13/03/2018 House of Commons

I will look carefully and seriously

consider that evidence.

The door is

still open to the benefits of marine

energy so would he commit to see

Charles Hendry, author of the review

which are still awaiting a response

from the Government 14 months and,

as Chair of the party groups and

representatives of tidal lagoon and

tidal stream?

We continue to commit

to support our marine energy

industry. I referred the honourable

gentleman to the answer my right

honourable friend gave at the start

of questions, we continue to

exchange information with the Welsh

Government, we need to understand

what is on offer and need to reach

the right decision.

The county in

which I live have only two

electronic charging points. If the

Minister able to set charging points

for rural and urban areas?

It is

true that the charging network needs

to extend right across the country

if people are to have the confidence

that they will be able to recharge

their vehicle and the rural aspect

is very much in mind.

According to

the press, the Secretary of State

gave a presentation to the

subcommittee of the Cabinet about

the automotive Section and how

important it was that we do not have

a hard Brexit. It seems to have

persuaded those people of the

Cabinet that it might be a good idea

for a hard Brexit that it would in

fact be a very bad idea for British

business, notably the automotive

sector. On that basis, could the

Secretary of State make it available

to all members, honourable and right

honourable?

It would be wrong of me

to disclose what's our conversations

are in Cabinet. She understands the

collective responsibility but it is

no secret to anyone in this House

that I regard the success of the

automotive sector depending on

integrated supply chains as being

good evidence of what type of trade

agreement is needed. It was

referenced, indeed highlighted, in

the Speech by the Prime Minister at

the Mansion House.

Statement of the

Chancellor of the Exchequer.

I am pleased to introduce to the

House the first spring statement.

The UK was the only major economy to

make hundreds of tax and spending

changes twice a year and major

international organisations and UK

professional bodies alike have been

pressing for change. In 2016, I took

the decision to move to a single

physical event in the autumn, giving

greater certainty to families and

businesses ahead of the new

financial year and allowing more

time for stakeholder and

parliamentary engagement on

potential fiscal changes. Today's

statement will update the House on

the economic and fiscal perdition --

position, report progress on the

budgets from last year and is... I

will not be producing a red book

today, Mr Speaker, but I cannot

speak for the right honourable

gentleman opposite.

Mr Speaker, I am pleased to report

to date the House on a UK economy

that has grown in every year since

2010. An economy which under

Conservative leadership now has a

manufacturing sector enjoying its

longest unbroken run of growth for

50 years. An economy which has added

3 million jobs and seen every single

region of the UK with higher

employment and lower unemployment

than in 2010, seen the wages of the

lowest paid up by almost 7% above

inflation since April 2015 and

income and equality lower than at

any time under the last Labour

Government. Solid progress towards

building an economy that works for

everyone. Mr Speaker, I reject the

party opposite's doom and gloom

about the state of the nation. Every

Wednesday, we have to listen to the

Leader of the Opposition

relentlessly talking Britain down.

Every year since 2010, we have had

to listen to the right honourable

member predicts a recession, none of

which has actually happened. If

there are any Ee-aws in the Chamber,

they are over there. -- Eeore. Our

language is the global language of

business. The legal system is the

jurisdiction of choice for commerce.

We host the world's most global city

and is international finance and

professional services capital. Our

companies are at the vanguard of the

technological revolution while our

work class -- world-class

universities... Britain's culture

and talent to reduce huge audiences

across the globe and our technology

centre is attracting skilled and

capital from the four corners of the

earth with a new technology business

being founded somewhere in the UK

every hour producing world class

products, including applications

like city map and Matt Hancock.

Today, the OBR delivers its second

report for the fiscal year 2017-18

and I thank the team for their work.

More jobs, rising wages, declining

inflation, shrinking debt. The

economy grew by 1.7% in 2017,

compared to 1.5% forecast at the

Budget. The OBR have revised up the

forecast for 20 18th from 1.4% to

1.5%. Forecast growth is then

unchanged at 1.3% in 2019 and 2020

before picking up to 1.4% in 21 and

1.5% in 2022. That is the OBR's

forecast, Mr Speaker. Forecasts are

there to be beaten. As a nation, we

did it in 2017. We should make it

our business to do so again. Our

remarkable job story is set to

continue with the OBR forecasting

more jobs in every year of this

Parliament and over 500,000 more

people enjoying the security of a

regular pay packets by 2022. I am

pleased to report that the OBR

inspect inflation, which is

currently above target at 3%, to

fall back to target over the next 12

months. Meaning that real wage

growth is expected to be positive

from the first quarter of 2018-19

and to increase steadily thereafter.

