Finance Bill

Let me offer an alternative that the right hon. Lady might find more palatable. If Treasury Ministers are not prepared to adopt such a radical approach, I suggest that the Finance Bill be included in an approach to legislation for which there is already a precedent. I sat on the Committee considering the Statistics and Registration Service Bill earlier this year. It was one of the first Bills in respect of which we had the option of taking evidence in public before the Committee stage. I understand that the enabling primary legislation specifically excluded the Finance Bill, but in my opinion the Finance Bill would be one of the best possible candidates for inclusion in the process. There are some very technical issues, but the experts dealing with them end up being mediated through hon. Members on both sides of the House. If we had the opportunity for proper pre-legislative scrutiny and for expert bodies to be able to provide evidence on the record, I believe that it would significantly facilitate the process. I hope that the Paymaster General will give serious consideration to that.