Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Laura Trott and Tim Loughton

Tuesday 19th December 2023 Commons Chamber

[Laura Trott]

I know that the hon. Lady will have welcomed the most important change to cost of living pressures, which is inflation coming down. In addition, we have had the cost of living payments this year, and also benefits going up by 10.1% this year and by more than the expected level of inflation next year. We as a Government have done all we can to support people and will continue to do so.

[Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con)]

T9. Mr Speaker, as mine is the last name on the Order Paper, may I wish you and Mrs Speaker, and the two Front-Bench teams, a very happy Christmas? Notwithstanding his predilection for myrrh and frankincense, may I ask the Chancellor to comment on the state of our gold reserves and whether, in a world where peace to all men seems to be in rather short supply at the moment, he anticipates adding to them in 2024?