Oral Answers to Questions

James Cartlidge Excerpts

Tuesday 24th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. As a very distinguished chartered surveyor, the hon. Member for The Cotswolds (Geoffrey Clifton-Brown) will know that the Cotswold is a very significant distance from the north or the north-west, but we will look forward with eager anticipation to hearing the hon. Gentleman at some later point.

[James Cartlidge (South Suffolk) (Con)]

10. What recent progress has been made on reducing the deficit.

[Kevin Hollinrake (Thirsk and Malton) (Con)]

15. What recent progress has been made on reducing the deficit.

[James Cartlidge]

I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. May I make one simple request about the Budget: whatever measures he announces, he resists the temptation to pay for them by billing our grandchildren? Instead, will he continue the excellent work that has seen us slash by nearly three quarters, as a percentage of GDP, the record post-war deficit that we inherited from the Labour Government?

[Mr Hammond]

Yes. It is not responsible to make so-called hard choices by loading the price on to the next generation and the generation after that. We have to make difficult decisions and we have to bear the consequences of those decisions. At £65,000 per household, our public debt is still far too high, so I can confirm to my hon. Friend that we will continue the plans that we have announced to reduce the deficit in a measured and balanced way to ensure that debt falls as a share of GDP.