Income Tax Bands

Part of 2. Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution – in the Senedd at 2:59 pm on 1 March 2023.

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Photo of Mabon ap Gwynfor Mabon ap Gwynfor Plaid Cymru 2:59, 1 March 2023

(Translated)

Thank you for that succinct response. The Government here has refused to accept the need to increase taxes in Wales, which will certainly lead to seeing our public services being squeezed and creaking, and some services disappearing. Of course, politics is about making difficult decisions. That is a decision that you as a Government have taken, and each and every one of us will have to live with that decision. Now, I understand that the Government doesn't want to see those people on the lowest incomes paying more—nobody would want to see that, naturally. One way of avoiding that is to have the powers to adapt income tax bands to protect those on low incomes but enable a gradual increase for others. This would bring Wales into line with Scotland. Can we therefore expect to see the Westminster Government under the Labour Party devolving these powers to Wales? Or, in taking your response to the previous question, when you said that you couldn't anticipate what a future Labour Government might do, would you and your fellow Members here be pushing for such a change? Thank you.