Contributions
3,765 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCost of LivingThe hon. Lady talks about poverty, but the track record of this Government and the Governments since 2010 shows very clearly that more than 8 million fewer people are living in…01 Feb 2022HANSARDCost of LivingMy right hon. Friend speaks with compassion and authority on these topics, and I join him in making sure that we are aware of the issue. I am, of course, aware of people’s anxiety…01 Feb 2022HANSARDCost of LivingMy right hon. Friend is absolutely right; given his career before he was in this place, he, too, speaks with authority on these matters. He is right to highlight that many of the…01 Feb 2022HANSARDCost of LivingI would probably slightly disagree with the idea that Labour’s plans are fully costed, but it would not be the first time that its numbers do not add up. With regard to the…01 Feb 2022HANSARDEconomy and Fiscal Forecast: 23 March 2022Today I can inform the House that I have asked the Office for Budget Responsibility to produce an economic and fiscal forecast for 23 March 2022, as per the charter for budget…05 Jan 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsI am glad that our VAT cuts extend all the way to spring. It is a £7 billion tax cut, and next year, as I have said, there is a 50% discount on business rates.07 Dec 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend makes an excellent point about the Welsh Government. This Government are supporting hospitality businesses with a lower rate of VAT till spring worth £7 billion and…07 Dec 2021HANSARDEconomic InequalityIt is simply not right to say that we have forgotten anyone. We remain committed to supporting all the most vulnerable in our society. I have mentioned previously the various…07 Dec 2021HANSARDEconomic InequalityI am always delighted to meet my hon. Friend and neighbour, and if we could do that in north Yorkshire, it would be fantastic. He is right—as he always is—to champion the need for…07 Dec 2021HANSARDEconomic InequalityMy right hon. Friend has rightly campaigned on this issue and she raises an excellent point. The good news on business rates is that, next year, thanks to the tax cut that we…07 Dec 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsAs I have said, the new taxpayer protection taskforce at HMRC is expected to recover between £1 billion and £2 billion in the next 12 months, and has already made a good start on…07 Dec 2021HANSARDEconomic InequalityI am pleased to say that the distribution analysis published in the Budget showed that the actions of this Government since 2019, over this Parliament, will benefit those on the…07 Dec 2021HANSARDEconomic InequalityThe hon. Lady makes a fair point; the Economic Secretary to the Treasury is doing work on exactly that issue. The Government have committed to bringing forward legislation, if…07 Dec 2021HANSARDEconomic InequalityIncome inequality on the last published statistics is lower than it was in 2010. There are also fewer people living in absolute poverty. With regard to national insurance, we took…07 Dec 2021HANSARDEconomic InequalityOur social care reforms will benefit millions of people up and down the country, because they will remove the anxiety that the entirety of their assets will be swamped by…07 Dec 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe hon. Lady would usually be on top of the numbers. She will understand that there is a difference between a one-off saving of £6 billon and an annual saving on a tax cut of £6…07 Dec 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsYes, I would be very happy to. I am fresh from my visit to Yarm High Street last week to see levelling up in action, and I am back up in the north-east this week.07 Dec 2021HANSARDEconomic InequalityForgive me, Mr Speaker; I should have welcomed the right hon. Gentleman to his new position. I look forward to working with him in his new role. With regard to the winter and…07 Dec 2021HANSARDEconomic InequalityI am enormously proud of the Government’s commitment to those who are disabled. We looked after them during the crisis and we continue to support them. We recently announced £500…07 Dec 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsAt the beginning of the crisis, we improved how statutory sick pay works, making it payable from day one. We also changed some things in universal credit and indeed expanded its…07 Dec 2021