Chris Hinchliff
Main Page: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)Department Debates - View all Chris Hinchliff's debates with the HM Treasury
(1Â month ago)
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Emma Reynolds
We have to get local government reorganisation right, so I make no apology for the Secretary of State coming to the House to update colleagues—for a couple of hours; it was a very long statement. I know that lots of Members from across the House have strong views on the issue, but it is important that the Government get this right.
Chris Hinchliff (North East Hertfordshire) (Lab)
I will ask a slightly different question from the one I originally intended to ask. Every time we come to this Chamber to discuss the economy, we spend a lot of time debating public spending, but we never seem to discuss our trade deficit. We have not been in surplus since 1998. What will the Government do to ensure that we start paying our way in the world again?
Emma Reynolds
My hon. Friend is right to talk about the trade deficit. When I was at the G20 in North Carolina last week, there was a discussion about global trade imbalances, and that is something that we are considering putting on the agenda for our G20 presidency.