1. What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on funding for the infected blood compensation scheme. (901852)

My thoughts today are with all those whose lives have been changed forever and the families who have lost loved ones through the contaminated blood scandal. I have very close friends who lost brothers and cousins nearly 40 years ago. Nothing can undo the suffering they have endured, and this Government are totally committed to recognising that profound hurt and injustice. Eligible claimants will receive the compensation they are due. We will continue working across Government to ensure that justice is delivered and compensation reaches the victims as quickly as possible.

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that answer, and I am sure the whole House echoes his sentiments. There is concern among claimants, particularly those claiming for the estates of those who have passed on, because under Government regulations, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority is required to claw back overpayments. These are people who have been traumatised over many years, and those errors—Government errors, not errors on the part on the claimants—are causing distress and forcing people to relive their experiences. Can we ensure that Government and Treasury rules and regulations do not require IBCA to reclaim overpayments in this way?

My hon. Friend has been a campaigner in this House for almost the whole time he and I have been here—we were elected together in 1997—and he raises an important point. If overpayments happen, it is the responsibility of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to deal with them, and the IBCA appears to be reviewing a small number of cases. The Treasury has agreed that the authority can continue paying compensation under the scheme while it conducts those reviews. I have asked the authority to keep us updated on those reviews, and I will certainly do the same for my hon. Friend.

Further to the question that the hon. Member for Eltham and Chislehurst (Clive Efford) has asked, some people and their families face delays in getting their money. For some families in Northern Ireland, the years catch up with them, their health catches up with them and they pass away, so I want to ensure that in the lifetime they have in this world—the short time that some of them have left—the moneys they are due actually get there. What has been done to ensure that those who are still waiting for compensation get it as a matter of urgency?

The IBCA is following the inquiry’s recommendations about priority payments. It is prioritising claims from individuals who are sadly nearing the end of their lives, followed by those in older age groups. In the past two years, over £2.3 billion in compensation has been paid out to people who are either infected or affected, and I say to the hon. Gentleman—who has also been a long-term campaigner on this issue—that the Treasury is playing its part. We are making sure that those payments can be made through the annually managed expenditure, so there is no constraint on the payments that can be made under Treasury rules.

2. What discussions he has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on the impact of the withdrawal of the family protection plan by CMutual and Maiden Life Försäkrings on policyholders. (901853)

I thank my hon. Friend for his work on the family protection plan issue, which I know affects hundreds of his constituents and many other people. As he knows, we have engaged with the FCA on the impact of its withdrawal. I want to see this matter resolved in a satisfactory way, and I look forward to engaging with him further to that end.

I thank my right hon. and learned Friend for her response and her work on this matter. The most vulnerable families paid FPP funeral cover for 25 years because it was all they could afford, and data shows that since its withdrawal, only 3% of policyholders have been able to secure alternative cover and at least 61 people have died without funeral protection. Despite numerous industry forum meetings to explore redress, no solutions have been agreed, even for the oldest and most vulnerable. Will my right hon. and learned Friend meet me, MPs with affected constituents and the independent coalition of credit unions as a matter of urgency, so that we can try to identify any possible next steps?

I will. As I said, I want to see this matter resolved in a satisfactory way, not least due to the ongoing harm that my hon. Friend describes.

3. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the autumn Budget 2026 on household living costs. (901854)

10. What steps he has taken to help reduce the cost of living. (901861)

My Budget last week took action to help people worried about the pressure of winter bills. A £100 household energy payment will be made directly to people’s bank accounts in 20 million households. We have the VAT cut from electricity bills, the 5p cut to fuel duty extended through the winter to July and standing charges removed entirely from gas bills next year. This action gives people a bit of breathing space with the cost of living pressures, and I am asking banks to pay a bit more to fund this help for households this winter.

The Treasury is cutting £1 billion from the warm homes fund, including a smaller than planned pot for the boiler upgrade scheme. Combined with tax rises on heat pumps, these cuts risk creating a boom-and-bust cycle for installers and leaving more households exposed to the volatility of the oil and gas market. Can the Chancellor explain how cutting support for clean heating is consistent with the Government’s own mission for a clean energy transition?

Our priority is to give people who are facing a winter of worry with rising energy bills just a bit of relief. That is why the priority is the £100 paid directly into people’s bank accounts, which will go to 20 million households. That is four in five households in England, and it will reach nine out of 10 of the poorest third of families. It is timely, it is targeted and it is fair. It is a choice that this Government have made in the Labour Budget that I delivered last week.

Yesterday, Trussell and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation wrote to the Prime Minister criticising the Government for freezing local housing allowance, saying that it will not help people with the cost of living and will critically undermine plans to end rough sleeping. Does the Chancellor agree with those national charities and Citizens Advice in my Woking constituency that rent support must be tied to actual rent levels?

Rent allowance and how we best support the increase in the building of council and social housing were also part of my Budget announcements. They were not just about having a bit of breathing space and relief from the pressures that people immediately face, but action to start the long-term fix to our housing, including help for first-time buyers who do not have the backing of mum and dad and help to get council and social housing built in this country.

The measures in the Budget to help with the cost of living through cuts in energy bills were welcome. The Chancellor also said that he would adopt one of the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee’s recommendations not to add further policy costs to bills, but can I encourage him to look at one of our other recommendations, which is to move policy costs from electricity to gas? That would help people take up electric heat and batteries, which will enable them to take advantage of the tariffs that are available now.

The action I took in the Budget last week was on top of help that the Government have given this year to help across the board with energy costs. It included some of the measures that my hon. Friend’s Committee has urged us to look at. Going into this Budget, I was conscious of the pressures and the worry that people have about rising energy bills, which are driven by the Iran war. My priority was therefore the steps we have taken: extending the 5p cut to fuel duty, extending the VAT cut on electricity bills, and removing the standing charge from gas bills for next year. Above all, we will see the direct payment of £100 into the bank accounts of 20 million households in January, which will help at that point of maximum pressure as people face those winter bills.

The Treasury Committee has done an enormous amount of work not only on the household bills situation, but also on the impact on graduates who still have significant debts. Can the Chancellor promise that when things do improve, he will look again at this burning issue for so many of our constituents?

