Equitable Life (Payments) Bill Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: HM Treasury
Tuesday 14th September 2010

(13 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Stephen Timms Portrait Stephen Timms
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I am afraid that my hon. Friend is absolutely right. We got some process today, and that is it.

Jesse Norman Portrait Jesse Norman (Hereford and South Herefordshire) (Con)
- Hansard - -

Does the House share my sense of bewilderment that the right hon. Gentleman should be asking us to apologise for five months of action, when he has done nothing for 10 years? Can he give us a quantification of the cost to Equitable Life policyholders of the past five years of Labour’s failed activity, given that a deal could have been done in 2004 but was not?

Stephen Timms Portrait Stephen Timms
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

My advice to the hon. Gentleman and the great majority of his hon. Friends is turn his fire on those on his own Front Bench and ask them to deliver the pledge that so many of them signed up to. At the moment, we are heading towards the prospect of that not being delivered.