Oral Answers to Questions

John Bercow Excerpts

Tuesday 21st June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Osborne]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. All with specific reference to the level of debt as a proportion of GDP.

[Mr Osborne]

I see that the shadow Chancellor is following his former master’s habit of straying from the direct area of his brief, but there we go. Let me deal directly with Libya. What I told the House at the time was that the cost estimated at the time by the Ministry of Defence was in the tens of millions of pounds, and the Ministry of Defence is planning to provide an update to the House on the full costs, I think within the next week.

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[Mr Osborne]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. There is no requirement or need for the Chancellor to comment on Opposition policy. I would have thought that we had grasped that point by now.

[Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab)]

In reaction to this year’s Budget, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said that, if the Chancellor is to meet his borrowing targets, he will be

“now even more dependent on a bounce back in the rate of economic growth from 2013”.

Borrowing has already been £1.5 billion higher in the first two months of this financial year than it was in the same period last year, as the Chancellor’s tax rises and spending cuts kick in. If growth outturns fail to meet the forecasts, will the Government change their plans on borrowing?

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[Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon) (Con)]

We are already spending £120 million a day on debt interest. What figure does the Minister think would be reached if we had not increased VAT?

[Mr Speaker]

Order. We should be focusing on inflation. I call the Minister to answer, very briefly.

[Mr Gauke]

I shall try to focus on inflation, Mr Speaker, but I think that it is important to the economy all round, in terms of inflation and of other factors, for us to maintain credibility. That is something that the Government have and the Opposition, I am afraid, do not.

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[Mr Hoban]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The hon. Gentleman refers to letters but the question is about the rate of job creation in the private sector; I think the hon. Gentleman meant to say that.

[Mr Hoban]

Indeed. If the hon. Gentleman will let me have details, I will look into the matter for him.

[Mr Donohoe]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply I have just received, I will seek a debate on the Adjournment.

[Mr Speaker]

I am extremely grateful. Under the procedures of the House, as colleagues are aware, we must proceed to the next question.

[Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab)]

14. What assessment he has made of the progressive effects of the measures in the June 2010 Budget which have been implemented to date.

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[The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Justine Greening)]

rose—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Mr Ruane, I want to hear the Minister’s answer.

[Justine Greening]

The right hon. Gentleman’s hearing must be suffering, because he obviously did not hear my earlier answer to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish (Andrew Gwynne).