Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Jo Swinson Excerpts
Tuesday 1st November 2011

(12 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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George Osborne Portrait Mr Osborne
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As the hon. Gentleman well knows, we are consulting on the possibility of introducing a different corporation tax rate in Northern Ireland, reflecting the fact that the Irish Republic has a much lower corporation tax rate. The consultation is ongoing, and we are of course in discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive. We are clear that Northern Ireland would have to bear the cost of that in forgone revenues, and an important part of the discussions will be working out what exactly those forgone revenues would be.

Jo Swinson Portrait Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire) (LD)
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I am concerned by reports that the Government are considering breaking with the 20-year convention of uprating pensions and benefits by the September inflation figure, now that the CPI has come in at 5.2%. Does the Chancellor recognise that it would be unfair to change the rules of the game suddenly, hurting vulnerable pensioners and disabled people in the process?