I reported in the autumn that

borrowing was due to fall in every

year of the forecast. And debt to

fall as a share of GDP from 2018-19,

the OBR confirms this today and

further revises down debt and

borrowing in every year. Borrowing

is now forecast to be £45.2 billion

this year, 4.7 billion lower than

forecast in November. And 108

billion lower than in 2010. Which

coincidentally, Mr Speaker, is

almost exactly the total cost of the

additional spending pledges made by

the party opposite since the General

Election in June last year. Mr

Speaker, it has taken them just nine

months to work out a plan to

squander the fruits of eight years

hard work. As a percentage of GDP,

borrowing is forecast to be 2.2% in

2017 - 18, fallen to 1.8% in 18-19,

one .6 in 19-20, 1.6%, 1.1% and 0.0%

in 22-23. Meaning in 18th-19th we

will run a small surplus borrowing

only for capital investment. We are

forecast to meet our adjusted

borrowing target in 2021 with £15.4

billion of headroom to spend Bobby

has forecast that the Budget. The

more favourable outlook for

borrowing means the death cab is 1%

lower in November speaking at 85.6%

of GDP in 18/19 and falling... --

debt cap. Finally 77.9% in 22-23.

The first sustained fall in debt in

17 years. A turning point in this

nation's recovered from the

financial crisis of a decade ago.

Light at the end of the tunnel.

Another step on the road to

rebuilding public finances decimated

by the party opposite. Mr Speaker,

one that they would again placed at

risk. Because under the policies of

the party opposite, our debt would

not fall over the next five years,

it would rise by over 350 billion

pounds. To more than 100% of our

GDP. Undermining our recovery,

threatening investment in British

jobs, burdening the Next Generation

and wasting billions and billions of

pounds more on debt interest. Mr

Speaker, there is indeed light at

the end of the tunnel but we have

got to make absolutely sure that it

is in the Shadow Chancellor's train

hurtling out of control in the other

direction towards Labour's next

economic train wreck. In autumn

2016, I changed the fiscal rules to

give us more flexibility to adopt a

balanced approach to repairing the

public finances. Reducing debt, not

for some ideological reason but to

secure our economy against future

shocks. We on this site are not so

naive as to think that we have

abolished the economic cycle. We

want to see taxpayers' money finding

our schools and hospitals, not

wasted on debt interest. And because

we want to give the Next Generation

a fair chance. But Mr Speaker I do

not agree with those who argue that

every available penny must be used

to reduce the deficit. Nor do I

agree with the fiscal fantasists

opposite to argue that every

available penny should be spent

immediately. We will continue to

deliver a balanced approach,

balancing debt reduction against the

need for investment in Britain's

future, support hard-working

families through lower taxes and

commitment to public services. Judge

me by my record

commitment to public services. Judge

me by my record. Judge me by my

record. They will see, Mr Speaker,

if they have done their homework.

Since the Autumn Statement 2016I

have committed to £60 billion of new

spending, share between long-term

investment in Britain 's future and

support for public services with

almost £9 billion extra for our NHS

and social care system, £4 billion

going into the NHS in 2018-19 alone.

