Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rachel Reeves and Harriett Baldwin

Tuesday 21st January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Chair of the Treasury Committee.

[Dame Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con)]

Former Chair, Mr Speaker, but thank you very much for calling me.

It is clear that we all want to see economic growth in rural areas and across the UK, but I am concerned that some of the measures in the Chancellor’s Budget are having the opposite effect. Which statistic worries her most: the fact that we are at a 20-year high for business closures, or the 100% increase in millionaires leaving the UK?

[Rachel Reeves]

I have already outlined some of the positive numbers, including the upgrade in the IMF forecast, the PwC report and the fact that the economy had returned to growth in the most recent data and inflation is falling. Instead of talking our country down, I will be banging the drum to bring in investment and jobs to our country.

UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue

Debate between Rachel Reeves and Harriett Baldwin

Tuesday 14th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Reeves]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to say that economic growth has to be built on strong foundations, which is the approach of this Government. Our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower is consistent with that. If we can ween ourselves off fossil fuels and the oil of dictators, we will be more secure in our economy, because we will not have to import so much from overseas.

[Dame Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con)]

It is good to see the Chancellor back from China and to hear her reiterate that growth is her No. 1 mission, because we have not had any growth since her Budget. Given that accepting responsibility is the first step in solving a problem, will she accept that last October’s Budget has caused business confidence and growth prospects in this country’s economy to plunge?

[Rachel Reeves]

I thought for a moment that the hon. Lady was going to apologise for Liz Truss’s mini-Budget. Maybe she will do so on another occasion.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rachel Reeves and Harriett Baldwin

Tuesday 29th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Reeves]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is why we will ensure that the Low Pay Commission takes into account the cost of living, and why we will close the gap between the youth rate of minimum wage and the overall rate, so that all adults can be paid a fair wage for their work.

[Dame Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con)]

The living standards of a 90-year-old pensioner on a £13,500 income are falling sharply this winter as a result of the Chancellor’s decision to take away the winter fuel allowance. Tomorrow, she has the chance to increase the threshold. Will she take it?

Public Spending: Inheritance

Debate between Rachel Reeves and Harriett Baldwin

Monday 29th July 2024 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Reeves]

I thank my hon. Friend for her question. She speaks from her experience as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, and I agree with her entirely. The charter for budget responsibility will be published. We have already introduced legislation for the new fiscal lock that we set out in our manifesto, so that we can ensure that a Government can never again do what the previous Government did, which was to overspend by £22 billion within one year.

[Dame Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con)]

What a chilling political choice, to choose to take away the winter fuel allowance from a 90-year-old on an income of £10,000 a year. And that was a political choice. I want to ask the Chancellor more about productivity. She used the word once during her speech. What discussions has she had about improving productivity, which according to the Office for Budget Responsibility is still 5% lower in the public sector and has not recovered since the levels we enjoyed before the pandemic?

[Rachel Reeves]

The challenge of productivity sits across both the public and private sectors. In the last 14 years, productivity has flatlined in the public and private sectors and we need to boost both. We need to boost productivity in the public sector to ensure that we get better value for money for our public services, but we also need to improve productivity in our private sector so that we can improve living standards and have the money for our public services.