Hydrocarbon Oil Duties

Part of Orders of the Day — Finance Bill – in the House of Commons at 4:30 pm on 27 April 1999.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Francis Maude Francis Maude Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer 4:30, 27 April 1999

I shall not give way again. I have made the point quite clear. We made it as clearly as we could in the debate. If the hon. Gentleman was not paying attention at that time, that is his problem; he can check Hansard if he wants to do so.

The Government should accept that their policies are causing hardship now; it is not enough merely to utter warm and reassuring words about the possibility of doing something next year. The problem exists now. The Government have made a mistake now and they should scrap the escalator now.