§ Mrs. Llin Golding (Newcastle-under-Lyme)I wish to present a petition—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Michael Morris)Order. Will hon. Members please leave the Chamber peacefully and quietly?
§ Mrs. GoldingI wish to present a petition, supported by my hon. Friend the Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody), which expresses the fears of many thousands of our constituents that the imposition of VAT on bus and coach fares would be an intolerable burden for them.
Many of those people pay fares to travel to colleges, to work, to visit relatives, to shop and to help out in the voluntary sector. Any increase in fares would cause them hardship and would also result in a loss of business and probably jobs in our local bus services, especially the Potteries Motor and Traction Company.
'To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament her assembled. The Humble Petition of the people of Newcastle sheweth That the case for VAT on bus and coach fares is unsound on financial, transport, planning and environmental grounds. Wherefore, your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House will take care to reject any moves to impose VAT on bus and coach fares and to ensure the maintenace of zero rating on public transport.And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray'.
§ To lie upon the Table.