Orders of the Day — Unemployment

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 24 January 1972.

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Photo of Mr Edward Heath Mr Edward Heath , Bexley 12:00, 24 January 1972

I cannot accept responsibility for what the hon. Gentleman's own Government took out of the economy. What I am pointing out is that we have reduced purchase tax substantially, and that that has acted directly on the price structure, and that we were asked to do so by the trade union movement, and in this we are in agreement with it.

Then there are a £350 million reduction in income tax, and changes in the children's allowances in the 1971 Budget amounting to £279 million. Are these policies to which the right hon. Gentleman and his colleagues object? Do they object to what we have done in this sphere? They are major policies of reflation by this Government.