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Alternative Care

Mr. Welsh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost of reducing VAT by (a) 5 per cent. and (b) 10 per cent. on privately purchased alternative care for people in (i) Scotland and (ii) the UK. [128174]

Dawn Primarolo: VAT is not charged on supplies of privately purchased care for people in residential and nursing homes in the UK.

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