---

Economic Downturn (Unemployment)

I want to make four or five quick points. The first is about the legitimacy and accountability of this body. Drawing on my own ministerial experience—admittedly it was a thousand years ago—I know that the crucial thing about question times and debates is that when Ministers are roasted as the Minister has been today by Members who have asked questions or made points in the debate, they should go back to their civil servants on those issues over which they have authority and control and say, ““Let’s do something about this.”” However, that is precisely what this Minister cannot do: he cannot take the points that have been raised today back to his civil servants, unless those points came within the territory of the Department for Work and Pensions, which some did. However, what can he do about transport, the environment or bovine TB? He has already told us: not much. That is why this is not a particularly effective forum. If we are going to make it work, he will have to bring the relevant Ministers from the relevant Departments. Secondly, the south-west is not one region. We have sat here politely and we have heard all about Swindon and the M4, which is interesting—