Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Waddington (Conservative). It was answered on Thursday, 25 March 2010.

Political Parties: Funding

Question: My Lords, does the Minister agree that those in glass houses should not throw stones and that, when a party such as the Liberal Democratic Party accepts a gift of millions of pounds from a crook who is subsequently convicted of fraud, it should return the money to the creditors of that fraudster? Otherwise, does the party not risk being thought implicated in the fraud?

Answer: My Lords, this question-and-answer session can develop in one of two ways. Either we can indulge and have fun in terms of the forthcoming election by putting blame on one another, or we can have perhaps a slightly more serious discussion about this issue. It seems to me that no party in this House or elsewhere—except perhaps, of course, the Cross-Benchers—is perfect... I am most grateful to noble Lords for pointing out that the Bishops are of course absolutely perfect. It is a question of deciding which way we want to go.

Secondary information