Treasury and Work and Pensions

Let me begin by congratulating all right hon. and hon. Members who have spoken from the Back Benches, including, from the Conservative Benches, the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) and the hon. Members for South-West Hertfordshire (Mr. Gauke), for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), for Ludlow (Mr. Dunne), for Wellingborough (Mr. Bone), and for Braintree (Mr. Newmark)—all of whom, apart from the hon. Member for Ludlow, are members of the No Turning Back group. I have been reading their latest contribution to the debate on public policy, to which I want to refer in a moment. We heard interesting contributions from them all; at least one thing they cannot be accused of is not turning up. We have had a good debate, with thoughtful speeches by my hon. Friends the Member for Cannock Chase (Dr. Wright), for Dagenham (Jon Cruddas), for Linlithgow and East Falkirk (Michael Connarty), for Bishop Auckland (Helen Goodman), for Dudley, North (Mr. Austin), Northampton, North (Ms Keeble) and for Blaydon (Mr. Anderson). They all raised important issues and I am glad to have their support for the measures that we have outlined in the Queen’s Speech. We also heard a very good speech from the right hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber (Mr. Kennedy), whom we welcome back to the House, and from the hon. Members for Angus (Mr. Weir) and for East Antrim (Sammy Wilson). It was particularly good to hear from the right hon. Member for Wokingham, who is still the authentic voice of the Thatcherites on the Tory Benches and is now in charge of the Conservatives’ review of economic policy.