Loans to Ireland Bill

Douglas Carswell Excerpts

Wednesday 15th December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Osborne]

From what I could tell from what my hon. Friend was saying in the previous debate, he thought it important to have parliamentary scrutiny. It is true that I could have issued the loan under the common-law powers available to me, and come back at a later point to seek parliamentary approval. I thought the House would prefer me to seek parliamentary approval first, before making the loan—but there we go; you can’t please everyone.

[Mr Douglas Carswell (Clacton) (Con)]

The Chancellor suggested that it is at his discretion that he has brought forward this Bill. Is it not the case that the 1932 convention requires him to do so—and does not that, rather than his discretion, explain why this legislation is before the House?

[Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon) (Con)]

rose—