Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has told us that Simon Carr was wrong to suggest (parliamentary Sketch 19 October and column 22 October) that he had lied to the House when he told MPs, during the pre-Budget report debate, that the Government would have made the inheritance tax announcement even if the Conservatives had not made their promise to raise the threshold. We are happy to put the record straight on this matter.