---

Fiscal Responsibility Bill

I am extremely grateful to the lone white knight who has come forward from the Labour Benches—as was the case on Second Reading as well. Clearly the Government and their Back Benchers are deeply embarrassed by the Bill, but I will not belabour that point. I admire the hon. Gentleman for coming forward so late on to try to defend the situation. However, on the point made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood), we come back to the problem of applying proper accounting principles, to which I referred. I am also glad that my hon. Friend the Member for Braintree (Mr. Newmark) has come in at this crucial moment, because his figures have just been questioned by the hon. Member for South Derbyshire (Mr. Todd). However, we have touched on an important question. I know that the hon. Gentleman understands that—