Member

The proposition of the noble Lord, Lord Eatwell, is that the Government taking money out of the pockets of the people, and then spending it as they see fit, will produce more jobs and wealth than leaving it in the pockets of entrepreneurs and small businesses, which will use that money and drive it in a competitive environment. His proposition is that civil servants telling Ministers to invest in particular projects will produce a better result than people spending their own money. I find that very difficult to believe, but that was the proposition that the noble Lord, Lord Eatwell, put to us.