Oral Answers to Questions

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi Excerpts

Wednesday 13th March 2024 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) (Lab)]

1. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the cost of living in Wales.

[Ben Lake (Ceredigion) (PC)]

4. What recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on supporting rural areas in Wales with the cost of living.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi).

[Mr Dhesi]

Diolch, Mr Speaker. Just as the cost of living crisis here demands urgent action for my constituents in Slough, the cost of living crisis in Wales demands it for the good people of Wales, especially as households face being £870 worse off under this Government’s tax plan. Shockingly, a Which? survey has found that one in five working-age parents in Wales is skipping meals owing to high food prices. What recent conversations has the Secretary of State had with supermarkets about keeping the cost of food down?

[David T. C. Davies]

I hope the hon. Gentleman will recognise and welcome the fact that, as a result of the policies being pursued by this Government, inflation has fallen from more than 11% to about 4%. I hope he will also agree that workers throughout Wales will be very pleased with the cut in national insurance contributions, which means that on average they will be £642 better off. If he is really concerned about the plight of working parents in Wales, I hope he will ask his colleagues in the Welsh Labour Government to roll out the childcare initiatives that are being rolled out in England, but not by them in Wales.