Equitable Life (Payments) Bill

Brian H. Donohoe Excerpts

Tuesday 14th September 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hoban]

I shall give way to the hon. Member for Central Ayrshire (Mr Donohoe).

[Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire) (Lab)]

I thank the Minister for, at last, giving way. I have been a Member for some time and longer than he has, so I can tell him that this was an issue before 1997. The Conservatives, at that time in government, refused to pay any compensation to the Equitable Life pensioners. Under the terms that they now suggest, they will cut about £5 billion of the compensation that the ombudsman recommended for payment, but I heard the Minister in Westminster Hall say on many occasions that they, in government, would pay the pensioners in full. Why have they changed?

[Mr Hoban]

The hon. Gentleman should really direct his anger at his own Front Benchers, who for years blocked the investigation of Equitable Life by the ombudsman, who tried to delay her report and who took six months to respond to her findings. The real culprits are on the Opposition Front Bench, not on the Government Benches.