5. Debate: The Setting of 2019-20 Welsh Rates of Income Tax

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:24 pm on 15 January 2019.

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Photo of Nick Ramsay Nick Ramsay Conservative 4:24, 15 January 2019

This is a historic day for Wales with, for the first time ever, before us, this motion to set income tax rates. If I can ask two quick questions of the Minister—I was about to call you Cabinet Secretary for a moment. First of all, you said in your opening comments that you don't believe that there should be any changes to income tax rates relative to England—I think you said up until 2020. Can you confirm that that is up until the next Assembly election, which I think is what the previous Cabinet Secretary said? And, also, does that continue to apply if there are variations over the next couple of years in the rates of income tax from the UK end—in other words, the base rate, whether that be up or down?

Secondly and finally, the way that this is being presented today in terms of the income tax debate that we're having now and the budget debate that we're about to have—is that how you will continue to proceed in the future? Because I know that in the past, the Finance Committee has looked carefully at the issue of a finance Bill and how you would actually present any possible changes in tax rates vis a vis the budget to the Welsh people.