I will indeed. We will keep an eye on that, and no doubt we will return to it. However, I say to my hon. Friend, as I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Sefton Central (Bill Esterson), that the Budget provides for immediate action to help with the cost of living pressures and give people a bit of breathing space over the winter, but also for action to make deep reforms to our energy system that will bring prices down for business and for households in the long term. That means an end to the standing charges on gas bills, an end to Government policy costs simply loaded on to consumer bills through levies, and an end to buying and building new generation that does not bring cheaper as well as cleaner energy and cannot be connected to the grid. This is a Budget with immediate action to deal with the cost of living pressures, and action for the long-term changes that are necessary to bring British energy bills down in line with those in Europe.

At the weekend the Chancellor said that the Budget would provide breathing space for families and working people, so will he tell the House today whether he agrees with his Minister, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, who thinks that employers are not working people?

Of course they are. That is why, in the Budget, I protected income that is earned. I protected income that is earned through dividends which are reinvested in business. I promised a “breathing space” Budget, and that is what I have delivered: help with the cost of living pressures and help with the cost of business pressures, with 70,000 high street businesses taken out of business rates altogether to lift our local areas, including the right hon. Lady’s constituency. Just as I am asking banks to assist with the cost of this help for households through the winter, I am asking gambling operators, big online sellers and vape shops to pay a bit more to help our high streets, and I hope the right hon. Lady will back that.

With too many Derby residents dreading their bills as the nights draw in, I welcome the news that 93% of the households in our city will be given £100 of breathing space in their energy bills this winter, but whether it is the weekly shop or filling the car, budgets are being stretched from every direction. What other steps can the Chancellor take to give families who are struggling to make ends meet the extra breathing space that they need?

My hon. Friend is right to highlight the 93% of families in Derby who will have this £100 payment paid directly into their accounts at the beginning of the winter. Let me also point out to him that the VAT cut on electricity bills from the first week of this Government is extended through the winter and the spring to July, just as the 5p cut in fuel duty is extended through the winter, through the spring and to July. We are also taking standing charges off gas bills next year to help relieve the pressure that people face and the worry over energy bills.

I call the shadow Minister.

The Office for Budget Responsibility said last week that higher taxes were weighing on living standards, with the tax burden heading for a record high. The Budget was a missed opportunity for the Chancellor to cut the cost of living by cutting taxes, but instead his answer was to cut the price of gherkins. The Chancellor promised “breathing space” nine times in his speech; does he really think that 6p a day in savings amounts to breathing space for hard-working families?

There will be a council tax cut in the new year. A VAT cut in electricity bills will be extended. A 5p cut in fuel duty will be extended through next winter and into July.

This is also a Budget that has rejected broad-based tax rises. This is a Government and a Budget making sure that we close the loopholes and target the measures we are taking at those who can pay, and pay what they owe. All those policies in the Budget are fully funded, because underpinning all is the fiscal discipline that is needed to rebuild confidence in this country, and confidence in our ability to manage our finances that were so badly damaged by the Truss mini-Budget in 2022.

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

The Government’s use of the outdated council tax system to roll out their energy support package has led to an absurd situation whereby between 800,000 and 1.4 million people on low incomes will miss out on the £100, while a wealthy couple who have retired early and have downsized are set to benefit. There is absolutely no excuse for this. The Government could have followed our plan to use existing DWP and HMRC data to roll out a targeted essential energy guarantee, getting the most help to those who need it most, so why on earth did they not do so?

The hon. Lady disappoints me. Nine out of 10 of the poorest households will benefit from the £100 direct payment. Four out of five households in total—20 million—will benefit from this. She will have seen in the Budget that, for those who do struggle, I have also put an extra £100 million into the special fund that local authorities have to administer. They can make payments in hardship cases for those under extreme pressure, and I encourage her to point people to that.

4. What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on increasing apprenticeship opportunities for young people. (901855)

25. What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on increasing apprenticeship opportunities for young people. (901876)

My hon. Friends are entirely right to focus on the need for more apprenticeship opportunities for young people. Reversing the 40% decline in youth apprenticeships since 2016 is a top priority. That is why the Government are investing £3.3 billion in apprenticeships, and why the Chancellor has announced the expansion of local apprenticeship services to all mayors.

In Swindon, Honda trained up about 170 apprentices over the years, giving young people real access to good, high-skilled, well-paid jobs. When Honda left, so did those opportunities. Will the Minister outline what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the DWP to ensure that Swindon gets better access to apprenticeships for young people in the future?

I thank my hon. Friend for his question; it is absolutely the right question. We all know that there are so many young people in our communities who would benefit from the clear transition from education into the world of work that an apprenticeship provides. We are supporting employers to provide that bridge, with a new £2,000 grant for small and medium-sized enterprises recruiting apprentices aged 16 to 24. That is in addition to the fully funded training costs for eligible young apprentices at all businesses.

Every year on A-level results day, I hold a youth drop-in event at Market Place in Bolton town centre to connect young people with the skills, opportunities and training that I benefited from myself. Every year, young people tell me that they would benefit from more apprenticeships. What further action is the Chancellor taking to work with employers, colleges and training providers to expand apprenticeship places and ensure that young people in constituencies like mine can access the skills and training needed for successful careers?

Let me congratulate my hon. Friend on her important work, and on what sounds like a feature of the calendar in her constituency. All parts of society have a role to play in tackling the challenges we face when it comes to young people’s participation in the world of work. When it comes to apprenticeships, we have already reformed the levy to make sure that there is £1 billion extra over this spending review period, which will provide 50,000 more young apprenticeships. I note that over half of the apprenticeship starts in her constituency involve young people, but we need to make sure there are many more in the years ahead.

Construction is a key sector for apprenticeships, yet the 1.5 million target for homes has been dropped. In London, the city we are in, the Government are meeting just 5% of their target. [Interruption.] It is 5%. There are no apprenticeships coming through, and we see Landsec, Taylor Wimpey and other companies in London pulling back even further. When will the Government recognise that stamp duty is standing in the way of getting those apprenticeships going, getting those houses built and getting this economy growing once again?

Let me start on a point of agreement: I think that all of us in the House value the role of the construction sector and want to see more houses built. The right hon. Gentleman will know that we have introduced new foundation apprenticeships in the construction sector to get more young people into that route. In London, we do need to see more building. That is why we have announced a new package of reforms with the Mayor of London to make sure that we get the building rates up, but Conservative Members cannot stand in this House and say that they support house building, and then oppose every planning permission that comes forward for building in their constituencies. That is not what this Government will do. Those houses will be built.

