Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Alison McGovern Excerpts
Tuesday 21st December 2010

(13 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Mark Hoban Portrait Mr Hoban
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My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We are very fortunate in this country. Because the Government took difficult decisions to tackle the deficit when we came into office, we are in a much stronger place now—consider the turbulence in the eurozone. The difficult decisions that we took ensured that we stepped back from the brink of bankruptcy.

Alison McGovern Portrait Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)
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Global action on regulating the financial services sector through groups such as the G20 is vital. The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee recommended a pre-funded deposit insurance scheme. It said:

“The Government should move towards pre-funding of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme as soon as”

possible. Why has the Treasury turned its back on that important measure?

Mark Hoban Portrait Mr Hoban
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If the hon. Lady speaks to building societies, which are finding it difficult to lend at the moment, she will hear their concern about the amount that they pay towards the financial services compensation scheme. Contributing to a pre-funded scheme would add to that burden and reduce the ability of banks and building societies to lend to support the recovery.