Budget debate (fourth day): work and pensions. Motion on capital gains tax agreed. Motion on increasing the standard rate of VAT agreed on division (346 to 270). Motion on pensions agreed on division (366 to 247). Other resolutions agreed.

Budget debate (fourth day): work and pensions. Motion on capital gains tax agreed. Motion on increasing the standard rate of VAT agreed on division (346 to 270). Motion on pensions agreed on division (366 to 247). Other resolutions agreed.

I will press on, if hon. Members do not mind. At the weekend, President Obama praised the action that we have taken, describing it as necessary and courageous. Yesterday's G20 communiqué made the situation clear when it said:""Those countries with serious fiscal challenges need to accelerate the pace of consolidation","...

I will press on, if hon. Members do not mind. At the weekend, President Obama praised the action that we have taken, describing it as necessary and courageous. Yesterday's G20 communiqué made the situation clear when it said:""Those countries with serious fiscal challenges need to accelerate the pace of consolidation","...

And this from the man who wrote the note saying, "There's no money left", the most infamous letter in recent British political history. However, the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr Byrne) gave us not one single word of apology for his Government's actions. Our good, full debate...

And this from the man who wrote the note saying, "There's no money left", the most infamous letter in recent British political history. However, the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr Byrne) gave us not one single word of apology for his Government's actions. Our good, full debate...

I thought that the right hon. Lady was going to do better than that. We have relinked pensions to earnings after 13 years. She failed to answer the question from my right hon. Friend the Work and Pensions Secretary earlier about the uprating she had planned, which was less than...

I thought that the right hon. Lady was going to do better than that. We have relinked pensions to earnings after 13 years. She failed to answer the question from my right hon. Friend the Work and Pensions Secretary earlier about the uprating she had planned, which was less than...

I will give way to the right hon. Lady.

I will give way to the right hon. Lady.

That is not fairness. We have taken nearly 1 million people out of income tax altogether. That is fairness. The previous Government left an open door for the highest earners to exploit the gap between the rate of capital gains tax and the top rates of income tax, costing the...

That is not fairness. We have taken nearly 1 million people out of income tax altogether. That is fairness. The previous Government left an open door for the highest earners to exploit the gap between the rate of capital gains tax and the top rates of income tax, costing the...

No, I want to press on. Thirdly, this is a Budget for fairness. Fairness underpins this Budget, and fairness runs throughout this Budget. This is the first Budget to include an analysis of the distributional impact of its measures. It shows that overall the richest will contribute most to deficit...

No, I want to press on. Thirdly, this is a Budget for fairness. Fairness underpins this Budget, and fairness runs throughout this Budget. This is the first Budget to include an analysis of the distributional impact of its measures. It shows that overall the richest will contribute most to deficit...

I will not give way. The irresponsible Opposition, when in government, caused many of the problems that we face today. We have heard accusations from them today that the measures we announced in the Budget are unfair. Let me test that accusation. The previous Government uprated pensions by 75p. That...

I will not give way. The irresponsible Opposition, when in government, caused many of the problems that we face today. We have heard accusations from them today that the measures we announced in the Budget are unfair. Let me test that accusation. The previous Government uprated pensions by 75p. That...

I will not; I must press on. The previous Government abolished the 10p rate of income tax. [Interruption.]

I will not; I must press on. The previous Government abolished the 10p rate of income tax. [Interruption.]

I shall press on. I have already given way. In response to the points raised by my hon. Friend the Member for St Ives (Andrew George), I can say that we have already demonstrated our commitment to transparency by publishing data on the distributional impact of the Budget measures, which...

I shall press on. I have already given way. In response to the points raised by my hon. Friend the Member for St Ives (Andrew George), I can say that we have already demonstrated our commitment to transparency by publishing data on the distributional impact of the Budget measures, which...

No party went into the election promising to increase VAT, but the hon. Gentleman should make no mistake: the rise in VAT is a result of the public finances that we inherited from his Front-Bench colleagues. One could say that it is a Labour inheritance tax.

No party went into the election promising to increase VAT, but the hon. Gentleman should make no mistake: the rise in VAT is a result of the public finances that we inherited from his Front-Bench colleagues. One could say that it is a Labour inheritance tax.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) male and (b) female lone parents in each region claimed income support in each year since 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) male and (b) female lone parents in each region claimed income support in each year since 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance and information his Department provides to lone parents on tax credit entitlement in the second year after returning to work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance and information his Department provides to lone parents on tax credit entitlement in the second year after returning to work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department issues to personal advisers helping lone parents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department issues to personal advisers helping lone parents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his Department’s publication, Ready for Work, what forecast he has made of the likely number of lone parents claiming income support in each quarter to 2011, broken down by (a) region, (b) ethnicity and (c) family size; and...

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his Department’s publication, Ready for Work, what forecast he has made of the likely number of lone parents claiming income support in each quarter to 2011, broken down by (a) region, (b) ethnicity and (c) family size; and...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many working age lone parents his Department estimates lived in each region in the UK in each year since 1997, broken down by sex.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many working age lone parents his Department estimates lived in each region in the UK in each year since 1997, broken down by sex.

I am grateful for your guidance, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I was simply trying to highlight that the winter fuel payment is an important issue for pensioners, who are also in receipt of many of the other benefits that we are discussing today. It is important that we work to get...

I am grateful for your guidance, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I was simply trying to highlight that the winter fuel payment is an important issue for pensioners, who are also in receipt of many of the other benefits that we are discussing today. It is important that we work to get...

I am grateful to the Minister, particularly if he is hinting that the next Budget might include changes to that payment. Many pensioners would appreciate that, as in 2003 the payment met 50 per cent. of the Government's estimate of the average fuel bill, but in 2008 that proportion has...

I am grateful to the Minister, particularly if he is hinting that the next Budget might include changes to that payment. Many pensioners would appreciate that, as in 2003 the payment met 50 per cent. of the Government's estimate of the average fuel bill, but in 2008 that proportion has...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, who has indeed been generous in giving way. He is making an important point about how the Government are way off meeting their child poverty target. The latest assessments suggest that the target will not be met until a number of decades beyond...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, who has indeed been generous in giving way. He is making an important point about how the Government are way off meeting their child poverty target. The latest assessments suggest that the target will not be met until a number of decades beyond...