Business of the House

May we have a debate on the economy, to be led by the Prime Minister? That would give him an opportunity to explain why he said to my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke) yesterday that he had"““inherited a very difficult economic situation from him in 1997””—[Official Report, 23 January 1997; Vol. 470, c. 1493.]" How is that remark consistent with the fact that the economy at that time was moving into considerable surplus, with the best pensions provision in Europe, a savings ratio of more than 10 per cent., trade in balance and inflation under control at 2.5 per cent? Treasury officials described those figures as ““fantastically good””. How is that consistent with the description given by the Prime Minister yesterday?