Wednesday Volume 523 9 February 2011 No. 115 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 9 February 2011 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2011 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through the Office of Public Sector Information website at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/ Enquiries to the Office of Public Sector Information, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 281 9 FEBRUARY 2011 282 Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con): Further House of Commons to that answer, how long will the consultation period on the document be when it is released? Wednesday 9 February 2011 Mr Paterson: I am grateful to the Chairman of the Select Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs for his The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock question. That has to be finally decided, but I would estimate that we should have a public consultation PRAYERS period of two to three months. Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP): I associate myself [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] with the comments of the Secretary of State on Ranger Dalzell. Across the House we are all well aware of the BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS bravery and courage that all those young men show. We sympathise with his family at this time. NEW WRIT On VAT, shoppers from the Republic of Ireland Ordered, coming across to Northern Ireland contribute greatly to That the Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the the economy of Northern Ireland. The VAT increase Crown, to make out a new Writ for the electing of a Member to has impacted directly on Northern Ireland, leading to a serve in this present Parliament for the Borough Constituency of 10% reduction in sales and a 28% reduction in exports. Barnsley Central in the room of Eric Evlyn Illsley, who since his What will the Secretary of State do to address that? election for the said Borough Constituency has been appointed to the Office of Steward or Bailiff of Her Majesty’s Three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham in the County of Mr Paterson: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for Buckingham.—(Ms Rosie Winterton.) his comments on Ranger Dalzell. Cross-border taxation is an issue that we will consider as part of the paper. We are acutely aware of the ability of consumers to move their spending rapidly either way, Oral Answers to Questions depending on taxation. Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con): Can the NORTHERN IRELAND Secretary of State put into context the changes in taxation? Basic rate taxpayers in Northern Ireland have The Secretary of State was asked— had their personal allowance increase, which has taken many of them out of the tax net. Value Added Tax Mr Paterson: We regard Northern Ireland as an 1. Bridget Phillipson (Houghton and Sunderland South) integral part of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland (Lab): What assessment he has made of the effect on taxpayers pay their tax and receive public spending in economic growth in Northern Ireland of the increase in return. the basic rate of value added tax. [38253] Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South and Whiston) The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr Owen (Lab): I join the Secretary of State in his tribute to Paterson): Before answering, may I pay tribute to Ranger Ranger Dalzell and his family. David Dalzell of the 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment? The Secretary of State has made it clear that he wants He came from Bangor, but he was also stationed with to be Northern Ireland’s man in the Cabinet. As he his regiment in my constituency at Tern Hill. I am sure knows, following the rise in VAT instituted by his the whole House will join me in offering our condolences Government, a litre of fuel in Northern Ireland is the to his family and friends, and thanking this brave young most expensive in any part of the UK. Can he tell the man for his service to his country after he was killed in House why it is more expensive in Belfast than in North Helmand this week. Shropshire, and what a litre of fuel costs in Belfast this The reckless years of debt and spending made the morning? VAT rise a necessary step for national economic recovery. Forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility Mr Paterson: Prices vary from 120p to 133p for petrol show that the Government’s plans will deliver sustainable or diesel, but the right hon. Gentleman should remember growth for each of the next five years, with employment that it was his Government who increased the rate of rising by 1.1 million by 2015, and the deficit falling. duty on fuel. He was in the bunker with the great incompetent for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath (Mr Brown), Bridget Phillipson: When will the Secretary of State who got the country into this mess in the first place. set out his paper on rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy? That is particularly crucial at a time when the Mr Woodward: I am glad that the Secretary of State VAT rise is damaging local retailers. managed to find an answer in his folder. The First Minister and Deputy First Minister are asking him Mr Paterson: The hon. Lady is correct. We need to urgently for help in Northern Ireland now. He has been bring the paper forward as a team effort, working with in the job for nearly a year, but so far there has been no local Ministers. I will come to that in response to later real help on the economy, just a promised paper on the questions. We had a very satisfactory meeting with the economy that is still stuck in the printing press. Meanwhile, Exchequer Secretary earlier this week, and we hope to VAT is up, fuel prices are up and private sector business publish the paper as soon as possible. activity is reporting the biggest fall in 26 months. Hundreds 283 Oral Answers9 FEBRUARY 2011 Oral Answers 284 are losing their jobs at Belfast Metropolitan college, fought alongside his fellow Rangers in 1st Battalion the 4,000 more are due to lose their jobs in health and social Royal Irish Regiment with great courage, enthusiasm services and tens of thousands more jobs will go in the and pride, but sadly lost his life in a tragic accident in public sector. In Dublin, demand evaporates. Now we Afghanistan at the weekend. I thank all Members for learn that he is losing his battle with the Chancellor for their comments today. a future grab on end-of-year funding from the Executive. We can all see that it is hurting. When are people in Mr Swire: I associate myself with the hon. Lady’s Northern Ireland going to see it is working? comments. I can confirm that there are no plans to change the powers of stop and search for the military in Mr Paterson: I do not know how the right hon. Northern Ireland. Gentleman has the nerve. When he was sitting in the bunker in Downing street shoring up his former boss, Mark Durkan (Foyle) (SDLP): How can the Minister who overruled the right hon. Member for Edinburgh justify not changing the Army’s powers of stop and South West (Mr Darling) when he wanted to raise VAT, search in Northern Ireland, which exceed those granted the Belfast News Letter found out that I was in Northern to the police under the 2007 Act? They are not subject Ireland more than he was. We were in the danger zone to annual renewal by Parliament as emergency provisions, in May, but thanks to the measures that we have taken, as they were throughout the years of the troubles, and everyone in the UK, including in Northern Ireland and are now permanent and not subject to any of the Lancashire, are in a better place as we establish stability accountability checks that apply to police powers? in the public finances. We cannot go on spending £120 million a day on debt interest. Mr Swire: The hon. Gentleman will be aware of the rising terrorist threat in Northern Ireland, and he will Stop-and-search Powers recognise the part played by the military’s bomb disposal units and the need to go about their business, not least 2. Grahame M. Morris (Easington) (Lab): What his in his own city of Londonderry, where unfortunately we policy is on the use of stop-and-search powers by had an incident recently. security forces in Northern Ireland. [38254] Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP): The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr Hugo When the police in Northern Ireland have used stop-and- Swire): My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State search powers, they have used them when there is a updated the House this morning on plans to make reasonable suspicion of terrorist activity. Will the Minister amendments to powers of stop and search in Northern reassure the House that that will continue to be the Ireland. These powers are essential in Northern Ireland case? Dissident republican activity is on the rise, and for tackling the threat from terrorism. They have prevented those powers are required principally and forcibly by attacks, saved lives and led to arrests and convictions. the police to thwart that terrorist threat. The Police Service of Northern Ireland uses all available legislation to deal with the terrorist threat. Oversight Mr Swire: Look, we want to make those powers and accountability mechanisms are in place to ensure watertight; we do not wish to water them down.