Order. Questions to the Prime Minister?

Mr Richard Burden.

Mr. Speaker.

Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Mr. Speaker,

The Prime Minister is visiting Poland and Romania.

I've been asked to reply.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others.

In addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today.

Mr. Richard Berder.

Mr. Speaker, as Christmas draws closer, the Chancellor will know that people having

difficulty making ends meet won't experience a lot of goodwill in the season of goodwill

if they fall into the clutches of loan sharks as they try to buy presents for their families.

So why is he choosing now to cut the budget of the Birmingham-based England illegal money lending team by a third

when they've helped 24,000 loan shark victims to get £63 million of illegal

debts written off. And will they have a word with his friend, the business secretary,

who seems to be refusing to answer questions from the Daily Mirror on this subject?

Mr. Mr. Pallel.

Well, of course, we take very seriously illegal loan sharks and, indeed, excessive

interest charges on payday lending, which is why it was conservatives who introduced

the first ever cap on payday lending.

And on the specific question he raises about the funding for illegal money laundering

...