Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alison McGovern and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 4th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

I agree with my hon. Friend that Labour’s plans would put at serious risk the jobs and stability that this coalition Government have secured. There is a lesson in what he says for all parties in this House, because economic credibility is hard to win and easy to throw away. Any party that does not put forward a plan to sort out the economy or offers unfunded tax cuts to the British people will put its credibility at serious risk.

[Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)]

On the deficit, the Chancellor and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury have failed the test they set themselves, which is to close the deficit by the end of this Parliament. Worse than that, they have failed the test that my constituents set for them, which is to put money back in their pockets. That was said to me this week by a grandmother who is desperately worried about her grandson, as he is on a five-hour contract and unable to afford to take a day off work. What will the Chief Secretary do about that?

[Danny Alexander]

The first thing that we are doing is delivering on what we promised to do when we created this Government in the first place, which is to repair the deep damage that the hon. Lady has to admit was done to the economy under her party’s stewardship. We have now got the United Kingdom into a position in which we are creating more jobs than in the whole of the rest of the European Union combined, and we have the strongest growth rates in the developed world. She should welcome that as something that creates opportunities for young people.

National Infrastructure Plan

Debate between Alison McGovern and Danny Alexander

Wednesday 4th December 2013 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight the runway extension at Birmingham airport. A year or so ago, with my hon. Friend the Member for Solihull (Lorely Burt), I had the privilege to visit that fantastic project, which will open up access to a much wider range of destinations from Birmingham airport, and that is a good thing for the whole country.

[Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)]

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has said that he wants to rebalance the British economy, but is now defending bankers’ bonuses in court. Today’s infrastructure announcement highlights the fact that the Office for National Statistics has said that infrastructure work has dropped by 15%. May I give the Chief Secretary to the Treasury an opportunity to say whether he still believes in rebalancing, and if so, what further steps must the Government now take?

[Danny Alexander]

I wholeheartedly believe in rebalancing the economy, which is why we are investing in infrastructure: £45 billion a year was invested in infrastructure in the first three years of this Parliament, compared with an average of £41 billion a year in the previous Parliament. Rebalancing the economy is about investing in infrastructure and the skills of our work force, and about supporting vital industries, such as the automotive and aerospace sectors, as we are again doing in this plan. The industrial strategy set out by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has played a very important role in rebalancing the economy. It will, however, be a long-term job to get away from the very unbalanced economy—all focused on London and the City—left to us by the hon. Lady’s party.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alison McGovern and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 11th September 2012 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

I am grateful for my hon. Friend’s endorsement of the policy. The coalition Government have committed to increasing the personal allowance to £10,000—a policy that was on the front page of the Liberal Democrat election manifesto—but I agree that the long-term objective, which I and my party share, should be to link the personal allowance to the minimum wage. However, a considerable cost would be attached to that.

[Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)]

May I bring the Chief Secretary back to the reality faced by my constituents, who see their cost of living rising all the time, with food prices increasing in the shops, and Government borrowing rising nationally? Which part of the Government’s record is he least proud of?

[Danny Alexander]

As the question that the hon. Lady is following up on concerns the personal allowance, let me limit my answer to that, Mr Speaker. Her constituents, in common with other Members’ constituents, are benefiting from the fact that the Government have introduced the most radical policy for many years by putting more money back into the pockets of hard-working families across the country. She would do well to accept that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alison McGovern and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 26th June 2012 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

I am not sure that the hon. Gentleman’s suggested idea would be an appropriate task for the Office for Budget Responsibility to undertake, but he is right that strike action is costly to the economy. He would also be right to observe that it has not stopped this Government proceeding with the reform of public service pensions, and with pay restraint in the public sector, too, to help deal with the enormous mess left to us by the Labour party.

[Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)]

With regard to the problems at RBS this week, my constituent David Robinson has been unable to access his funds, including disability allowance, from his account with thinkbanking. It is an internet-based bank that uses the RBS platform, so he could not go into an RBS branch to resolve his problems. Will the Minister please make contact with RBS about internet banking users and make sure that my constituents—and everyone else—are not unduly affected?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alison McGovern and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 21st June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)]

18. What assessment he has made of the most recent growth forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Danny Alexander)]

Growth forecasts are for the independent Office for Budget Responsibility. In March it forecast the economy to grow by 1.7% in 2011, 2.5% in 2012 and 2.9% in 2013.

[Alison McGovern]

If the OBR embarrasses the Treasury again by downgrading growth forecasts yet again, how will the Government respond?

[Danny Alexander]

As I say, growth forecasts are a matter for the independent Office for Budget Responsibility. I am clear that the deficit reduction programme is essential to ensure that we have confidence in the UK economy. Given that the Opposition caused the mess we are trying to clear up, I hoped the hon. Lady would support that.