Contributions
803 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBusiness and the EconomyAre the hon. Gentleman’s colleagues listening?21 May 2025HANSARDBusiness and the EconomyI will, and that is why I am celebrating the fact that average wage rises are happening. If the hon. Member does not want to be in favour of wage rises in Scotland, that says…21 May 2025HANSARDBusiness and the EconomyWhat the Office for Budget Responsibility has said is that disposable incomes will grow during this Parliament at twice the rate that they grew during the last Parliament. The…21 May 2025HANSARDBusiness and the EconomyI will quote the hon. Member. He said, “‘could we be in recession’? Yes we could.” He talked the economy down—he knows exactly what he did—and British business has proved him…21 May 2025HANSARDBusiness and the EconomyWhat is great about my hon. Friend is that he has a forecasting ability that is significantly above that of many economic forecasters. He has predicted exactly where I shall be…21 May 2025HANSARDBusiness and the EconomyReal household disposable income per capita is growing quite fast, according to the latest measure at the end of the fourth quarter of 2024. The OBR says that the legacy of the…21 May 2025HANSARDBusiness and the EconomyIt is not boom and bust. Wages for workers need to rise in Britain once again. We also need to turn the corner on an economy that is far too unequal. That is what our Employment…21 May 2025HANSARDPensions: ExpatriatesThere must be a legal basis for making payments. However, the hon. Member is right to say that under the specific policy I am setting out, payments are made only when there is a…20 May 2025HANSARDPensions: ExpatriatesI thank the hon. Member for sharing that story. I have not heard of specific cases like that, and he might like to write to me about it. The position with respect to Canada is…20 May 2025HANSARDPensions: ExpatriatesLet me get through the discussion of the costs, and then I will take any interventions on that issue. I recognise that many campaigners are asking for indexation in future, not…20 May 2025HANSARDPensions: ExpatriatesCanada is a close ally of this country. We talk about that a lot in the current climate, for a whole host of reasons, and that is not going to change. The right hon. Member is…20 May 2025HANSARDPensions: ExpatriatesI recognise the point that the hon. Member is making. I offer a few reflections on that. Some countries already do provide uprating for their pensioners based in the UK, so some…20 May 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend is absolutely correct. Raising investment in the UK is about boosting not just the supply of capital, but the demand for it—the investment pipeline. We are…20 May 2025HANSARDPension Savings: Investment ReturnsI did not know where that was going, but I know that I speak for everybody in the House when I say that the whole country needs someone like the hon. Gentleman’s mother.20 May 2025HANSARDPension Savings: Investment ReturnsI certainly can. Our reforms to the local government pension scheme will support local investment in every part of England and Wales. Our defence spending plans will be felt on…20 May 2025HANSARDPension Savings: Investment ReturnsThat is absolutely the right question. We all understandably hear calls for higher rates of pension saving, but the prior question is this: how do we ensure that savers get the…20 May 2025HANSARDNight-time EconomyWhat is anti-growth is the Conservative party, which sat over 15 long years of decline and completely unprecedented economic stagnation. Our job is to support the hospitality and…20 May 2025HANSARDNight-time EconomyWhat the sector is doing is welcoming the trade deals done by the Government yesterday. What it is worried about is a Conservative party that cannot bring itself to welcome a…20 May 2025HANSARDNight-time EconomyI have missed out on the particular historical gems that my hon. Friend mentions, but my daughter is a big fan of Southend so obviously I agree with him wholeheartedly. And the…20 May 2025HANSARDNight-time EconomyI completely recognise my hon. Friend’s point. Last autumn, alongside announcing immediate support for retail, hospitality and leisure properties, the Government published a…20 May 2025