For a young person in a South Cotswolds village, the barrier to an apprenticeship is often just getting there. Buses are rare or non-existent, and the cost of running a car is out of reach on an apprentice’s pay. Will the Chancellor work with the Transport Secretary to cap bus fares at £1 and to fund more rural bus routes?

The hon. Lady is absolutely right to say that we want to see apprenticeships for young people in every part of the country, including in rural constituencies. That is why the Government have put in place the £2 bus fare in England, but we are obviously conscious that not everybody will be able to get a bus to their place of work, which is why the Chancellor has extended the freeze to fuel duty right the way through to next summer.

5. What fiscal steps he has taken to support public services in Scotland. (901856)

24. What steps he has taken to support economic growth in Scotland. (901875)

Last year, we provided the Scottish Government with a record spending review settlement, and last week at the Budget, we gave the Scottish Government a further £600 million through Barnett consequentials. We also announced £18 million for a UK advanced chip design academy led by Edinburgh University, £6 million to support the expansion of Glasgow’s Scottish event campus and £10 million of co-funding, with the Scottish Government, for two defence technical excellence colleges.

I thank the Minister for that answer. I very much welcome the extra investment coming to my home city of Glasgow, and I am sure Glasgow will make good use of it. Overall, I welcome the record funding that this Labour Government have delivered for Scotland. Does the Minister agree that the SNP Government should now drop the gimmicks, end the excuses and prioritise making Scotland’s public services fit for the future?

I agree with my hon. Friend. As she says, at the Budget we gave the Scottish Government an additional £600 million through Barnett consequentials on top of a record spending review settlement. Now we need the SNP Government to act to improve public services in Scotland with that money.

Small and medium-sized family businesses in the retail sector create jobs on our high streets and keep money circulating locally. In my constituency, these businesses include Pembertons sewing machines, the Radio Music Store in Bannockburn, Michael More the butcher in Cambusbarron and countless others. I welcome the Chancellor’s Budget support for high streets in England, including the two-year, real-terms business rates freeze. Does the Minister agree that Scottish businesses deserve the same, that the SNP should match this freeze in its Scottish Budget and that failure to do so would mean thousands of Scottish businesses missing out on much-needed relief?

As my hon. Friend says, the Chancellor last week froze business rates in real terms for high street businesses, and has taken 70,000 small businesses on the high street in England out of paying business rates altogether. We have given the devolved Government in Scotland the Barnett consequentials for that, and I urge them to follow our lead.

Economic growth in the north-east of Scotland and our green transition rely on the carbon capture and storage project at Peterhead. Would the Minister make clear what assessment the UK Government have made of whether it will still go ahead, given their massive cuts to the project?

I reassure the hon. Lady that we continue to support the Acorn project. The initial grant funding that this Government are providing until the end of 2026 remains in place, and we are exploring delivery through private investment and Government loans or equity investments in the future.

Can the Minister clarify the extent to which the data centre covenant announced in the Budget will apply in Scotland? She will be aware that there are some very significant applications in Scotland, not least in my own constituency, and that clarity is very important.

I thank the right hon. Member for his question, and suggest I write to him to set that out in more detail.

6. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of levels of Government borrowing on the economy. (901857)

The Government are bringing down borrowing, helping to bear down on inflation to support households and businesses. Last year, borrowing fell by 0.7% of GDP to its lowest level in six years, and borrowing is forecast to fall across the forecast period to 1.8% of GDP by 2031-32.

Does the Minister understand just how devastating the effects of his Government’s spending, taxing and borrowing policies are for my constituents in Romford? Does he recall that the last time we had a Prime Minister who understood that we need low taxes, a smaller state and lower borrowing was in 1990? Then the national debt was 21% of GDP; now it is heading for 100%. Will he please reduce the size of the state, cut taxes for hard-working people and start to live within our means?

This Government are bringing down borrowing. That is why the IMF has said that the UK saw the biggest reduction in the G20’s deficit levels this year. It has said that the UK stands out for having a borrowing reduction plan, with borrowing falling every year across this forecast.

The hon. Member was of course a member of a Government who saw debt levels go through the roof over the past 14 years. This is a Government getting on with reducing our borrowing so that we can bring debt down in the longer term. The only numbers that Reform Members talk about is how many millions of pounds their boss can take from crypto-billionaires around the world. We will deal with the public finances. Stop taking money from the crypto-billionaires!

I call the Chair of the Treasury Committee.

Borrowing is high and I welcome some of the measures in the Budget, but we need to look at how every pound of taxpayers’ money is spent. Will the Minister reassure me that he and in particular his colleague, the Chief Secretary of to the Treasury, will be holding every spending Department tightly to account in the spending review, not just for future spending but for managing existing projects, so that every tax pound is spent as wisely as possible?

My hon. Friend is, as always, right. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has heard every word she has said. There will be a spending review next year. It is important that we debate not just the levels of that spending, but how we ensure every single pound is spent well, whether on defence, health, education or anything else.

I call the shadow Minister.

That was a shockingly complacent response by the Government Minister. The latest Office for Budget Responsibility forecast shows that this Labour Government will borrow nearly a quarter of a trillion pounds more in just two years, this year and next year, costing every household an extra £476 a year in additional debt interest. Does the Chancellor accept not only that was this Budget a lost opportunity to bring borrowing under control, but that Labour’s addiction to borrowing is bleeding the British people dry?

Our record is reducing borrowing. The hon. Member’s record is being a Minister under Liz Truss. What is the Leader of the Opposition’s big idea now? It is appointing the Liz Truss fanboy and coming back to the Liz Truss playbook, promising over £30 billion of unfunded tax cuts. The Conservative party is offering lettuce-wilting levels of fiscal incontinence.

7. What fiscal steps he is taking to increase the competitiveness of the refining sector. (901858)

At the Budget, the Government announced that they intend to expand to refinery products the CBAM—the carbon border adjustment mechanism—subject to the consultation launched on Budget day.

I welcome the Government’s announcement in last week’s Budget of the intention to expand the scope of the CBAM to include refinery products. That is critical to preventing carbon leakage by ensuring that British refineries are on a level playing field when compared with imported refined products. It will protect thousands of jobs in Pembrokeshire and strengthen our energy national security. Will the Minister set out a clear timetable for implementation? What assurances will he provide on protecting the competitiveness of the export sector for refineries in this country?

