To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Myners on 22 February (WA 174–5), whether they will apply the common law powers permitted by the Ram doctrine to enable Treasury Ministers to repay those retail deposits in the Presbyterian Mutual Society not protected by the Financial...

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Myners on 22 February (WA 174–5), whether they will apply the common law powers permitted by the Ram doctrine to enable Treasury Ministers to repay those retail deposits in the Presbyterian Mutual Society not protected by the Financial...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will direct UK Financial Investments to request from (a) Northern Rock, (b) Halifax, (c) Bank of Scotland, (d) Lloyds Bank and (e) Royal Bank of Scotland (i) the number of (A) businesses and (B) retail account holders of each who were...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will direct UK Financial Investments to request from (a) Northern Rock, (b) Halifax, (c) Bank of Scotland, (d) Lloyds Bank and (e) Royal Bank of Scotland (i) the number of (A) businesses and (B) retail account holders of each who were...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to Box C4, page 213 of the Budget 2010, what estimate he has made of the net fiscal cost of the Government's financial sector interventions as at 24 March 2010; and when he expects to publish the detailed calculations.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to Box C4, page 213 of the Budget 2010, what estimate he has made of the net fiscal cost of the Government's financial sector interventions as at 24 March 2010; and when he expects to publish the detailed calculations.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has made to the US authorities on the effect on UK banks in which the Government have a stake operating in the US of the new taxation arrangements in that country; and whether he plans to make such arrangements reciprocal.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has made to the US authorities on the effect on UK banks in which the Government have a stake operating in the US of the new taxation arrangements in that country; and whether he plans to make such arrangements reciprocal.

1: Clause 1, leave out Clause 1

1: Clause 1, leave out Clause 1

2: Clause 2, leave out Clause 2 3: Clause 3, leave out Clause 3 4: Clause 4, leave out Clause 4 5: Clause 5, leave out Clause 5 6: Clause 6, leave out Clause 6 Amendments 2 to 6 agreed. Third Reading agreed without debate. Bill passed and returned to...

2: Clause 2, leave out Clause 2 3: Clause 3, leave out Clause 3 4: Clause 4, leave out Clause 4 5: Clause 5, leave out Clause 5 6: Clause 6, leave out Clause 6 Amendments 2 to 6 agreed. Third Reading agreed without debate. Bill passed and returned to...

My Lords, I shall weep no tears for the removal of Clauses 1, 3, 4 and 5. We spent most of our first two days in Committee talking about these clauses, and I think our views on the Council for Financial Stability were made clear during our discussions. However, I...

My Lords, I shall weep no tears for the removal of Clauses 1, 3, 4 and 5. We spent most of our first two days in Committee talking about these clauses, and I think our views on the Council for Financial Stability were made clear during our discussions. However, I...

My Lords, I shall speak also to Amendments 2 to 6. These amendments remove from the Bill the clauses relating to the Council for Financial Stability. As I set out in Committee yesterday, given the limited amount of time remaining in this Parliament, the Government have agreed with the Official...

My Lords, I shall speak also to Amendments 2 to 6. These amendments remove from the Bill the clauses relating to the Council for Financial Stability. As I set out in Committee yesterday, given the limited amount of time remaining in this Parliament, the Government have agreed with the Official...

My Lords, I want to take this opportunity in the gap to raise two matters. The first relates to the provisions on the very popular and useful ISAs which are continuing and for which allowances have been raised. This was referred to by the noble Lord, Lord Myners, in his...

My Lords, I want to take this opportunity in the gap to raise two matters. The first relates to the provisions on the very popular and useful ISAs which are continuing and for which allowances have been raised. This was referred to by the noble Lord, Lord Myners, in his...

My Lords, as my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said when he delivered his Budget Statement, the past few years have been a difficult time for people, not just in the UK but globally. It has required difficult choices, with Governments around the world taking unprecedented steps...

My Lords, as my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said when he delivered his Budget Statement, the past few years have been a difficult time for people, not just in the UK but globally. It has required difficult choices, with Governments around the world taking unprecedented steps...

My Lords, we usually take an opportunity of a debate on the Finance Bill to debate the Budget which preceded it, but we had an excellent debate on the Budget, led by my noble friend Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market. The Minister will notice that my usual team of supporters...

My Lords, we usually take an opportunity of a debate on the Finance Bill to debate the Budget which preceded it, but we had an excellent debate on the Budget, led by my noble friend Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market. The Minister will notice that my usual team of supporters...

My Lords, I am delighted to do so; the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay, made a very good point. Like many of the Government’s policies, the bank bonus tax has been totally ineffective in practice, despite the strictures of the noble Lord, Lord Myners, which have often been very...

My Lords, I am delighted to do so; the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay, made a very good point. Like many of the Government’s policies, the bank bonus tax has been totally ineffective in practice, despite the strictures of the noble Lord, Lord Myners, which have often been very...

Yes. I am sure that I am on the edge of breaking a rule by intervening a third time, but as regards every service provided, from dustbins through to economic regeneration, in what sense does the noble Baroness think that this is not money well spent? On that basis, would...

Yes. I am sure that I am on the edge of breaking a rule by intervening a third time, but as regards every service provided, from dustbins through to economic regeneration, in what sense does the noble Baroness think that this is not money well spent? On that basis, would...

The noble Lord is quite right that procurement savings form part of our strategy. However, we have not said that the rest of the savings will come from jobs. I have given the noble Lord one way in which efficiency savings can be made by reducing the costs of the...

The noble Lord is quite right that procurement savings form part of our strategy. However, we have not said that the rest of the savings will come from jobs. I have given the noble Lord one way in which efficiency savings can be made by reducing the costs of the...

My Lords, we have had a short but interesting debate and I thank all noble Lords who have contributed. As one would expect with such a wide-ranging Bill, a number of points have been raised. Perhaps I may start with those raised by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay...

My Lords, we have had a short but interesting debate and I thank all noble Lords who have contributed. As one would expect with such a wide-ranging Bill, a number of points have been raised. Perhaps I may start with those raised by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay...

There are parts of the public sector that are unproductive. I was not referring to front-line services. However, there are a number of activities that do not add value to our nation. I do not think that the noble Lord would disagree with that. As I was saying, the Chancellor...

There are parts of the public sector that are unproductive. I was not referring to front-line services. However, there are a number of activities that do not add value to our nation. I do not think that the noble Lord would disagree with that. As I was saying, the Chancellor...

My Lords, I promise that I shall say this only once. Is the noble Baroness seriously saying that nurses, teachers, police officers and others who work in the public sector are unproductive? "The unproductive public sector" was an extraordinary thing to say that will be noted in the country.

My Lords, I promise that I shall say this only once. Is the noble Baroness seriously saying that nurses, teachers, police officers and others who work in the public sector are unproductive? "The unproductive public sector" was an extraordinary thing to say that will be noted in the country.

My Lords, I do not wish to prolong this. We have not said that we will cut front-line services, and we will stick to that position. This is not the right debate in which to examine the policies of my party. I would be happy to talk at length to...

My Lords, I do not wish to prolong this. We have not said that we will cut front-line services, and we will stick to that position. This is not the right debate in which to examine the policies of my party. I would be happy to talk at length to...

I am making the point that it is not —I was going to say "possible to make overly simplistic extrapolations", but regrettably the Opposition frequently do—wise or sensible to make simplistic extrapolations such as saying that an increase in this or that will have such an effect. Other economic forces...

I am making the point that it is not —I was going to say "possible to make overly simplistic extrapolations", but regrettably the Opposition frequently do—wise or sensible to make simplistic extrapolations such as saying that an increase in this or that will have such an effect. Other economic forces...