Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation

Debate between Paul Maynard and George Osborne

Tuesday 22nd March 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Osborne]

Let me address these points, and then I am happy to take interventions.

First, over 3 million disabled people are now in work, which is 300,000 more than just a couple of years ago. We are also providing more support than ever before for the most disabled people. The budget has risen, will continue to rise and is much greater than the one we inherited. We are going to take our time, listen, consult widely and continue to build a system of disability support that works much better with our health and social services. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said in his excellent statement yesterday, we will continue to support disabled people, and we will work with him to make sure that we do.

[Paul Maynard (Blackpool North and Cleveleys) (Con)]

Does the Chancellor agree with me that we can be a compassionate Conservative Government only if we have a strong, stable economy, with a reduced deficit, to enable us to protect the most vulnerable in society?

[Mr Osborne]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I was coming on to make precisely that point.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Paul Maynard and George Osborne

Tuesday 4th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Osborne]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. A record number of people are now employed in the north of England, but the gap between north and south grew under those 13 years of Labour government. If the House wants one example of a project that was waiting to be completed but was entirely neglected by the Labour Government, it is the Mersey Gateway bridge, which this Government are now building and to which they are committed—and, thanks to my hon. Friend’s campaigning, there will be no tolls for local residents.

[Paul Maynard]

I welcome the Chancellor’s obvious commitment to the northern economy. Does he agree that a commitment to exports will be at the heart of its regeneration, and will he join me in praising Victrex, a company in my constituency, which exports 97% of what it produces? Is that not what will drive a northern renaissance?

[Mr Osborne]

My hon. Friend, who is a powerful champion of the businesses in his constituency which employ local people, has told me about Victrex and its exporting success. That success is being replicated by other manufacturers in the north of England which are increasing their exports. The energy revolution in the Fylde area and on the Blackpool coast is creating the potential for a national college to develop the engineering and other skills that will be required. My hon. Friend has made a strong bid for that college to be in his constituency, and I am listening very carefully to the case that he is making.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Paul Maynard and George Osborne

Tuesday 24th June 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Osborne]

I agree with the previous Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, who said that Labour gets “smashed on the economy”.

[Paul Maynard (Blackpool North and Cleveleys) (Con)]

T8. Many trains now take longer to go from Liverpool to Manchester to Leeds than they did in the 19th century, so I welcome the Chancellor’s comment on HS3, but may I ask him to look particularly at how we can improve wider transport connectivity, not just an HS3 line?

[Mr Osborne]

High-speed connectivity across the Pennines is of course an important component of having the northern powerhouse, but it is also important to improve transport links within Lancashire, to Blackpool and other such places. We are going to be introducing electric trains on some of these lines in Lancashire from December, which will improve the quality of travel as well as the speed. As I said yesterday, when we also put in the franchise for the Northern rail line, we will be seeking to try to get better and more modern carriages, because one of the experiences of people living in the north is a feeling that the carriages are not as good as those in the south of England, and we want to address that in the franchise.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Paul Maynard and George Osborne

Tuesday 5th November 2013 Commons Chamber

[Paul Maynard (Blackpool North and Cleveleys) (Con)]

2. What assessment he has made of the effect of freezing fuel duty on the price of petrol.

[The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr George Osborne)]

Thanks to this Government’s action, pump prices are 13p a litre lower than they would have been under the previous Government’s plans. Provided we can find the savings to pay for it, my intention is to freeze fuel duty for the rest of this Parliament.

[Paul Maynard]

I thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. The cost of fuel is of great concern to many of my constituents. If he can freeze the price of fuel for the remainder of this Parliament, how much cheaper will petrol be, come the next election?

[Mr Osborne]

If we are able to freeze petrol prices for the rest of this Parliament, the price will 20p a litre lower than it would have been if we had stuck with the plans that the shadow Chancellor advocated at the last general election. That would mean, as my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary was just reminding us, a saving of over £10 every time people filled up their average car. That is what this Government are doing; by fixing the public finances, we are able to help people.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Paul Maynard and George Osborne

Tuesday 10th September 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Osborne]

I could give a more extensive answer and point out that, in Glasgow North West, which the hon. Gentleman represents in this Parliament, the claimant count is down this year and employment is up. In other words, we are turning the corner and putting right what went so disastrously wrong under the previous Government.

We have now had 50 minutes of this Treasury Question Time, and we are hunting for a Labour economic policy. We have not heard one advocated yet; maybe we will get one soon.

[Paul Maynard (Blackpool North and Cleveleys) (Con)]

T2. Many of my constituents have been adversely affected by the troubles at Equitable Life. May I please ask the Chancellor, on their behalf, for an update on the Government’s position?

[Mr Osborne]

I said in the Budget that we would make special ex gratia payments to Equitable Life policy holders who had bought their with-profits annuity before 1992. I said that we would try to make those payments as soon as possible, and I am pleased to be able to tell the House and the constituents of my hon. Friend, who represents them so well, that we can make those payments in this financial year, rather than in the next one as we originally predicted. We will shortly be writing to those annuitants with more information, but I can confirm that they will receive the money directly, without having to make an application. We are doing this not because we are legally obliged to do it but because, quite simply, it is the right thing to do.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Paul Maynard and George Osborne

Tuesday 6th September 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Osborne]

I can tell the House that Christine Lagarde will be in London on Friday. We will hear what she has to say then.

[Paul Maynard (Blackpool North and Cleveleys) (Con)]

6. What recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on steps to reduce Government budget deficits.

[The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr George Osborne)]

At the last G20 summit, advanced countries committed to implementing clear, credible, ambitious and growth-friendly medium-term fiscal consolidation plans, differentiated according to national circumstances. I will further discuss fiscal consolidation plans in the G7, G20 and IMF meetings later this month.

[Paul Maynard]

Does the Chancellor agree with the IMF’s most recent assessment that strong fiscal consolidation remains essential?

[Mr Osborne]

That is, of course, absolutely what the IMF said in its recent article IV assessment—and we remember the article IV assessments at the end of the previous Labour Government. It asks explicitly whether the UK Government should change their policy, and it says no. That is the advice of the IMF. Last July, the Labour party voted against Britain paying its subscriptions to the IMF. Frankly, I do not think that Labour Members should talk about the IMF in Treasury questions until they agree with paying the subs.