As I promised that the autumn

Budget, more to come if, as I hope,

management and unions reach an

agreement on a pay modernisation

deal for our nations nurses and

agenda for change staff. Who have

worked tirelessly since the autumn

in very challenging circumstances to

provide the NHS care that we all

valued so highly. £2.2 billion more

on education and skills, and £31

billion going to fund

infrastructure, research and

development and housing to the

national productivity investment

fund, taking public investment in

our schools, hospitals and

infrastructure in this Parliament to

its highest sustained level in 40

years. At the same time, we have cut

taxes for a 31 million working

people by raising the personal

allowance again in line with our

manifesto commitment, taking more

than 4 million people out of tax

altogether since 2010. Freezing fuel

duty four an eighth successive year,

taking the saving for a typical car

driver to £850 campaign to Labour's

plans, and raising the national

living ways to £7 83 from next month

giving the lowest paid in our

society a well-deserved pay rise of

over £2000 for a full-time worker

since 2015. Mr Speaker, since

becoming Chancellor, I have provided

an extra £11 billion of funding for

2018-19 to help with short-term

public spending pressures and to

invest in Britain's future. In the

longer term, I can confirm that at

this years Budget, I will set an

overall path for public spending for

2020 and beyond. With a detailed

spending review to take place in 20

19th allocate funding between

departments. That is how responsible

people Budget. First, you work out

what you can afford, then you decide

what your priorities are, then you

allocate between them. If in the

autumn the public finances continue

to reflect the improvements that

today's reports hints at, then in

accordance with our balanced

approach and using the flexibility

provided by the fiscal rules, I

would have capacity to enable

further increases in public spending

and investment in the years ahead.

While continuing to drive value for

money to ensure that not a single

penny of precious taxpayers money is

wasted.

A balanced approach, Mr Speaker,

getting our debt down, supporting

public services and investing in our

nation's future, keeping taxes low

and building a Briton fit for the

future and an economy that works for

everyone. -- Britain. Mr Speaker,

there is much still to do. Since

autumn 2016 we have set out our plan

to back the enterprise and ambition

of British business and the hard

work of the British people. A plan

to unleash our creators and

innovators, in eventers -- inventors

and discovers. To deliver the skills

we will need to benefit from them.

To tackle our long-standing

productivity challenges and to save

more loudly than ever that our

economy will remain open and outward

looking, confidence to compete with

the best in the world. We choose to

champion those who create jobs and

wealth on which our prosperity and

our public services both depends,

not to demonise them. The Shadow

Chancellor, Mr Speaker, is open

about his ideological desire to

undermine the market economy. Which

is driven and unparalleled increase

in our living standards over the

last 15 years. We on this side

reject his approach out 50 years.

The market economy embraces talent

and creates opportunity and provides

jobs for millions and the tax

revenues that underpin our public

services. We will go on supporting

British businesses. We are reducing

business rates by over £10 billion

and we committed at autumn budget

2017 to move to triennial

evaluations from 2022. Today I am

pleased to announce that we will

bring forward the next business

rates and evaluation to 2021 and

moved to triennial reviews from that

date. We will also launch a call for

evidence to understand how best we

can help the UK's least productive

businesses to learn from and catch

up with the most productive. And

another on how we can eliminate the

continuing scourge of late payments,

a key ask from small businesses.

Because, Mr Speaker, we are the

party of small businesses and the

champions of the entrepreneur. Since

the budget, we have made substantial

progress in our negotiations with

the European Union. To deliver a

Brexit that supports British jobs,

businesses and prosperity. And, Mr

Speaker, I look forward... I don't

know what the honourable gentleman

does but I look forward to another

important step forward at the

European Council next week. But we

will continue to prepare for all

eventualities. And today, my right

honourable friend the Chief

Secretary is publishing the

departmental allocations of over

£1.5 billion of Brexit preparation

funding for 2018-19 which I

announced at the autumn budget. Our

modern industrial strategy sets out

our plan to keep Britain at the

forefront of new technology with the

biggest increase in spending in four

decades. Much of this new technology

depends on high-speed broadband and

today I can make the first

allegations of the hundred £90

million local full fibre challenge

fund announced at autumn budget and

confirm £25 million for the first

five G test-beds. As our economy

changes, we must ensure people have

the skills they need to seize the

opportunities ahead. We have

committed over £500 million a year

to the most ambitious post 16

reforms in many years. From next

month, £50 million will be available

to help employers to prepare for

this role out. Last week the

Education Secretary and I chaired

the first meeting of the national

retraining partnership between the

government, the TUC and the CBI. I

can reassure the House, Mr Speaker,

there was no beer, no sandwiches,

not even a canape, but there was a

clear and shared commitments to

training, to prepare the British

people for a British future ahead.

