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Proceeding contribution from Lord Forsyth of Drumlean (Conservative) in the House of Lords on Wednesday, 20 October 2010. It occurred during Ministerial statement on Comprehensive Spending Review.

Comprehensive Spending Review

I congratulate my noble friend and the Chancellor on the excellent Statement, which shows great courage as well as great care in taking forward the mess that we inherited from the previous Government. The previous occupier of his office—the noble Lord, Lord Myners—was almost certainly correct when he assured this House that we would end up making a profit and getting our money back from the bank bailouts. Given that, should we not make it absolutely clear to the country that we have had to take these measures, which Members opposite are complaining about, because for years Mr Gordon Brown as Chancellor and Prime Minister made this country live beyond its means and was borrowing at the height of the boom; and that, despite these measures, our debt as a nation will increase? Could my noble friend tell me how much our national debt will have increased by, despite these measures, by the end of this Parliament? Given that number, how on earth can we take seriously Members opposite who are criticising what is a responsible programme from my noble friends and from our coalition partners?

Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
721 c857 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Subjects
Child tax credit Child benefit Counter-terrorism Disadvantaged Defence BBC Age Banks Capital investment Development aid Civil list Housing benefit Government departments Equitable Life Assurance Society NHS Pensioners Northern Ireland Police Pre-school education Local government finance Workplace pensions Public sector Public expenditure Pupils Railways Redundancy Public finance Public sector debt Scotland Social security benefits Welfare tax credits State retirement pensions Working tax credit Schools Wales Social rented housing Roads Taxation Retirement Science Security of tenure S4C BBC World Service Cuts Employment and support allowance Presbyterian Mutual Society Bank levy Green Investment Bank BBC Monitoring Pupil premium
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk