argument applies to the UK and particularly to the regional airports—which many Members have mentioned—that compete with airports in continental Europe.