Debate on Tuesday, 20 January 2009, in the House of Commons, led by Ian Pearson. The answering member was David Gauke.

Financial Management

Debate on a motion to take note of an unnumbered Explanatory Memorandum from HM Treasury dated 4 December 2008, European Court of Auditors 2007 Annual Report, an unnumbered Explanatory Memorandum from the Department for International Development dated 8 January 2009, European Court of Auditors Annual Report on the activities funded by the seventh, eighth and ninth European Development Funds, European Union Documents No. 12156/08 and Addenda 1 and 2: Protection of the financial interests of the Communities: Fight against fraud, No. 12471/08 and Addendum 1: Annual report to the discharge authority on internal audits carried out in 2007, and No. 12472/08: Report on the progress at 31 March 2008 on the modernisation of the accounting system, an unnumbered Explanatory Memorandum from HM Treasury dated 16 October 2008, European Anti-Fraud Office: eighth activity report for the period 1 January to 31 December 2007, and European Union Documents No. 14480/08 and Addendum 1: Commission Report to the Council on the follow-up to 2006 Discharge Decisions (Summary)—Council recommendations, and No. 14481/08 and Addendum 1: Commission Report to the European Parliament on the follow-up to 2006 Discharge Decisions (Summary)—European Parliament Resolutions. Agreed to on division (287 votes to 213).

