Finance (No.2) Bill
10:30 am
Theresa Villiers (Shadow Chief Secretary To the Treasury, Treasury; Chipping Barnet, Conservative)
I echo the Paymaster General’s welcome to you,Mr. O’Hara, and to your co-Chairmen. My team and I also look forward to working with you, as we do with the right hon. Lady and her team in the constructive and co-operative manner that she has just mentioned. Obviously, we shall make it clear when we disagree with the Government on certain points, but we hope in many instances to table amendments that go more towards ascertaining the meaning of the Bill and teasing out uncertainties, rather than necessarily pushing for a Division and a change in the published Bill.
I also echo the Paymaster General’s welcome to the hon. Members for Falmouth and Camborne and for Dundee, East. I particularly welcome Back Benchers. It is not always considered to be a great privilege to discuss the Finance Bill in Committee, but although it may prove to be a fairly long and gruelling experience, we are well aware of the importance of the task ahead of us. Indeed, as my hon. Friend Member for Rayleigh said a few weeks ago, in the past there has almost been an outbreak of Stockholm syndrome in the Committee as matters become a little eccentric after several weeks discussing the details of United Kingdom financial legislation. With those words, I welcome the sittings motion.