Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Baroness O'Cathain (Conservative). It was answered on Tuesday, 15 December 2009.

Public Finances

Question: I am very grateful to the noble Lord for that reply, but I am afraid that I do not really believe it. Will the Fiscal Responsibility Bill contain a schedule to show us exactly where the public debt will be reduced and what public spending will be taken from what departments and when?

Answer: My Lords, the Bill is quite clear in what it intends to do. It will make these measures taken by the Government directly answerable to Parliament. That is the way in which we will consolidate the decisions that have been taken in the past year and a half, which have a long-running perspective to them in terms of government borrowing. A code related to the Bill will spell things out in more detail, but the Bill is clear about the responsibility of the Government to report and to stick to these measures.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 715 c1385
Session: 2009-10
Oral question type: 1st Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Borrowing Public sector Public expenditure Public finance Public sector debt
Legislation: Fiscal Responsibility Bill 2009-10
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk