Oral Answers to Questions — Wales – in the House of Commons at 11:30 am on 6 January 2010.
Betty Williams
Labour, Conwy
11:30,
6 January 2010
What assessment he has made of progress on the car scrappage scheme in Wales; and if he will make a statement.
Peter Hain
The Secretary of State for Wales
Since its launch, the car scrappage scheme has generated more than 291,000 orders for new vehicles in the UK, with about 14,500 of those orders having been made in Wales.
Betty Williams
Labour, Conwy
I thank my right hon. Friend for his response, particularly as it confirms my own view. Does he agree that the car scrappage scheme has been of greater value to the British and, indeed, Welsh economies than would have been the Opposition's proposals to cut inheritance tax for their wealthy supporters?
Peter Hain
The Secretary of State for Wales
I could not have put it better myself; my hon. Friend has got it in one. Rather than wasting public sector money on the richest people in Britain, very few of them in Wales, with inheritance tax giveaways, our putting money into the car scrappage scheme has increased production by a fifth at Ford Bridgend and resulted in a fifth of all new car registrations throughout the UK. That is active government-government supporting people, not favouring a tiny, rich few.
The Opposition are the political parties in the House of Commons other than the largest or Government party. They are called the Opposition because they sit on the benches opposite the Government in the House of Commons Chamber. The largest of the Opposition parties is known as Her Majesty's Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of Government. The Opposition often votes against the Government. In a sense the Official Opposition is the "Government in waiting".
