Middle East: Economic Response

Claire Hazelgrove Excerpts

Thursday 21st May 2026 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Reeves]

Spoken like a proper former teacher! Expanding their cultural capital is what my children want to do every weekend. Whether it is expanding cultural capital, or having fun at a theme park in Blackpool or at Alton Towers, I want children and families to be able to enjoy this summer. As a former teacher, my hon. Friend will know that although the summer holidays are a welcome relief for teachers and children, it can often be a time of worry for parents. I hope that today’s changes will make the summer holidays a bit easier for all families.

[Claire Hazelgrove (Filton and Bradley Stoke) (Lab)]

People across the Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency work hard, and being able to enjoy time together as a family this summer is important for everyone. I know that the Chancellor’s announcements on summer savings for families—including on popular attractions—and on free bus travel for children will be warmly welcomed at home. Could she please set out how the decisions that she has taken to stabilise the economy have made it possible for the Government to fund this?

[Rachel Reeves]

It is important that all the policies that we have set out are fully costed and fully funded, and the change that we have made to the foreign branch exemption will fund today’s package of measures. The reduction in inflation due to the measures I set out in my Budget last year, and the strong growth that we have seen—the fastest in the G7 in the first quarter of this year—make the package affordable and sustainable. That is why we are able to set out this support today.