§ 53. Mr. SumbergTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to review the systems of mortgage interest tax relief; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Norman LamontThe level of mortgage interest relief has to be fixed each year and will be considered in framing the Budget proposals.
§ 92. Mr. ShersbyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, pursuant to the answer of 26 November,Official Report, column 373, he will analyse the weight of responses for and against the Green Paper proposals on personal taxation which led him to conclude that there was insufficient support for the approach advocated in the Green Paper on the treatment of mortgage interest tax relief for married and unmarried couples; what other proposals in this regard have been put to him; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Norman LamontI think my hon. Friend's question arises from a misunderstanding. A proposal to link392W mortgage interest tax relief to the residence instead of the borrower(s) was made in the context of the system of independent taxation with transferable allowances outlined in the Green Paper. My answer of 26 November referred to overall support for the Green Paper approach to the tax treatment of married couples as a whole, not specifically to mortgage interest relief. The Government have made it clear that we consider it important that the tax penalties on marriage should be removed.