Next month, are £29 million

construction fund will open to bits

to open to 20 villages around the

country. We are committed as a

government to delivering 3 million

apprenticeship starts by 2020 with

the support of business through the

apprenticeship levy but we recognise

the challenges the new system

presents to some small businesses

looking to employ an imprint. So I

can announce today that my right

honourable friend the Education

Secretary will release up to £80

million of funding support those

small businesses in engaging an

apprentice. We publish a

consultation on improving the way

the tax system supports self-funded

training by employees and the

self-employed and because we

currently understand more about the

economic payback from investing in

our infrastructure than we do about

investing in our people, I have

asked the ONS to work with us on

developing a more sophisticated

measure of human capital so that

future investment can be better

targeted. Mr Speaker, we are

undertaking the largest

road-building programme since the

1970s. As Transport Secretary, I

gave the green light to fund the new

bridge across the River Mersey in

2011 and I was delighted to see it

opened late last year. The largest

infrastructure project in Europe,

Crossrail, is due to open in just

nine months' time. We are making

progress on our plans to deliver the

Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Oxford

corridor. We are giving budgets to

elected mayors over and over the

northern powerhouses. We are in

negotiations for city deals in many

places, including Wales and Belfast.

And today, we invite proposals from

cities across England for the £840

million fund I announced that the

budget to deliver on their local

transport priorities. As part of our

plans to spread growth and

opportunity to all parts of this

United Kingdom. At the heart of our

plan for building an economy that

works for everyone is our commitment

to tackle the challenges in our

housing market. With an investment

programme of £44 billion to raise

housing surprise to 300,000 a year

by the midst 20 20s and today I can

update the House. We're working

currently with 44 authorities who

have bid into the £4.1 billion

housing infrastructure fund to

unlock homes in areas of high

demand. We are concluding housing

deals with ambitious authorities who

have agreed to deliver above their

local housing needs. I can announce

today that we have just agreed a

deal with the West Midlands who have

committed to deliver 215,000 homes

by 203031 -- 20 30,001 -- 2030-2031.

We will more than double the size of

the housing growth partnership with

Lloyds banking group to £220 million

providing additional finance for

small builders. And London will

receive an additional £1.17 billion

to deliver a further 26,000

affordable homes. Including homes

for social rent taking total

affordable housing delivery in

London to over 116,000 by the end of

21-22. Mr Speaker, the member for

West Dorset has outlined his initial

findings on the gap between planning

permission granted and housing

completions in a letter which I have

placed in the library of the House.

I look forward to his full report

and budget. And I'm to inform the

House that an estimated 6000 --

60,000 first-time buyers have

already benefited from the stamp

duty relief that I announced in the

autumn budget. I remind the House

that the party opposite voted

against that. In the autumn, we

published a paper on taxing large

digital businesses in the global

economy and today we follow up with

a publication that explores

potential solutions and I look

forward to discussing this issue

with G20 finance minister in one

Surrey is at the weekend. We also --

Buenos Aires. We will consult on a

new VAT collection mechanism on

online sales to ensure that the VAT

that consumers pay actually reaches

the Treasury. We call for evidence

as well on how to do digital

payments whilst ensuring that cash

remains available to those who need

it. Mr Speaker, this government is

determined that our generation

should leave the natural environment

in a better state than what we found

it. And improve the quality of the

air that we breathe. So we will

publish a call for evidence on

whether the use of non-agricultural

red diesel tax relief contributes to

poor air quality in urban areas. And

following our successful

intervention to incentivise green

taxes, we will help the great

British white van driver to go green

with a consultation on reduced rates

on the cleanest lands and we will

follow up on the vital issue of

plastic littering and the threats to

our oceans with a call to evidence

for supporters on delivering on our

vow to tackle this complex issue. It

will look at the whole supply chain

for single use plastics, alternative

materials, reusable options and

recycling opportunities. It will

look at how the tax system can help

drive the technological progress and

behavioural change that we need. Not

as a way of raising revenue but as a

way of changing behaviour and

encouraging innovation. We will

commit to investing to develop new

greener products and processes

funded from the revenues that are

raised. And as a down payment, Mr

Speaker, we will award £20 million

now from existing departmental

budgets to businesses and

universities to stimulate new

thinking and rapid solutions in this

area during the call for evidence.

