8. 7. Debate: Considering the Case for New Taxes in Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:27 pm on 4 July 2017.

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Photo of Mr Neil Hamilton Mr Neil Hamilton UKIP 5:27, 4 July 2017

Well, the Cabinet Secretary for finance is always beguilingly reasonable in what he says. I’m, perhaps, going to take a rather different tack in my speech from others who have participated in this debate, because, generally speaking, I’m not in favour of introducing new taxes, although I’m strongly in favour of having the maximum sensible devolution of taxes. We have a problem in Wales, of course, because our average income is so much lower than the average of the rest of the United Kingdom, so the tax base is more difficult to exploit, if I can use that word in a neutral sense. But, broadly speaking, I’m in favour of maintaining the link between Government decisions and accountability for them through the system of raising taxes. I do think that the devolution of taxation does give us opportunities, as Adam Smith—Adam Price has just pointed out. [Laughter.] Freudian slip there, I think.