Clause 53 - Tax relief for expenditure on vaccine research etc
Finance Bill
9:30 am
Mr Howard Flight (Arundel and South Downs, Conservative)
Good morning, Mr. Gale. The Opposition want to use this clause stand part debate to find out why the Government have chosen a rather complex system of tax credits when a more straightforward system of grants would surely have been more suitable. Hon. Members will be aware that we tabled a new clause on the issue, but it went outside the scope of the Bill and was not valid. The crucial question is, however, why the Government have introduced fairly complex fiscal legislation when the matter could be handled more simply through grants. Dare I suggest that this has something to do with the Treasury taking unto itself powers that might more suitably rest with the Department for International Development?