Pensions and Benefits

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 7:32 pm on 4 February 2002.

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Photo of Alistair Darling Alistair Darling The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 7:32, 4 February 2002

The ONS is independent of Government. It produced figures that it now says are wrong. My point is that, yesterday, the hon. Gentleman tried to hawk a story round the journalists of the Sunday newspapers. He managed to get it into the Financial Times, but the Conservative party's central allegation—

"Tories warn of £100 billion hole"— simply does not stand up.