My hon. Friend has been a strong representative of the workers at the Pembroke refinery. He has been campaigning on this issue for a long time and I thank him for his continued engagement. His constituents should know that he definitely has their back. The Government have launched a consultation and are seeking views from a range of stakeholders on the practical, technical and economic considerations of any potential expansion. This is, as my hon. Friend will know, a complex area and it is important that we take the time to get the detail right.

Critical to the competitiveness of the refinery sector is the taxation of the companies. I know we have just had the Budget, but will the Treasury keep in mind for forthcoming fiscal events that essential element to competitiveness in the sector?

I thank the hon. Member for his question. The Government have been considering a replacement for the energy profits levy. From 2030, or sooner if prices fall below the relevant thresholds, the new and improved design of the tax for the long term, the oil and gas revenue levy, will be coming into force.

I call the shadow Minister.

Oil is the lifeblood of the refinery sector, but the Government missed an opportunity to back this foundational industry both upstream and downstream. The Rosebank oilfield is already priced into the OBR’s assumptions. If that does not get the go-ahead, it will be back to the drawing board, Chancellor—won’t it? Is the fiscal headroom not already thin and will it not disappear even more if Rosebank does not get the go-ahead? The reality is that this Budget is built on sand.

It was the Opposition who fluffed it when it came to approving Rosebank and Jackdaw. They could not make sure that they signed the right paperwork at the right time. We had to clean up their mess in that and a whole range of other areas.

8. What fiscal steps he is taking to support high streets and town centres. (901859)

21. What fiscal steps he is taking to support high streets and town centres. (901872)

23. What fiscal steps he is taking to support high streets and town centres. (901874)

At the Budget, we announced a two-year real-terms freeze to business rates bills for all retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England; cut bills by an extra 20% for pubs and all but the largest live music venues; and removed 70,000 smaller properties from business rates altogether. Taken together, these measures show how the Government are backing our high streets: all retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England are seeing their business rates frozen in real terms, reduced, or cut to zero.

My constituents and I welcome the Budget measures to support small businesses in Ilford South, including the business rates freeze for retail, hospitality and leisure properties, which will benefit more than a thousand businesses across my constituency. Will the Chancellor outline what further fiscal steps the Government are taking to support high street businesses, such as those in my constituency, to encourage investment and ensure that our town centres remain vibrant, thriving places for generations to come?

I am very glad to hear that more than a thousand retail, hospitality and leisure properties in Redbridge may benefit from a real-terms freeze in their business rates bills, giving them real breathing space over the next two years. We are also helping high street businesses through our new high streets strategy, which was published at the Budget, providing £210 million to transform derelict buildings into the new anchors of our high streets across the country.

The changes to business rates announced in last week’s Budget will provide some much-needed breathing space for many businesses in Weston-super-Mare, Worle and the villages. However, thriving high streets and coastal communities such as mine depend on businesses being able to take on new staff, particularly local young people. At a roundtable I held with small businesses last week, the cost and difficulty of employing young people were raised repeatedly as a major concern. What more can the Treasury do to ease those financial pressures, and will the Minister provide more information about the new high streets strategy and how the Treasury will ensure that vision is matched with funding?

The Government want to support businesses in Weston-super-Mare and across the country to take on young people in particular, which is why our youth jobs grant offers businesses £3,000 for every young person they hire aged 18 to 24 who has been on universal credit and looking for work for six months. Businesses also benefit from targeted employer national insurance contribution reliefs for young people, meaning that employers pay no employer NICs on earnings up to just over £50,000 for employees up to the age of 21 and for apprentices under 25—a saving of nearly £7,000 per eligible employee per year.

I thank my right hon. Friend for his answer. I welcome last week’s Budget and its efforts to create breathing space for people and businesses—[Interruption.] It does indeed. Watford has a popular high street. I have met local business owners post Budget, and they are keen to see the Government cut red tape and stimulate growth. Will my right hon. Friend outline some of the specific measures the Government are taking to help our high streets?

As my hon. Friend points out, the Government are working to reduce red tape for businesses in Watford and right across the country by making progress towards our target of cutting the annual admin burden of regulation for businesses by 25% by the end of this Parliament. As I have mentioned, we published our high streets strategy at the Budget, which is backed by £210 million of new funding that will bring vacant and derelict properties back into use, support the growth of co-ops and mutuals and help more communities to take ownership of valued local assets.

I recently received an email from a publican in my constituency, who said:

“I cannot find people willing to work minimum wage because they earn more on benefits, I cannot give my experienced staff a pay rise because minimum wage increases eat into my budget, and often people will turn up for interviews only to demonstrate that they are ‘looking for work’ at the Jobcentre before bunking off on their first day.”

Can the Minister explain why he has used the Budget to compound the problems of an unaffordable minimum wage and an out-of-control welfare system?

It is important that people get paid for the work that they do in a fair way. It is also important that we support our pubs, which are much loved in communities across the country. That is why one of the first announcements that the Prime Minister made when he came into office in July was an extra 20% cut in business rates bills for pubs and live music venues. That was confirmed at the Budget and will be implemented from next year. It will help pubs across our country to thrive, including those in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency.

While the Budget provides some welcome support for high streets, so many businesses in Tiverton and Minehead tell me that excessive costs, regulation and red tape remain a drag on growth. Does the Minister agree that lasting economic growth will require not just short-term support but fundamental reform of business rates and tax administration so that businesses can invest, expand and create jobs with confidence?

I agree with some of the principles behind the hon. Lady’s comments. In addition to the breathing space that the Budget delivered, we are beginning work to help businesses and the economy to grow in the long run. She mentioned the importance of us cutting red tape and bureaucracy. Indeed, as I mentioned just a moment ago, we are cutting the regulatory admin burden on businesses by 25% by the end of this Parliament, which is critical to taking some of the pressures off businesses to allow them to invest, grow and succeed in their local communities.

At my business club in my constituency last week—before the Budget—businesses on the high street, including ones that will be well known to the Minister, told me about their concerns. They have not been assuaged by this Budget. What will the Government do to reduce the tax burdens on the hospitality and tourism industry, and when will that happen?

April 2027, as we announced at the Budget. As I set out in my earlier responses, to help businesses on high streets across the country we are making sure that all retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England get a real-terms two-year freeze in their business rates bills or see them reduced or cut to zero.

I call the shadow Minister.

