Public Accounts

I beg to move,"That this House takes note of the 41st and the 42nd and the 46th to the 65th Reports of the Committee of Public Accounts of Session 2006-07, and of the Treasury Minutes on these Reports (Cm 7275, 7276 and 7322); and of the 1st to the 4th, the 6th and the 9th to the 13th Reports of the Committee of Session 2007-08, and of the Treasury Minutes on these Reports (Cm 7323 and 7364)." It is a pleasure to open this debate. I will never tire of extolling to Members the importance of these bi-annual opportunities to address the issues raised by the Public Accounts Committee's scrutiny of the spending of more than £800 billion-worth of public money. As the Committee's 45th Chairman, I was proud to mark the Committee's 150th anniversary last autumn. At the event, I noted that two former Chairmen had fallen prey to the assassin's knife; I hope that my speech today does not give the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury any wayward thoughts.