Child Poverty Bill
10:41 am
David Gauke (Shadow Minister, Treasury; South West Hertfordshire, Conservative)
May I return to the issue of the irresistible force and the immovable object? In addition to clause 15, the Government also intend to introduce a fiscal responsibility Bill making it legally binding to reduce the deficit. Who knows, maybe you and I will debate that issue sooner rather than later, Minister. If reducing the deficit is going to be legally binding and enforceable in the courts, there could be two legally binding obligations, one of which is under the Child Poverty Bill, as you have described it, requiring a considerable increase in public spending, and the other requiring a significant reduction in public spending. How would those two judiciable legal requirements work?