Member

The final group, Lords amendments 15B to 15E, relates to perhaps the most objectionable part of the Bill: the levying of business rates on independent schools. Let me reiterate the Opposition’s view that education should never be taxed. Over the weekend, The Times published a number of alarming stories outlining the impact that VAT on school fees has had on families. It tells the story of Leanne, a self-employed accountant who works between 5 am and midnight seven days a week to pay for the increase in costs to her disabled son’s education that have come as a result of levelling VAT on school fees, which is exacerbated by business rates on independent schools.