Treasury written statement – made at on 27 February 2020.
Rishi Sunak
The Chancellor of the Exchequer
Today, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) wrote to me setting out the options for their second forecast for the 2019-20 financial year, consistent with fulfilling their duties under the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011 (BRNA). The BRNA states that the OBR are legally required to produce two economic and fiscal forecasts in each financial year. A forecast was originally planned alongside the Autumn Budget that was cancelled due to the General Election. The first forecast of the year will now be produced alongside the upcoming Spring Budget. However, to fulfil their duty the OBR must produce another forecast before the end of the financial year. I have commissioned the OBR to publish a second forecast on 13 March which will focus on providing updated information on debt interest. The second forecast will be laid in Parliament on 13 March with copies available in the Vote Office and Printed Paper Office. A copy of the letter from the OBR and my response will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
The house of Lords is the upper chamber of the Houses of Parliament. It is filled with Lords (I.E. Lords, Dukes, Baron/esses, Earls, Marquis/esses, Viscounts, Count/esses, etc.) The Lords consider proposals from the EU or from the commons. They can then reject a bill, accept it, or make amendments. If a bill is rejected, the commons can send it back to the lords for re-discussion. The Lords cannot stop a bill for longer than one parliamentary session. If a bill is accepted, it is forwarded to the Queen, who will then sign it and make it law. If a bill is amended, the amended bill is sent back to the House of Commons for discussion.
The Lords are not elected; they are appointed. Lords can take a "whip", that is to say, they can choose a party to represent. Currently, most Peers are Conservative.
In a general election, each constituency chooses an MP to represent it by process of election. The party who wins the most seats in parliament is in power, with its leader becoming Prime Minister and its Ministers/Shadow Ministers making up the new Cabinet. If no party has a majority, this is known as a hung Parliament. The next general election will take place on or before 3rd June 2010.