Mr Speaker, we are delivering on our

plan with a balanced approach,

restoring the public finances,

investing in our economy and public

services, raising productivity

through our modern strategy and

building the homes are people need,

tackling the environmental

challenges that threaten our future,

embracing technological change,

seizing the opportunities ahead as

we build our vision of a country

that works for everyone. An economy

where prosperity and opportunity are

in reach of all. Wherever they live,

whatever their gender, colour, creed

or background come up when talent

and hard work alone determines

success, a beacon of enterprise and

innovation. An outward looking free

trading nation. One that is

confident that our best days lie

ahead of us. A force for good in the

world's. A country we can all be

proud to pass on to our children and

I commend this statement to the

House.

John McDonnell!

Let me thank

the Chancellor for providing me with

an earlier sight of his statement. I

have to say to the Chancellor that

his complacency today is astounding.

We face in every public service a

crisis on a scale we have never seen

before. Has he not listens to the

doctors, the nurses, teachers, the

police officers, the carers and even

own councillors? They are telling

him they cannot wait for the next

budget. They are telling him to act

now. For eight years, they have been

ignored by this government and today

they have been ignored again. The

Chancellor has claimed today that

there is light at the end of the

tunnel. This shows just how cut off

from the real world hears. Last year

growth in our economy was one of the

lowest in the G-7. The slowest since

2012. The OBE are just predicted

that we will scrape along the bottom

for future years. Wages are lower

now in real terms than they were in

2010 and they are still falling.

The changes to benefits according to

the resolution foundation will leave

11 million families are worse off.

As always, the harshest cuts:

disabled people. -- fall on disabled

people. The gap in productivity

between this country and the rest of

the G-7 is the widest for a

generation, UK industry being 20 -

30% less productive. Investment by

this Government in real terms is

nearly 18 billion below its 2010

level. This is a Government that cut

research and development funding by

1 billion in real terms. Is this

investment, stagnated in the last

quarter of 2017. Despite the

promises the Government continues to

fail to address the regional

imbalances in investment. London

again will receive £5 more transport

investment than Yorkshire and

Humberside and the North. This is a

Government on climate change, how

dare they dart this is a Government

that single-handedly destroyed the

solar industry. 12,000 jobs lost as

a result of subsidy cuts. The

Chancellor talks about the fourth

industrial revolution, but Britain

has the lowest... The Chancellor

talks about the fourth industrial

revolution, but Britain has the

lowest rate of industrial robots use

in the ... They have put less than a

tenth into what the US is spending

in artificial intelligence. The

Chancellor... The Tory bully boys

can shout all they want...

A full opportunity for people to

contribute but the right honourable

gentleman must be heard.

They can

shout of a once, make their snide

remarks. People out there know the

crisis in our community. The

Chancellor has made great play of

reaching a turning point in reducing

the deficit in the debt. It is a bit

rich coming from a party that has

put 700 billion on the national debt

over the last eight years. It is

worth remembering that this is a

party that promises that the deficit

would be eliminated completely by

2015 - 16. Bizarrely, his

predecessor now ensconced in the

Evening Standard, Blackrock, or the

Washington speakers bureau, has been

tweeting about achieving three years

late a deficit target he abandoned

himself. The reality is the

Chancellor and his predecessor have

not tackle the deficit. What they

have done is they have shifted it

into the public services and his

colleagues are responsible for. He

has shifted it onto the Secretary of

State for Health, on the shoulders

of NHS managers, doctors, nurses

throughout the country. NHS trusts

will end this financial year 1

billion in deficit. Doctors and

nurses are struggling, being asked

to do more and ball while there is

100,000 NHS posts going unfilled.

Does the Chancellor really believe

the NHS can wait another eight

months for the life-saving funds it

needs? How many people have to die

waiting in an ambulance before he

Acts? He has mentioned the payoff

the NHS staff were expecting

shortly, which was forced upon him

by the Labour Party and trade unions

campaign, hence the pay cut. Let me

say this. Taking away a day 's

holiday from those dedicated staff

is mean-spirited. I ask him now,

will he dropped this miserly Acts?

