THE Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Kenneth Clarke, was attacked
yesterday for not using an additional #180m in taxes from his
mini-Budget to help ''the old and the cold'' as winter weather takes
hold of Britain.
The Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, Mr Malcom Bruce, said the
mini-Budget tax increases on alcohol, tobacco and road fuels come into
effect from the end of this month, while the extra VAT on fuel which
they were designed to replace was not due to take effect until April 1.
''So the Chancellor has creamed off a nice little earner by
introducing the taxes earlier. The money should be spent on the old and
the cold,'' he said.
Mr Clarke could help the many people who are worst affected by the 8%
VAT on fuel rate, he said.
The Chancellor could cough up the #20m to fund the energy efficiency
audit being proposed in a Bill being introduced by his colleague Mrs
Diana Maddock, which should pave the way for owners to make up to 30%
savings in their heating bills.
The remaining #160m should go into the existing scheme for helping
people make their homes more energy efficient through loft insulation,
hot water tank lagging, cavity wall insulation, and other measures.
Unlike the ''piffling'' #10m increase announced by the Chancellor, it
would help a million households to cut their heating bills this year and
for many years to come, said Mr Bruce.
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