Gosh what if the UK LEFT nato and the zero rate of VAT on new homes was..

[The Large One]

£2bn for free school meals seems like money well spent to me, especially when you consider the amount we're pissing up the wall with Trident. What is it? £100bn?

£2bn a year on school meals seems a lot.

I've done a rough calculation and that works out at £1.60 per meal for every child from Primary through to Secondary education. I thought that they were doing meals for about 60p each in schools at present.

 

[Gwylan]

I think the reason why a tax on aviation rather than aviation fuel was introduced was that you can control who gets on and off flights in the UK so the tax is unavoidable. But if the tax was on fuel then airlines would refuel where they wouldn't pay the tax and so revenue could be avoided.

Partly, but there are certainly governments in Europe who are interested in the idea and I'm sure an EU-wide tax could be introduced.

The other factor is that planes have little choice where to refuel. A plane coming from the US to London wouldn't want to carry a load of fuel with it for the journey back - the cost of that extra weight would probably outweigh the tax saved.

 

[beorhthelm]

I think the reason why a tax on aviation rather than aviation fuel was introduced was that you can control who gets on and off flights in the UK so the tax is unavoidable. But if the tax was on fuel then airlines would refuel where they wouldn't pay the tax and so revenue could be avoided.

not really, if VAT is charged across the EU that deals with short haul (where alternatives exist) and on long haul international carriers would get an exemption/rebate (just like they do for anything else purchased in the EU).

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Follow your leader - Brighton Pavilion. From The Argus)