Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Shabana Mahmood and Harriett Baldwin

Tuesday 19th January 2016 Commons Chamber

[Harriett Baldwin]

My other constituency neighbour is a fine advocate for the excellent credit unions industry. As he will know, we have backed the industry with £38 million of investment through the credit union expansion project, and we will continue to seek ways to back credit unions.

[Shabana Mahmood (Birmingham, Ladywood) (Lab)]

Given that manufacturing remains at 6.1% below pre-crisis levels, with worrying trends in the manufacture of plant and machinery and of pharmaceuticals, will the Chancellor accept that his domestic policy agenda has just as much impact on our performance as the global factors that he is so very keen to blame, and that if the march of the makers is now going backwards, he must bear a measure of responsibility and come forward with proposals to halt the decline?