Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Mary Glindon Excerpts
Tuesday 28th June 2022

(1 year, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Joanna Cherry Portrait Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West) (SNP)
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13. What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of his Department’s fiscal policies on the cost of living.

Mary Glindon Portrait Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) (Lab)
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17. What fiscal steps he is taking to help reduce the impact of inflation on households' cost of living.

Christian Wakeford Portrait Christian Wakeford (Bury South) (Lab)
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19. What fiscal steps he is taking to help reduce the impact of inflation on households' cost of living.

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Rishi Sunak Portrait Rishi Sunak
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We have provided significant support to the hospitality sector over the past two years, and I am glad that the sector at least emerges from the crisis in a much stronger shape—in terms of employment, cash balances and insolvencies—than anyone had anticipated, which is something to celebrate. With regard to support at the moment, we have of course put in place a £1.7-billion business rates holiday—the 50% discount—for cafés and restaurants in England, and that money is being Barnett-ed to Scotland to provide similar support to restaurants there.

Mary Glindon Portrait Mary Glindon
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Public sector workers and care workers in North Tyneside say that the Chancellor’s package on the cost of living crisis does not address their daily financial struggles, because under his Government, their pay has not kept pace with inflation. What practical steps will he take to address that overriding problem for my constituents?

Rishi Sunak Portrait Rishi Sunak
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As I said, we are providing an enormous amount of support—around £1,200—which is targeted at those who most need help. Of course, no Government can make the challenges go away completely, given the scale of the problem that we are facing, but I am confident that the support we have put in place is significant and will make a meaningful difference to those who most need it. The hon. Lady talks of the practical steps that we can all take to help with the cost of living. Perhaps her party could start by opposing the crippling rail strikes of the past week or two, which are doing nothing to ease the burdens of the cost of living on public sector workers.