Increase of Value Added Tax

Part of Orders of the Day — Finance Bill – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 3 July 1979.

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Photo of Mr Eric Heffer Mr Eric Heffer , Liverpool, Walton 12:00, 3 July 1979

Yes, working people. Those people whom Conservative Members are so keen to attack when they strike collect thousands of pounds for hospitals and the sick. Therefore, if Conservative Members want to ensure that workers in factories continue to help in that way they should support the amendments. I fear that they will not.

I have one slight reservation about amendment No. 4, which is similar to amendment No. 19. My hon. Friend the Member for West Lothian (Mr. Dalyell) talked about some charitable organisations that should not be so regarded. I am not sure what he was talking about, because he was not prepared to name them. I shall name some organisations that should not be charitable organisations—the public schools. I have never been in favour of exemptions for them. I have never considered them to be charitable organisations. I hope that if my hon. Friends vote for amendment No. 4 they will do so with that reservation.

I hope that Conservative hon. Members will be more than sympathetic to the amendments. We shall finish this sitting a little earlier than expected if the Government accept the amendments and we do not need to vote on them.