Julia Goldsworthy (Shadow Chief Secretary To the Treasury, Treasury; Falmouth & Camborne, Liberal Democrat)

I beg to move amendmentNo. 60, in page 28, line 20 [Vol 1], leave out ‘12' and insert ‘24'.

Joe Benton (Bootle, Labour)

With this it will be convenient to discuss amendment No. 61, in page 28, line 31 [Vol 1], leave out from ‘in' to end of line 32 and insert

‘2006-08 or financial year 2006 and 2007.”.'.

Julia Goldsworthy (Shadow Chief Secretary To the Treasury, Treasury; Falmouth & Camborne, Liberal Democrat)

These are probing amendments that consider the rationale behind the proposed changes to the time scale that apply to the increased amount of allowances for small enterprises. The clause proposes a temporary change to the first-year allowance of one year, which the amendment would extend to two years in order to try to understand the rationale for increasing the allowance to one year. Could the Financial Secretary explain how small businesses will be capable of responding to these relatively small and rapid changes? If the change proposed is introduced, the allowance will have changed from year to year in four consecutive years. I have received many representations from people who feel that the changes add to the regulatory uncertainty and the—