Douglas Carswell
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(12 years ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
The Prime Minister
Let me try to explain to the hon. Gentleman the basic unfairness in the current system. Repairs to churches are already subject to VAT, whereas alterations to listed buildings are not subject to VAT. That means that if you repair a church, you do pay VAT, but if you put a great big swimming pool in a listed Tudor house, you do not pay VAT, so it makes sense to redraw the boundaries. But this is the crucial point: we will be putting money aside to make sure that churches that are undertaking repairs and alterations get the moneys that they need.
Mr Speaker
Order. Let us have some order in the House. I want to hear Mr Douglas Carswell.
Mr Carswell
A few weeks ago in this House, I asked the Prime Minister to what extent he believed that the Whitehall machine—the Sir Humphrey factor—was frustrating reform. He assured us that it was not. According to the Financial Times, in Malaysia last week the PM said:
“I can tell you, as Prime Minister, it”—
“Yes Minister”—
“is true to life.”
Can he tell us what has happened to make him change his mind?
The Prime Minister
There are a few occasions when I think that my hon. Friend does need a bit of a sense of humour.