Finance Bill

The Chief Secretary has simply argued that it would be duplication for the Treasury to produce a report about tax, which is its responsibility and not the responsibility of other Departments. The Chief Secretary, who is indeed prodigiously intelligent, was radiating institutional resistance to the idea that once a year the Treasury should be required to report on how effective the measures are likely to be. I cannot ask the House to vote on all the amendments, but I will pluck out the main one, so it is our intention to press amendment No. 34 to a vote. We regret that, in his last full day as Chancellor, the Chancellor and his Ministers have not taken the chance to join the consensus that has been demonstrated across the House this evening. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Amendment proposed: No. 34, in page 15, line 17, at end insert—