Royal Bank of Scotland (FSA Report)

Debate between Pat McFadden and Mark Hoban

Monday 12th December 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hoban]

My hon. Friend makes an important point. Responsibility clearly rests with the leadership of RBS, not with those working in the bank’s branches, those working at its insurance company and others, who did their job properly and to the highest standards. It is important to recognise that, having identified regulatory issues to address, his party and my party came together in a coalition Government committed to regulatory reform. The Labour party was wedded to the status quo and to the regulatory regime that allowed this to happen unchecked. That party should take its full responsibility, just as we should recognise the excellent work that people at RBS did.

[Mr Pat McFadden (Wolverhampton South East) (Lab)]

The report makes it clear that the primary responsibility for the collapse of RBS lies with the firm. The shadow Minister was big enough to say what he did about past regulation, and the Minister’s anger would be more credible if he and his party had not continually called for lighter regulation. The Minister had said:

“Effective light-touch, risk-based…regulation is in the interests of the sector globally, and the Government need to send that message more strongly to the US Administration and Congress”.—[Official Report, 28 November 2006; Vol. 453, c. 995.]

The Chancellor had said:

“I fear that much of this regulation has been burdensome, complex and makes cross-border market penetration more difficult.”

If people are going to admit culpability on regulation, the truth is that those on both sides of the House need to look in the mirror. Is that not the case?