Comprehensive Spending Review

Adrian Bailey Excerpts

Thursday 28th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

The right hon. Gentleman is certainly right to say that at the end of the spending review public spending will be higher in cash terms than it is at the moment. In real terms, it will go back to the level of about 2008-09, and in terms of a share of gross domestic product to about the level of 2006-07. People need to be realistic about the scale of what is being proposed. The big gainer from the huge deficit that Labour left us with was the department of debt interest, and unfortunately it is the cost of debt interest that we have to meet.

[Mr Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West) (Lab/Co-op)]

Will the Chief Secretary give way?

[Danny Alexander]

I will give way one more time, and then move on.

[Mr Bailey]

The right hon. Gentleman has put great emphasis on the debt that he inherited and the need for the Opposition to be responsible. Given that the greater part of that debt was incurred in bailing out the banks and supporting manufacturing industry, could he be responsible and tell us what he would have cut in that position?

[Danny Alexander]

We have set out in detail what we would cut—that is the whole point of the spending review.