The Chancellor has also shifted the

deficit on to the Secretary of State

for Education and headteachers with

the first per capita cut in schools

funding since the 1990s. Today, the

Government is even trying to provide

1 million children of a decent... I

am asking. I am asking the

Chancellor and every Conservative

MP...

Order. The House must come

down. There will be plenty of

opportunity for questions from

members in all parts of the House.

The right honourable gentleman must

be heard.

I am asking, appealing to

Tory MPs today, if they are serious

about ending asperity, to vote with

us this afternoon to give those

children the free school meals they

are entitled to. The Chancellor has

shifted the deficit onto the Home

Secretary and Justice Secretary was

that crime is rising. He has cut the

number of police officers by 21,500

the number of firefighters by 8500.

Our prisons and probation service

are in dangerous crisis. In a

shifting the deficit onto the

shoulders of the Secretary of State

for Communities and Local

Government, in reality he has

shifted the burden onto local

councillors. Labour, Lib Dem and

Conservative councillors alike. I

raise again the stark reality of

what this means for the most

vulnerable children in our society.

There has been a 40% cut in early

intervention to support families.

The result is the highest number of

children taken into care since the

1980s. Children's charities, not us,

children's charities are saying

this. This crisis could turn into a

catastrophe without further funding.

Also, last year, 400 women seeking

refuge were turned away because

there were no places available for

them in refuges. There are now

nearly 5000 of our fellow citizens

sleeping rough on our streets. More

than doubled was in 2010.

Tragically, tragically, one of our

homeless, citizens died only feet

away from the entrance to

Parliament. He has mentioned

additional housing funding. And as

for London is not a new

announcement, this was already

announced. Any new funding is

welcome but simply not enough and

represents a cut in London's Budget

can bet that the money Labour

allocated in 2010. There are 1

million vulnerable older people who

have no access to the social care

they need. Conservative councils are

going bust. Many will be forced to

hike up council tax. Councils are

running out of reserves as the

National Audit Office explain to us.

I ask Chancellor, will he listen to

Conservative council leaders? Like a

zone in Surrey who said, and I

quote, we are facing the most

difficult financial crisis in our

history. The Government cannot stand

idly by while Rome burns. I ask him,

how many more children have to come

into care, how many more councils

have to go bust, how many more run

out of reserves before he wakes up

to this crisis and Acts? Today's

statement could have been a genuine

turning point, but it is,

depressingly, another missed

opportunity. People know now that

austerity was a political choice,

not an economic necessity. THEY

SHOUT. Conservatives chose to cut

taxes for the super-rich, the

corporations and the bankers. It was

paid for by the rest of us in

society. They even cut the levy on

backers in last month's Finance Act.

We were never all in this together,

as they claimed, never. They cut

investment at the very time we

should have been developing the

skills and infrastructure needed to

raise productivity. And grass, yes,

the technological revolution with

both hands. And when they had a

responsibility to meet the challenge

of Brexit, we have a chance that

this weekend admitted he has not

even moderate the Government 's

options. Today, we have the

indefensible spectacle of a

Chancellor congratulating himself on

marginally improved economic

forecasts. While he refuses to lift

a finger as councils go bust, the

NHS and social care in crisis,

school budgets cut, homelessness

doubled, wages falling. This isn't a

Government preparing our country for

the future, it is a Government

setting us up to fail.

Mr Speaker,

the right honourable gentleman

supported the switch to a single

physical event, now he is

complaining I haven't delivered a

mini Budget today. I am not

surprised he cannot understand

anyone passing up the opportunity to

introduce new taxes, because that is

what a Labour Government would be

doing, not once or twice a year, but

every other week. He talks about

Tory bullyboys. I heard him refer to

some of my honourable friends as

Tory bullyboys. Can I remind the

House, this is the man who still

refuses to apologise...

Still refuses to apologise to my

right honourable friend the Work and

Pensions Secretary, so I don't want

to hear anything about bullying from

the benches opposite. He knows his

Lennon, the task is to win power.

That is why we see from the

honourable gentleman the smooth mien

of the bank manager -- Lenin. We get

the glimpse of the sinister ideology

lying beneath. Which would wreck our

economy if he gets anywhere near the

controls, threatening confiscation,

dismissing property rights,

undermining the cornerstones of our

economy and the basis of our freedom

and prosperity. He talks about

political choices. Let me tell him

the political choices we have made.

