MPs are....

Are MPs just incapable of answering a fucking question?

Bob Spink (Castle Point, UKIP)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department has had with the European Commission on possible UK membership of the European single currency in the last two years.

Ian Pearson (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Economic and Business), Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform; Dudley South, Labour)

Treasury Ministers discuss a wide range of issues with their counterparts in other countries, as well as the European Commission. The Government's policy on membership of the single currency in unchanged. It remains as set out by the Chancellor in his statement to the House of Commons in October 1997, and again in the Chancellor's statement on the five tests assessment in June 2003.

That wasn't the question, Mr Pearson.

The President of the European Commission says that he's been discussing with 'the people that matter' (that's the politicians to him because he's a cunting eurocrat) i.e. senior figures in the Labour administration, the prospect of Britain joining the Euro.

Now, I know that the chances of you, by virtue of you being a Labour MP, being able to lie straight in bed are rather low, but even you can realise that that your rather pointless little statement is rather irrelevant.

Speaking of pointless replies which don't answer the question, I must reply to that minion in the dept of health who replied to my polite query on the state of dentistry in this country by quoting the report I quoted at him in the first place back at me.

Twat.