Finance committee  That's a challenge for any OECD instrument that requires ratification. If you're just dealing with conventions and best practices you don't need ratification. You don't have to come before these committees and so on. Where you do, the parliamentary procedures in all jurisdictions will slow down that process, because it becomes not just soft laws, and most of the OECD's work is.

Finance committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. It's a pleasure to be here. I can't say there are too many of my old colleagues around, but that's not surprising, since I last sat in the House in 1988. I welcomed this opportunity because, first of all, I regard this as a very important committee, and I always have.