Public Spending: Inheritance

Mark Ferguson Excerpts

Monday 29th July 2024 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Reeves]

The hon. Gentleman should blame the previous Government for not funding the commitments that they made. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will meet all the people affected, including those affected by hospitals with RAAC problems, as soon as possible. As a Leeds MP, I recognise the importance of new hospitals and ensuring that our hospital estate is fit for purpose, but we cannot spend money that we do not have.

[Mark Ferguson (Gateshead Central and Whickham) (Lab)]

The shadow Chancellor said the books were open and that the Office for Budget Responsibility had audited the Government’s figures shortly before the election. However, the chair of the OBR has today published a letter confirming he intends to launch a review into the preparation of the March forecasts, stating:

“We were made aware of the extent of these pressures at a meeting with the Treasury last week.”

I am only new here; perhaps the Chancellor can inform me how to get the shadow Chancellor to correct the record?

[Rachel Reeves]

The OBR has just published a letter, as my hon. Friend said, which states:

“We were made aware of the extent of these pressures at a meeting with the Treasury last week”,

and goes on to state:

“If a significant fraction of these pressures is ultimately accommodated through higher DEL spending in 2024-25, this would constitute one of the largest year-ahead overspends against DEL forecasts outside of the pandemic years.”

This is incredibly serious. That is why I came to this House today to set out that £22 billion overspend compared with what the Government set out at the previous Budget. This letter from the chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility can leave no one in this Chamber in any doubt about the seriousness of the situation.