I have been sitting here listening to the Minister give some sort of victory lap on business rates. It is like the Government have broken the high street’s leg, given it a crutch and are now asking for a thank you. The British Retail Consortium called the Chancellor’s business rates package a “smoke and mirrors announcement”. I call it a missed opportunity to fix their cut in business rates relief from 75% to 40%. Why does he not just back the Conservatives’ plan to abolish business rates for 250,000 businesses on high streets across our country?

The hon. Gentleman talks about missed opportunities. When the Conservatives were in government they missed the opportunity for 14 years to support high streets properly. This Government are giving real support to businesses on high streets across the country from April next year, starting with the 20% saving for pubs that the Prime Minister announced in July. Added to that, we are taking 70,000 small RHL businesses out of paying business rates altogether and giving a real-terms two-year freeze to all other RHL businesses in England. That is real help for businesses, helping them to succeed.

9. What fiscal steps he has taken in the autumn Budget 2026 to help support small businesses in the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency. (901860)

As I was just saying, the Government are backing high streets and small businesses with a package that means that all retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England will see their business rates frozen in real terms, reduced or cut to zero. The Government are also helping employers, particularly small and medium employers, to recruit the workers that they need by expanding local apprenticeship services and providing eligible small and medium-sized enterprises with a £2,000 hiring payment when recruiting young workers.

I welcome the fact that a significant number of independent high street businesses across Bexleyheath and Crayford will be released from having to pay business rates from next April as a result of those decisions. One of those businesses is the Bird & Barrel micropub in Barnehurst, which also runs the hugely popular Bexley Brewery in Slade Green. Will the Minister outline the additional support that will be given to small alcohol producers and brewers as a result of the decisions in the Budget?

I thank my hon. Friend for letting us know about the Bird & Barrel and Bexley Brewery, which both sound worth a visit. I am very glad that at the Budget last week the Chancellor was able to offer support specifically for small brewers by announcing an increase in the generosity of small producer relief. The changes made move to a more generous discount taper for products under 3.5% ABV and uprate the marginal discount for products between 3.5% and 8.4% by retail prices index plus an additional 10%. That will provide £10 million of support per year to over 2,000 small alcohol producers across the country.

11. What estimate he has made of the number of child trust funds received by intended beneficiaries. (901862)

The last Labour Government introduced child trust funds with the intention that every child in the country could access a financial asset as they entered adulthood. Almost 3 million young people have already accessed their funds, currently containing an average of £2,600 each. Today, we are announcing that we are making fund access simpler for those who lack mental capacity, meaning that tens of thousands more young people will benefit from their funds. I thank my hon. Friend for his campaigning alongside my hon. Friend the Member for Hyndburn (Sarah Smith) in particular; I know they both care deeply about this issue.

I congratulate the Minister on her announcement, which will enable over 120,000 young people who lack capacity to access their child trust funds. That will make a huge difference to them. As she is aware, there are an estimated 800,000 unclaimed child trust funds, worth approximately £1.3 billion. What steps is she taking to enable those young people, who often are unaware of the existence of those funds, to access them? Will she work with the Share Foundation to find a long-term solution?

I will. I thank my hon. Friend again for the work he has done in this area. We are working with the Share Foundation as well as other industry partners. We have also set up a child trust fund taskforce to improve tracing and to customise communication and engagement, all with the aim of putting more young people in touch with their child trust funds.

This is fantastic news—so many people have campaigned for it over so many years. I thank my colleague Baroness Kramer in the Lords, who helped by tabling an amendment to the Financial Services and Markets Bill that has brought us to this point. Will the Minister join me in paying tribute to my constituent Andrew Turner, who was one of the first parents to discover this issue when his child Mikey reached the age of 18 six years ago and has campaigned tirelessly on it? He has done a fantastic job. Would she like to congratulate him?

I would, and I am grateful for the opportunity to do so. I congratulate Mr Turner and indeed the hon. Member on all their work.

This change on children’s trust funds is a huge win for the campaigners who have fought for six years to see it. I know that it means a huge deal to my constituents Paula and Andy Gilbert and their son James. What is the timescale for when these families will be able to access their money?

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for all the work she has done in this area, including with Mr Turner. I will table an amendment to the Financial Services and Markets Bill, the Second Reading of which is next week, which will enable the Ministry of Justice to make regulations to put the change into action.

As a YMCA parliamentary patron, I visited the YMCA’s home in Glastonbury, which works alongside Street Foyer to support young people, including care leavers. Many care leavers had child trust funds opened by the state but have no parent or guardian to tell them that the money exists. They need it the most. What is the Minister doing to ensure that every care leaver receives the savings that are rightfully theirs?

We are looking at that issue via the child trust fund taskforce. I am more than happy to communicate further with the hon. Member on it.

12. What steps he is taking to help deliver economic growth through advanced manufacturing. (901863)

Our 10-year advanced manufacturing sector plan backs jobs, investment and growth, and we have committed up to £4.3 billion to the advanced manufacturing sector to 2030.

Although Portsmouth is on the south coast, its legacy of deindustrialisation and privatisation brings us challenges familiar to many cities and towns across the north. Reindustrialisation must be national and not confined to the north.

The loss of shipbuilding under the Tories devastated Pompey, but we are resilient and proud, and—despite huge losses—have retained a world-class defence cluster in advanced manufacturing and hugely skilled jobs in companies such as Accuracy International, Harwin, Griffon Marine and Airbus. To enable real reindustrialisation across the whole country, will the Minister commit to a national reindustrialisation strategy that protects advanced manufacturing, backs innovation and drives growth?

My hon. Friend is right to raise the importance of reindustrialisation. Too many places were harmed by the deindustrialisation that accelerated in the 1980s. The need for more good jobs in more parts of England matters in the south, as well as in the north; it matters in our towns, as well as in our urban centres; and, of course, it matters in Portsmouth too. My hon. Friend is a strong advocate for her community, and I look forward to working with her to build on Portsmouth’s proud industrial and maritime strengths.

As chair of the all-party parliamentary group for ethics and sustainability in fashion, I ask why our military and NHS uniforms are made overseas in countries like China, when factories in my constituency are ready, and can stimulate the local economy and provide jobs. Will the Minister use public procurement to bring advanced textile manufacturing back to Britain and will he meet me to discuss how?

The hon. Member raises an important issue. It also touches on the broader topic that this Government are focusing on relentlessly: through reforms to procurement, backing British business and ensuring that more of the goods and services that the British Government buy are built and made here in the UK.

