Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Glyn Davies Excerpts
Tuesday 6th November 2012

(12 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Danny Alexander Portrait Danny Alexander
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It is exactly that. The reserve price is £1.4 billion, of which £600 million has been allocated to important science projects, such as the Graphene institute in Manchester. Were we to follow the advice of the Opposition, we would have to cancel significant science projects which are vital to growth in this country. That would be the wrong policy for the British economy.

Glyn Davies Portrait Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con)
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14. What fiscal steps he has taken to reduce the cost of living.

David Gauke Portrait The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Mr David Gauke)
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The Government have taken wide-ranging action to support households. We cut fuel duty last year and have kept it frozen since then. We have also helped those in work by raising the personal allowance by £1,100 in April 2013—the largest tax cut for the median earner in more than a decade. The Government recently announced another year of a council tax freeze and a reduction of the rail fare cap for two further years.

Glyn Davies Portrait Glyn Davies
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A major factor in the costs facing families across the United Kingdom is the rapidly increasing cost of energy. Does my hon. Friend agree that Governments have a responsibility to limit such increases as far as possible, including the costs to energy users of paying for the unsustainably large subsidies paid to onshore wind farm developers?

David Gauke Portrait Mr Gauke
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My hon. Friend is right to raise the issue of energy prices. The Government are doing what they can on that front. We are supporting Ofgem’s work in ensuring that there is competition in the energy markets, and of course we are determined to do what we can to get people on lower tariffs.