We have close the tax gap to one of

the lowest in the developed world.

We have raised £175 billion by 100

measures against tax evasion and

avoidance. We are collecting 28% of

all income tax from the richest 1%

in our country. A higher percentage

than in any year under Labour. He

said real wages are falling. I have

good news, the OBR expects real

wages to rise from quarter 12018,

which in case he has not worked it

out starts in two weeks. He talks

about disabled spending. Spending on

the disabled will be higher in every

year from this Parliament. He talks

about research and development to

support our economy. Spending is at

record highs. He reels out to the

same old bogus statistics on

regional distribution. I think he

has got the briefing from Russia

today. Let me tell him this. The

infrastructure authority has

published figures which clearly show

that the highest per capita spending

on transport infrastructure

investment is in the north-west

region, Mr Speaker. Not the last

time I checked one of the southern

regions. All regions have benefited

from the boom in employment. All

will end this Parliament with lower

unemployment and higher employment.

He talks about £700 million of

increased national debt. -- 700

billion. We have had to do with the

legacy of Labour's meltdown in 2009

because it didn't fix the roof while

the sun was shining. Our historic

function is to clean up Labour's

mess and my report today shows we

are doing it once again. It talks

about funding for the NHS. I've put

£9 billion into the NHS since Autumn

Statement 2016. He talks about

school budgets, which are increasing

per capita per pupil terms, real

terms. On children's services, he

must know the Department for

Education research shows spending on

the most vulnerable children has

increased by around £0.5 billion in

real terms since 2010. We have

committed £1 billion to tackle rough

sleeping and homelessness and made a

manifesto pledge to eliminate rough

sleeping by 2027 and have it by

2022. No one watching our exchanges

today can be in any doubt that

Britain faces a choice. We have a

plan to get our economy growing, the

Shadow Chancellor says it doesn't

matter whether GDP grows are not. We

have a plan to get people on the

housing ladder while the Shadow

Chancellor does not want to get

bogged down in property rights. We

have a plan to do with our debts,

the Shadow Chancellor wants to send

debt soaring because he fantasises

that he can borrow for free. The

choice is clear. Our vision of a

dynamic, modern economy, or the

party opposite's vision of an inward

looking narrow minded country.

Because we have to win this

argument. If we do not, it will be

ordinary people, not the rich and

powerful, globally mobile, but

ordinary people who will pay the

price as they always do for a

Labour's

Mr Kenneth Clarke.

I congratulate my

right honourable friend on his

statement based on competence

government and grown-up politics.

But when he comes to prepare his

budget for November, I'm sure he

will be looking for any new source

of taxation which may be needed to

put even more money than he already

has into the NHS and social care,

which are facing the vast increases

in demand. Can I suggest that he

looks at some of the extraordinary

tags anomalies he has inherited in

the tax treatment of older

prosperous people in full-time work

in this country. It cannot be right.

Declare your interest!

LAUGHTER

I think I am perfectly well placed.

I cannot be accused of personal

bias. It is absurd that older

employees actually pay less tax than

their younger colleagues on their

income because they don't pay

national insurance. It cannot be

right that people in large houses

enjoying capital gains from the

housing market has disregarded the

means test purposes if they ever

needs certain types of social care.

So as the early budget in the

Parliament are a time for tough and

difficult decisions, will my right

honourable friend let me know that

he will be looking at those much

overdue anomalies that need to be

addressed, some justice between the

generations I think is being

demanded by our constituents.

Well,

I am a great fan of the concept of

intergenerational fairness and as my

right honourable and learn it friend

will know as the former Chancellor

of the Exchequer, all chancellors

looked at all options in the run-up

to every budget and I can undertake

to him that I will do so in the

run-up to the budget in 2018. In the

meantime, Mr Speaker, I can tell my

right honourable friend that there

is a mechanism for voluntary

donations to Her Majesty's Treasury

and I am happy to send him a copy of

our bank details.