Topical Questions

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities. (901877)

Three weeks ago, I attended the International Monetary Fund annual meeting. The IMF said that Britain now “stands out” among G7 nations for our fiscal credibility. Last week, my Budget continued that progress. It was a Budget built on fiscal discipline—I meet our fiscal rules and bring borrowing down in every year of the forecast period—and it means that the UK is set to reduce the deficit by more than any other G7 country by 2029. This Budget was a clear political choice: to give Britain breathing space today and fresh hope for the future. As our new Treasury analysis shows, our overall winter support will benefit those with the lowest incomes most. This is how Britain will help British families in the midst of the Iran war—a war that the Conservative party wanted to jump straight into. This support is funded by a fair and time-limited tax on banks, which the Conservatives oppose. This is our choice. This is our Budget. This is a Budget for working people.

The Chancellor is very well aware of the threat to our economy of Russian cyber and physical attacks, but the UK public are not. My recent report, “The Putin Tax”, found that it was already costing the economy in excess of £2.5 billion a year and each taxpayer more than £100 a year. With families facing rising bills, I am sure that people would much rather spend that money themselves than give it to a dictator like Vladimir Putin. Will the Chancellor help to fulfil the Prime Minister’s recent commitment to me by gathering and publishing the data on the cost of Russian attacks so the public know how much Putin is costing their family?

I thank my hon. Friend for his important work. We know that Putin’s aggression is imposing real costs both on Ukraine and here at home. That is why we provided an extra £10 billion of new economic and military support for Ukraine in the Budget, alongside new investment to bolster Britain’s cyber-defences. We will continue to stand up to Russian aggression and to strengthen Britain’s security in order to ensure that Putin does not succeed in undermining us here, in this country.

I call the shadow Chancellor.

Last week, the Chancellor had his chance to get debt under control. Instead, the Office for Budget Responsibility confirmed that it will rise—every single year. It is another missed opportunity. The national debt is now the equivalent of £100,000 for every household. It is why we recently had the highest borrowing costs for 30 years. As a result of the Chancellor’s policies, the Bank of England is expected to raise interest rates this week. Will he now admit that it is his failure to get a grip on borrowing that will be causing rates to rise?

The Budget confirms that borrowing will fall every year during the next period. Debt will start falling from 2028-29. The hon. Gentleman is right that we inherited a debt mountain. We inherited that as part of the consequence of the disastrous mini-Budget that he was part of in the Treasury team. It crashed the economy and it collapsed confidence in Britain’s fiscal strength. We are fixing his failures. The chief investment strategist for L&G said this week that our Budget makes the UK

“the adult in the room when it comes to fiscal discipline.”

The Conservatives have learned nothing. Their latest policies represent over £30 billion in unfunded tax cuts, with the wealthiest benefiting most. With Labour, we have got support for families; under the Tories, it is a return to the—

Order. We are rerunning the Budget—other people need to get in. Come on, folks, let’s help each other.

It is very clear that the Chancellor does not know how to get a grip on borrowing, so let me tell him. The Conservatives have laid out plans to cut over £70 billion of spending, and he is very welcome to copy them. The Prime Minister is thousands of miles away talking about wasting taxpayers’ money on reparations and debt forgiveness. This Government are happy to apologise for things that happened centuries ago but take no accountability of their actions today. Does the Chancellor agree that not a penny of taxpayers’ money should be used on reparations?

The Prime Minister has said that he is open to discussions about an apology for Britain’s role in the slave trade. He has also said that reparations are not the right approach. Considering a formal apology does not mean accepting that British people today should be held liable for the past, which they played no part in. The hon. Gentleman asks this question to distract from the Budget, but the questions that people are asking are these. Why does he not back the Budget action we have taken to give Britain a bit of breathing space? Why does he not back the action we are taking to fund that help this winter?

T3. Before the Budget, I wrote to the Chancellor to flag that many of the challenges facing the Ministry of Justice were rooted in long-term financial pressures. Austerity saw justice spending cut by a third, and although the Government have increased funding, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says that an additional £3.6 billion would be needed if we were to return to pre-austerity spending per person. Will the Treasury work with the Justice Secretary to ensure that our justice system is properly funded and that future crises are prevented? (901879)

Can I take this opportunity to congratulate my hon. Friend on her election as Chair of the Justice Committee? As she rightly says, we inherited a prison system at breaking point after 14 years of Tory mismanagement. At the spending review, we significantly increased the funding for the Ministry of Justice, with an additional £550 million for probation, £450 million for courts and £7 billion for prison places. We have already delivered 3,000 new places through the largest prison building programme since the Victorian era. I will continue to work with the Justice Secretary on the issues mentioned by my hon. Friend.

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

The Prime Minister and his Cabinet rightly point to Brexit as a major reason for the UK’s doom loop of low economic growth, and in two and a half weeks’ time, the Government will have an opportunity to do something about it. Rather than just discussing a timid UK-EU youth mobility scheme that should have been agreed months ago, will they start negotiations for a new growth and defence partnership as the only surefire way to put money back in people’s pockets and make the UK stronger, safer and more prosperous?

We have “been there, done that” on defence. At the EU summit later this month, we are faced with the chance to add billions to our economy and help with prices, with a new deal on food, drinks and farming. It is a chance to reinforce the collaboration on illegal immigration that will help to tackle the small boat smuggling gangs, and it is a recognition that the Brexit deal done by the Conservatives has just not been good for Britain. The Conservative party is opposing all the steps we are taking to improve Britain’s business trading, while we look for practical benefits to make it better.

T4. Given the recent forecasts around GDP growth in the years to come, does the Chancellor agree that improving living standards requires us to focus on GDP per capita, rather than merely on headline figures? To help that focus, will he consider a review of the personal tax code, looking at the cliff edges and perverse incentives that discourage work and investment, as part of the Government’s commitment to keep growth on track? (901880)

I totally agree with my hon. Friend that GDP per capita is what matters. It has grown by 2% so far since the election. It was revised up at the Budget after falling in the last Parliament. My hon. Friend is also right to raise the need for Government to look closely at the design of our tax and benefit system. We announced at the Budget the removal of the carer’s allowance cliff-edge, and I am sure that my right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury will keep further simplification and reform options under review.

