Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Tulip Siddiq

Tuesday 7th May 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab)]

Since 2022, almost 400 communities have lost their local bank branch, which has had a devastating impact on local and small businesses. Despite witnessing the decline of the British high street, the Government have been dragging their feet on rolling out banking hubs, which would help local and small businesses. Will the Minister finally back the Labour party’s plans to provide a banking hub in every community that needs one?

--- Later in debate ---

[Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

[Mr Speaker]

Is it related to Treasury questions?

[Tulip Siddiq]

Yes. In his response to me, the Exchequer Secretary said, “Any area that loses bank branches is entitled to get a banking hub”, but I have numerous examples of towns that lost bank branches, applied for a banking hub and then had their application rejected. Please could you advise me, Mr Speaker, on how I can get some clarity on this matter and what the Minister said about “any area that loses bank branches”?

[Mr Speaker]

Obviously, we cannot continue the debate. The hon. Lady has certainly put her point on the record. I do not think this will be the end of it; she knows how to carry it on through the usual channels, which I expect she will use, no doubt starting with the Table Office.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Tulip Siddiq

Tuesday 19th December 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab)]

Before I ask my question, I want to convey the apologies of the shadow Chancellor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Leeds West (Rachel Reeves). She is delivering the eulogy at Alistair Darling’s funeral today.

I want to say a few words about Alistair Darling—I am sure you will agree, Mr Speaker—a dedicated public servant, who was respected across both Houses. He led the country’s economic response to the global financial crisis with integrity, honesty and sound judgment, and we will all miss him. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear!”]

As my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Withington (Jeff Smith) just said, nearly 6,000 bank branches have closed since 2015, and only 30 banking hubs are up and fully running. That has left countless people financially excluded and affected lots of small businesses. I ask the Minister once again: will he accelerate the roll-out of banking hubs properly? Why are his Government not doing anything to reverse the decline of the great British high street?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Tulip Siddiq

Wednesday 29th November 2023 Commons Chamber

[Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab)]

Q6.   I quote: “Rishi thinks just let people die and that’s okay”. That was reportedly the Prime Minister’s view of covid during late 2020, as recorded by the then chief scientific adviser in his diary. It came to light last week in the covid inquiry and I was shocked that Downing Street did not categorically deny it. I ask the Prime Minister today how it is that people who were closest to this issue, whom he worked with day in, day out at the top of Government, got the impression that the Prime Minister was okay with people in our country dying—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I think he has got the question.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Tulip Siddiq

Tuesday 5th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

[Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab)]

Last week, the Government admitted that their planned introduction of food import checks from the EU would lead to an increase in inflation, hitting the pockets of ordinary people during the worst cost of living crisis in our lifetimes. In the Labour party, we believe that a bespoke veterinary agreement would cut red tape from business and avoid pushing costs on to ordinary people. Are the Government planning to negotiate a veterinary agreement, and if not, why not?

[Jeremy Hunt]

I gently say to the hon. Lady, who I have a lot of time for, that the last thing business wants is the upheaval of a huge renegotiation of our trading arrangement with the EU, which is the largest tariff-free free trade deal by volume in the world.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Tulip Siddiq

Tuesday 9th May 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab)]

Last week, the Public Accounts Committee revealed that our country lost £9 billion-worth of tax revenue during the pandemic because HMRC redeployed 4,000 staff members whose jobs were to chase down tax avoiders. The Prime Minister was Chancellor at the time and presumably signed off that decision. Can the Minister tell me whether the Prime Minister did that as a deliberate act to give the green light to tax avoiders, or is it just another example of Tory incompetence?

[John Glen]

I think that is a ridiculous suggestion, to be honest. HMRC received £863 million to modernise the tax system, and that included £136 million invested over the spending period to deliver improvements in terms of a single customer record and account. On what happened over covid, I have already set out the investment we made, including the £100 million in the taxpayer protection taskforce. We take fraud very seriously. Now it is about HMRC looking at financial records of excessive trading to come to terms with those businesses that used some of those schemes fraudulently. We will continue to work on that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Tulip Siddiq

Tuesday 7th December 2021 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

We now come to the shadow Minister; welcome to the Front Bench, Tulip Siddiq.

[Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab)]

There is a cost of living crisis, temperatures are falling and Ministers are ignoring average households, who are struggling to pay enormous bills. Household energy bills have increased by more than £230 since last winter and are set to increase even more early next year, and we have recently seen higher tax receipts from energy bills. Will the Minister back Labour’s policy of using this money to cut VAT on people’s energy bills to zero over the next six months?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Tulip Siddiq

Monday 1st November 2021 Commons Chamber

[Tulip Siddiq]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Can I ask the Secretary of State to clarify what he meant by “3,000 family centres”, because we know that they are not 3,000 family hubs?

[Mr Speaker]

Does the Secretary of State want to answer? Does somebody want to clarify whether that is right or wrong? Secretary of State, go on.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Tulip Siddiq

Tuesday 5th May 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I welcome Tulip Siddiq to the Front Bench. I call the shadow Minister.

[Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Last week, the Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, said that the Government’s latest reduction in legal protections for children in care without proper scrutiny or an opportunity to scrutinise was not justified, given that the staffing in social care is “holding up”. The Labour party agrees with the Children’s Commissioner for England. Does the Secretary of State also agree with the Children’s Commissioner for England?