Jobs and Growth

Debate between Matt Hancock and Danny Alexander

Wednesday 12th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Matthew Hancock]

Will my right hon. Friend give way?

[Danny Alexander]

I will not. I only have a few minutes left.

We will not return to growth on the back of debt-fuelled consumption.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Matt Hancock and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 21st December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

We are sticking to the winter fuel allowance. We announced that in the spending review, and we have not changed our position. In addition, we have made permanent the £25 a week level of the cold weather payment. The previous Government had planned to return it to £8.50 a week. Imagine what that would be doing now to the millions of families who are suffering in the cold.

[Matthew Hancock (West Suffolk) (Con)]

What assessment has the Chief Secretary made of the impact of the CSR on business confidence, and especially the ability to take on new people? For instance, the Dalton’s peanut factory in my constituency is taking on more people because of the confidence in the stability plans set out by the Government.

Comprehensive Spending Review

Debate between Matt Hancock and Danny Alexander

Thursday 28th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

The cap that we propose, which will be debated in due course, is nearly £21,000-worth a year of housing benefit. That is more than equivalent to what most working families have to spend on their housing costs.

[Matthew Hancock (West Suffolk) (Con)]

Does the Minister think it fair that his, my and other constituents should pay so that some people can live in houses costing £500, £600 or more a week?

[Danny Alexander]

No, I do not think it is fair.

Finance Bill

Debate between Matt Hancock and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 6th July 2010 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

There were a lot of questions there but not a single apology for the record of the previous Government. The single measure announced by the previous Government that is included in the charts in the Budget Book is the national insurance change. We have chosen to introduce that measure, so it is legitimate that we have included it in the charts. Other measures that affect people on higher incomes such as the increase in capital gains tax for higher rate taxpayers, which the previous Government never chose to introduce, cannot be included in the tables, so the impact on the wealthiest may even be greater than is illustrated in the charts.

[Matthew Hancock (West Suffolk) (Con)]

Does not the Minister, like me, find it a bit rich that Opposition Members look only at part of the Budget, not the whole, after 13 years in which they did not once introduce a distributional table?

[Danny Alexander]

I agree with the hon. Gentleman. It is a bit rich coming from the Opposition, given that we have set out for the first time in any Budget its distributional impact.