---

Banking Bill

Although the aims of the Bill are laudable, I wonder whether the Minister is sure that it will do enough. He may not have had the chance to listen to Sir Victor Blank on the radio this lunchtime talking about the Government bail-out. He said that the recapitalisation scheme was highly necessary—and we all support it—but he also pointed out the problem that the banks now have with regard to lending because of the Government's new capital requirements. Does the Minister agree that those requirements are preventing the banks from lending the money that businesses need?