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 486 c654-79
Session: 2008-09
Department: Treasury
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Proceeding contributions: Lord Reid of Cardowan | 486 c658 (Link to this contribution) I have waited until my hon. Friend reached his final remarks before asking him a question that is pe...; Ian Pearson | 486 c657-8 (Link to this contribution) I certainly agree that links with DFID are very important, and of course fraud is simply unacceptabl...; William Cash | 486 c657 (Link to this contribution) The Minister might be aware that I am the chairman or vice-chairman of several all-party parliamenta...; Ian Pearson | 486 c656-7 (Link to this contribution) I do not have to hand the detailed figures that the right hon. Gentleman has quoted, so I cannot ver...; Ian Pearson | 486 c659 (Link to this contribution) I will therefore not pursue this matter; I am sure we will have further opportunities to do so. I fe...; Peter Bone | 486 c659 (Link to this contribution) It is useful to hear that from the Economic Secretary, but I have here a document signed by him says...; Speaker | 486 c659 (Link to this contribution) Order. I am sure that this is extremely interesting to the House, but it is actually moving outside ...; Ian Pearson | 486 c658-9 (Link to this contribution) I know that my right hon. Friend has done a lot of work in this area, and that he has strong views o...; Ian Pearson | 486 c674-5 (Link to this contribution) My understanding is that the €10.5 billion figure was derived from and based on 2004 prices, and tha...; David Gauke | 486 c674 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the Minister for confirming that the cost of the renegotiation of the rebate and th...; Kelvin Hopkins | 486 c672-3 (Link to this contribution) I apologise for not being able to be here for the first part of this debate, Madam Deputy Speaker, a...; Ian Pearson | 486 c673-4 (Link to this contribution) With the leave of the House, I should like to respond to the debate. First, I want to refer to the c...; Jeremy Browne | 486 c672 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman is closer to these things than I am: is it the Conservative party's position that...; Peter Bone | 486 c672 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful for that helpful intervention, but unfortunately I do not speak for the shadow Cabinet...; Jeremy Browne | 486 c670-1 (Link to this contribution) I regret being led astray by the right hon. Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory). I fear that noth...; Peter Bone | 486 c671 (Link to this contribution) It is a great pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Browne), in whose words I found no...; Jeremy Browne | 486 c669 (Link to this contribution) I do not know the particular circumstances of that meeting. I do know that there is a huge range of ...; Speaker | 486 c670 (Link to this contribution) Order. I wonder whether the hon. Gentleman would bring his remarks back to the motion, and not be le...; David Gauke | 486 c663 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for his comments. I do not know whether he intends to make fur...; David Heathcoat-Amory | 486 c663 (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend has made the good point that reform is required. Of course, reform was mandated seven...; Peter Bone | 486 c656 (Link to this contribution) When we agreed to the massive increase in contributions to the EU, was it not the Government's posit...; Ian Pearson | 486 c656 (Link to this contribution) There has been reform, although in the UK's view there needs to be further reform. The hon. Gentlema...; David Heathcoat-Amory | 486 c656 (Link to this contribution) Will the Minister comment on page 210 of the pre-Budget report, which shows in a small footnote that...; Bob Spink | 486 c654 (Link to this contribution) The Economic Secretary has started generously, and that is characteristic, but what value can we put...; Ian Pearson | 486 c654-5 (Link to this contribution) It is not nonsense; it is an important part of the scrutiny process. The hon. Gentleman got to the n...; Philip Davies | 486 c655 (Link to this contribution) It really is not good enough for the Minister to say, ““It's not good enough of the European Union.”...; Bob Spink | 486 c655-6 (Link to this contribution) When can we expect pragmatic progress on reform of the common agricultural policy, and when that pro...; Ian Pearson | 486 c656 (Link to this contribution) As the hon. Gentleman is aware, it is a long-standing policy of the Government to seek fundamental r...; Speaker | 486 c654 (Link to this contribution) Before I call the Economic Secretary, may I say that as the Front Benchers took 63 minutes out of th...; Ian Pearson | 486 c654 (Link to this contribution) I beg to move,"That this House takes note of an unnumbered Explanatory Memorandum from HM Treasury d...; Ian Pearson | 486 c655 (Link to this contribution) I certainly agree that European Union taxpayers deserve better. Before turning to some of the key ac...; Michael Connarty | 486 c666 (Link to this contribution) I echo that absolutely; we want to have that 100 per cent. We want to establish the credibility of a...; David Gauke | 486 c662-3 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful for that observation. It is right to tackle tax havens and to share information with o...; Ian Pearson | 486 c659 (Link to this contribution) Before I finish, I give way for the last time to the hon. Gentleman.; Ian Pearson | 486 c659-60 (Link to this contribution) I am sure that the hon. Member for Castle Point raised those points in the previous debate, which de...; David Gauke | 486 c660-2 (Link to this contribution) I shall bear your strictures in mind, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I think that a number of Members will wish...; Bob Spink | 486 c659 (Link to this contribution) I was grateful to the Minister for his explanation regarding depreciation, which I thought was germa...; Speaker | 486 c659 (Link to this contribution) Order. I think that my ruling on how germane that subject was should be accepted by the House.; Jeremy Browne | 486 c669 (Link to this contribution) My party takes an enlightened view of the European Union. I had an opportunity during the previous d...; Michael Connarty | 486 c666-8 (Link to this contribution) I will leave the last part of the hon. Gentleman's assessment to the auditors and the fraud office, ...; David Heathcoat-Amory | 486 c669 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman is saying that he supports financial reform in the European Union. Why, therefore...; Nicholas Winterton | 486 c663 (Link to this contribution) I have got in in the nick of time. Will my hon. Friend go a little further in answering the question...; Speaker | 486 c663 (Link to this contribution) Order. I remind hon. Members that we are debating the motions before us. If the hon. Member for Sout...; David Gauke | 486 c664 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to my hon. Friend and also for your guidance, Madam Deputy Speaker. I remind my hon. F...; Michael Connarty | 486 c664-5 (Link to this contribution) European debates are a bit like buses—we wait for one for ages, then three come along at the same ti...; David Heathcoat-Amory | 486 c665-6 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman is Chair of that Committee, which I serve on. He is putting the best possible glo...; Nicholas Winterton | 486 c666 (Link to this contribution) I have a simple question. Why is it taking so long to have accounts cleared because they would have ...; David Drew | 486 c662 (Link to this contribution) One area that the EU has signed up to do something about is tax havens and ensuring the legitimate u...
EC documents: 12156/08 +ADDS1-2; 12471/08 +ADD1; 12472/08; 14480/08 +ADD1; 14481/08 +ADD1
Subjects: Audit Accountancy Fraud European Union Financial markets EU budget EU economic policy EU institutions Management European Court of Auditors Regulation European Commission
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on www.publications.parliament.uk

Financial Management

Secondary information

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