Commons Financial Privilege Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Commons Financial Privilege

Helen Goodman Excerpts
Wednesday 28th October 2015

(8 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Chris Grayling Portrait Chris Grayling
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From talking to colleagues around the building, I know that House of Lords reform has returned very much to the centre stage, but we face big challenges in this country and have important legislation to get through. I want to deal first with challenges in health, education, environmental matters, enterprise and the economy, but there is no doubt that reform will now be discussed much more widely in the House.

Helen Goodman Portrait Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) (Lab)
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The Leader of the House has explained why the measures were not in a Finance Bill. He seems to be confused: he seems to believe that the big bill attached to tax credits makes them a finance measure. If we follow his logic, no Bill that involves spending could go to the other place, be it on legal aid or HS2.

Chris Grayling Portrait Chris Grayling
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Let us be clear to the House—this is a very simple matter—that tax credits are officially categorised as a benefits matter and not a tax matter. If one puts a change to tax credits into a Finance Bill, that Bill will not necessarily be certified as a money Bill. That is the state of play and the reality of what we are dealing with. That is why the tax credits measures were not in a Finance Bill.