T2. Hayling Island and Emsworth both need banking hubs funded by our high street banks. Is it not the case that the Government’s increase in the bank tax is a disincentive and a missed opportunity at a time when more banking hubs are needed? (901878)

As the hon. Member knows, we have a commitment already to 350 banking hubs. We are working with industry to deliver those 350 hubs over the course of this Parliament. We also have the access to banking review being done by Richard Lloyd. The end result will be more banking hubs across the country.

T5. Real progress was made in the Budget on the former mineworkers’ pensions, and I am very grateful to the Chancellor and the rest of the team for that, but there is more to do and time is pressing. Our mineworkers did incredibly difficult jobs in very challenging environments and kept the lights on for all of us—they deserve every penny of their pensions. Can the Chancellor tell me when we can expect an update on the release of the remaining funds? (901881)

I know my hon. Friend welcomes the step I took at the Budget that guarantees that every penny of the pension fund surplus will now go in full to miners. I know the job is not done; I will go on to ensure the full transfer of the guarantors fund. I want a way to resolve this in weeks, not months. That work is under way. It will be done jointly by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Treasury. I will ensure that my hon. Friend and other Members across this House from mining communities like mine are fully updated on that work.

T7. The OBR’s “Economic and fiscal outlook” published alongside the Budget last week included forecasted revenues from Rosebank. Yet the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero maintain that no decision has been taken on Rosebank. Will the Chancellor therefore acknowledge that if Rosebank is not approved, it will blow a huge hole in his Budget? (901883)

As I said at the Dispatch Box just a few minutes ago, it was the previous Government that totally fluffed up this decision, and these revenues were in the forecast since 2019. If the Conservatives are looking for a political party that is not able to take the right decisions to protect the future of our oil and gas industry, they should look in the mirror—it is them.

T6. Small businesses in Dartford that I spoke to immediately after the Budget, including Thaiger Thai, Ali’s Cafe and Albion’s Bakery, all hugely welcomed the measure to change the threshold for payment of business rates to £18,000. That will cut their costs and those of many other businesses across the constituency. What other measures can they and other high street businesses expect going forward to boost their growth and supplement our high streets? (901882)

I am glad that our business rates changes will benefit businesses in my hon. Friend’s constituency, as part of our measures to take 70,000 small retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England out of paying business rates altogether, as well as a 20% cut for pubs and the real-terms freeze for all RHL businesses across the country.

This morning at the Treasury Committee, I was taken aback by how ferocious Helen Miller from the Institute for Fiscal Studies was in decrying the Government’s founders’ relief. She suggested that it could lead to cliff-edges and contrived business redefinitions. Could one of the Ministers explain how founders’ relief will encourage investment and innovation, because there is enormous scepticism out there among the community of entrepreneurs that it will have a positive effect?

I fundamentally disagree with the right hon. Gentleman because entrepreneurs who I have spoken to welcome the founders’ relief that we introduced at the Budget last year to back some of the founders—some of those behind our fastest-growing businesses, creating wealth, jobs and opportunity in our country.

T8. The Chancellor rightly said last Wednesday that homelessness is a political choice. Does my right hon. Friend agree that hunger is a political choice as well? Earlier this month the Right to Food UK Commission published its final report, fully costed by Lord Prem Sikka, setting out credible reform to end food insecurity by 2035. Will my right hon. Friend meet me to discuss its recommendations? (901884)

My hon. Friend is right: nobody in our country should be relying on emergency food parcels. The Trussell Trust figures have shown falls over the last two years—for the first time since it has produced the data—but there is much more to do. I am happy to meet him.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, the hon. Member for Swansea West (Torsten Bell), and the Chancellor have both inadvertently misled the House by saying that Government borrowing is coming down. It is not: in the Budget, borrowing for this year will be almost £20 billion higher than at the March OBR forecast; and for the lifetime of the Budget book, it will be £65 billion higher.

I know that the hon. Member is excitable at best, but borrowing figures in the OBR’s forecasts are falling every single year as a share of GDP, and they will fall because of the decisions made by this Labour Government, who are getting borrowing down and rescuing our public services.

T9. Whether it is pubs like the Rockwood and Craftyard, cafés like Darlington’s or restaurants like Kuzzu, small businesses are the backbone of our economy in Aylesbury and the villages and the heart of our community. For many years it has been tough for them, but we are starting to turn a corner. Will the Minister set out how last week’s Budget will help our brilliant local businesses to invest, create jobs and grow? (901885)

We want to support our brilliant local businesses to succeed, and I hope that the Rockwood, Craftyard, Darlington’s and Kuzzu will benefit from some of our Budget measures, since all retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England will see their business rates frozen in real terms for two years, reduced or cut to zero.

New financial modelling on the Government’s proposals for an asylum camp at MOD Bicester site A, which affects many of my villages, shows that the per night, per person cost is two-and-a-half times that of the equivalent hotels. If it is cost control the Chancellor is after, surely he will tell the Home Secretary not to proceed with that plan.

We were left a terrible legacy by the Conservative party, and we have cut £1 billion from asylum costs during the time we have been in power.

One way to achieve growth in postcode PA1 is to revitalise our high street, and the best way to do that is to back the redevelopment of the Paisley centre, which lies at the heart of it. This is a shovel-ready project that received planning permission nearly four years ago and has the potential to bring 330 jobs to our community. The previous Chancellor promised me she would help. Will my right hon. Friend agree to meet me to see how we can get this project moving?

I or a colleague of mine would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss that much-needed investment in her constituency. More widely, we would urge the Scottish Government to replicate in Scotland the business rates changes that we have announced for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England.

Last week’s Budget papers assume that significant tax revenues will be generated by new drilling at the Rosebank oil field. Although I understand it is common practice to rely on these sorts of projections, are the Government not worried that this signals that they have already made a decision on Rosebank and are prioritising short-term gains over protecting us all from the medium and long-term catastrophic economic damage associated with climate breakdown and burning new oil and gas?

I have already answered similar questions on this topic. This revenue has been in the forecast since 2019, and the decision is a quasi-judicial one for the Environment Secretary.

I welcome the Budget’s council tax rebate, which will provide much-needed relief to over 50,000 households in Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, but hardship remains. The Trussell Trust reports that local food banks distributed over 10,000 emergency food parcels last year—up almost 50% on pre-pandemic levels. Does the Minister agree that more ambitious action is needed, and will he ensure that the Government’s response to the Milburn and Timms reviews does not further restrict social security support, leaving people unable to afford the essentials, and instead advances Labour’s commitment to end the need for emergency food?

