(Except clauses 1, 5 to 7, 11, 72 to 74 and 112, schedule 1, and certain new clauses and new schedules) - Clause 10 - Temporary increase in annual investment allowance

Part of Finance (No. 2) Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 11:30 am on 1 May 2014.

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Photo of Cathy Jamieson Cathy Jamieson Shadow Minister (Treasury) 11:30, 1 May 2014

I note that my hon. Friend describes the north-east as “peculiar”. That is not a term I would ever use for our friends in the north-east. He very accurately reflects the position across Scotland and other parts of the UK, where SMEs are the lifeblood of local communities. They are the people who have a commitment and a connection to local areas and are rooted in the local communities and employ people locally. We want to ensure that they are part of the successful growth agenda that we want to promote.

I will not digress further than to say that that relationship and what is happening in my hon. Friend’s constituency in the north-east and in mine in Scotland, and the measures we need to get growth back on the agenda to support small businesses, are absolutely the same. That is why it is right for us to campaign for Scotland to remain part of the UK and to forge those closer links across the rest of the UK in the business context.