I absolutely agree with the point that my hon. Friend makes about reliance on emergency food parcels. In his constituency, over 90% of properties fall into council tax bands A to D, which means that residents will receive £100 directly in their bank accounts come January, in the coldest part of the year, but he is right to say that we must go further. That is why we will see 29 million households benefiting from the extended cut to VAT on electricity and 35 million motorists benefiting through extending the freeze in fuel duty. On the social security question he raises, that is also why we have ensured we are changing the support that goes to families with children, so that this Parliament sees the biggest fall in child poverty of any Parliament on record.

The Government have said that they wish to join the EU’s internal energy market, which will involve a payment to the EU for the privilege. When will the Government say how much that policy will cost British taxpayers?

The hon. Gentleman will know that an EU summit is coming up on 20 November, and we are still negotiating with the EU. We are putting right the botched Brexit that we inherited from the Conservative party, which put frictions at our border and increased costs for farmers, family businesses and others.

While the Government look to boost economic growth in Cumbria, businesses in the county are frustrated at losing staff to Sellafield and the wider nuclear sector, not just engineers and project managers, but business administrators, trades people, nurses and teachers. Will the Secretary of State consider a review of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s social impact duties under the Energy Act 2004, and its impact on the growth and diversity of the wider Cumbria economy?

Nuclear and Sellafield are an important part of Cumbria’s economy, and the NDA’s social impact work is vital. I agree that all parties must continue to work together to grow and diversify Cumbria’s economy, and the Government have provided good growth funding to the new Cumbria strategic authority to do just that.

Around 5,000 people in my constituency work in the hospitality sector, which is a vital part of the Welsh economy. While hospitality businesses across much of the European Union benefit from reduced VAT rates, our pubs, hotels and restaurants are stuck paying 20%. Why did the Chancellor decide not to prioritise that sector in last week’s Budget?

I question whether the hon. Lady was listening to the Budget if she thinks we were not prioritising hospitality, given that retail, hospitality and leisure businesses received real help on their business rates in England. I would urge the Welsh Government to follow suit.

The green innovation corridor in my constituency has investment zone status and £27 million in capital funding, with £7 million earmarked to prepare sites for development. What further Treasury support, including access to finance and targeted tax incentives, will the Government provide to attract private investors and deliver more skilled jobs in Wolverhampton North East?

My hon. Friend is a relentless champion for her constituency. The Government are devolving powers and funding to the west midlands combined authority to support investment, and the National Wealth Fund is partnering with it to develop many projects, which I am sure will benefit her constituency.

Economic growth and investment in my constituency has greatly benefited following the creation of freeports and the associated tax benefits that come with that. Can Ministers give an assurance that any reset with our European partners will protect existing tax benefits?

One thing that has been less focused on in the Budget is that according to business investment figures across the country, we are seeing the highest level of business investment for a decade. Whole-economy investment is now at its highest levels since 1990. I recognise the point the hon. Gentleman raises, and freeports around the country want to know about that. Although the issues he raises are not on the agenda set out for the European summit, I am sure a Minister will be happy to meet him.

I warmly welcome last week’s announcement that business rates relief will be extended to thousands more cafes and restaurants, alongside further support for pubs. However, businesses such as the Village Green Cafe in Eyam face many of the same pressures as pubs, without benefiting from the additional targeted relief. Will the Chancellor consider what further support can be offered to those vital employers and community hubs to ensure that they are not placed at a competitive disadvantage?

I thank my hon. Friend for mentioning the Village Green Cafe, which I know will be valuable to the local community in Eyam. In addition to the business rates support that we have spoken about, the new Hope on the High Street strategy sets out the Government’s plan to revive our high streets. It includes taking a “high streets first” approach that will bring more public services and civic activity into town centres, driving footfall to support those local businesses.

The Treasury Committee’s recent report on student loan repayments said that the Government have a “moral obligation” to reverse their decision to freeze the threshold at which student loans are repaid. Will the Chancellor set out his timeline for when he will end the repayment threshold freeze?

I remind the hon. Lady of her party’s role in trebling tuition fees when it was in coalition with the Conservatives. We have helped this year by capping interest rates at 6% for plan 2 and 3 loans, and from the academic year 2028-29, we will reintroduce targeted maintenance grants to support students from low-income households.

I am sure that the Chancellor is always open to new ways to save money. New modelling suggests that universal access to fracture liaison and prevention services could save £606 million over five years, with the investment paying for itself within two years. Will the Chancellor encourage the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that its promise of universal access to fracture liaison services by 2030 is backed by a funded delivery plan?

I will ensure that my hon. Friend gets a meeting with the relevant health Minister. More broadly, the Chancellor announced last week that in the spending review next year, we will set out a new preventative departmental expenditure limit spending category to get ahead of problems before they get more expensive, because we recognise that preventing problems before they arise is a good use of taxpayers’ money.

We spend hundreds of billions of pounds on debt interest, migrant accommodation, foreign aid, public sector fraud, benefits for foreigners and, let us not forget, the healthy indolent. We are leaving a record tax burden and a shameful £3 trillion of national debt to our children and our grandchildren. Let me say this in a way that even Members on the Labour Front Bench understand: we are bankrupt. My question to the Chancellor is this: is bankrupting Britain a consequence of Government policy, or is it now the actual objective?

Let me say two things to the hon. Member. First, it is absolutely right that the public finances be put on a sustainable basis, and that is what this Government are doing. We are bringing down borrowing every single year, and were praised by the International Monetary Fund for standing out from other G7 economies. Secondly, it is moral bankruptcy that Labour Members worry about when we see the behaviour of the hon. Member, who is whipping up division up and down this country, rather than bringing it together, saving our public services, and investing for the future.

I welcome the Minister’s acknowledgement that diversifying Cumbria’s economy is key to our economic growth. Will he therefore support efforts to realise the potential of RAF Spadeadam as a future hub for rocket testing and innovation?

I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss that matter in more detail.

I call Dr Kieran Mullan to ask the final question.

The community amateur sports clubs scheme supports thousands of not-for-profit sports clubs across the country, including Highwoods golf club in Bexhill, in my constituency, but the threshold for participation has not been lifted since 2015. I have had the pleasure of sparring with the Paymaster General on both “Question Time” and “Any Questions?”. Will he make it a hat trick and agree to meet me to discuss this?

The hon. Gentleman has just made it a hat trick by asking a question today, but I am happy to pick that matter up with him outside the Chamber.