I have to say that

was much ado about nothing. The real

tragedy is that we are ten years on

from the financial crisis and

austerity is still with us and there

is a lack of hope given to the

people of the United Kingdom from

this statement today. Mr Speaker, at

the weekend we saw the honourable

member in his other job as a

linesman at a football match, waving

his flag enthusiastically calling

for a red card. If anybody deserves

a red card today and

assist we hear the Chancellor

complaining we have had consistent

economic growth and we can look

forward to consistent economic

growth over coming years but the

reality is that in 2019 when we're

supposed to be leaving European

Union that the OBR is predicting

that growth will be easily 1.3%. And

it is forecast to remain at

roundabout 1.5% over the coming

years. What is below the historic

growth in this country. When I hear

the Chancellor talk about wage

growth, he ought to reflect that we

have got lost decade of wage growth

in the United Kingdom. But let me

prick his balloon as far as this one

is concerned because the OBR book is

very clear, real earnings growth

will remain subdued for the next

five years. That is the reality and

perhaps the Chancellor should stop

this spinning and become honest with

people about what will happen. He

talks about light at the end of the

tunnel. Let me tell him that the

light at the end of the tunnel is a

hard Brexit and the impact of lower

growth which is going to cost jobs

and prosperity in this country. Mr

Speaker, slower earnings growth,

higher inflation and cuts to the

benefit system are resulting in

poorer incomes for the poorest

households and rising inequality.

Once again the Chancellor has failed

to bring his government's disastrous

austerity programme to an end and

worse still he has his high head

firmly in the sand over Brexit. Mr

Speaker, this government is going

ahead with a devastating cuts to

Scotland's's budgets. I hear the

Scottish Tories shouting rubbish but

perhaps what they can do is join

with us on these benches and

defender Scotland's interest.

Because let me explain a reality.

Over the decade 2010-11 to 2019-20,

Scotland's grant has been cut by

£2.6 billion in real terms. That is

an 8.1% cuts and the people of

Scotland should watch what is

happening with the Scottish Tory MPs

calling out once again, failing to

stand up for Scotland's interest.

Let me say respectfully that these

Tory MPs have been here for quite

some months and they should

understand that if they want to

speak they should try and catch the

Speaker 's eye. It is undignified to

call out the way they are doing.

Order! There is much excitable

gesticulation taking place on both

sides of the House. I urge members

to keep their order papers to

themselves and not lash out with

their hands gesticulating in all

sorts of directions. They are in

danger of becoming rather eccentric

Members of the House. Mr Ian

Blackford.

Thank you Mr Speaker,

these are serious matters. The

extent of the reduction is

highlighted by... Noted that by 2020

it will be five million pounds lower

than 2018. Mr Speaker, I paid

tributes to the honourable members

on these benches who fought so hard

on behalf of their constituents

to... VAT scrapped. That was a

fantastic result. However, the

reality is that Scotland has

suffered under this policy of the

last five years. Were the Chancellor

be bringing forward plans to return

175 million which has already been

paid? The ATV should never have been

charged. It was a vindictive measure

imposed on Scotland by a Tory

government. Give Scotland back the

hundred 75 to invest in our front

line services. Will the Tory MPs

join the SNP or will they remain

silent on the cash grab that we have

seen from Westminster? The austerity

policies disproportionately affect

the most disadvantaged individuals

while giving tax breaks to the

better off in society. The

resolution foundation recently

estimated that the government's

austerity programme will leave the

poorest third of households an

average of £750 a year worse off by

2022 - 23. Mr Speaker, in Scotland's

we have a new progressive tax

policy. I can see Conservatives

saying the reality is for most

people in Scotland's tax is lower.

The Scottish Government are able to

reverse this term real term budget

cut. And ensure that the majority of

taxpayers in Scotland's Payless and

in the rest of the UK. However,

Scotland's new taxation powers

should not exist simply to mitigate

against UK Government austerity. Mr

Speaker, in Scotland, the SNP

government gone further to support

those on low incomes. In the recent

budget at Holyrood, a package was

secured which raises the threshold

of a guaranteed 3% increase on those

earning up to £36,500 benefiting up

to three quarters of Scottish public

sector workers. A Scottish

Government on the side of

hard-working public sector workers.

Mr Speaker, as we near the EU summit

at the end of this month in

Brussels, the progress in this

government towards Brexit has been

nothing short of shameful. The UK

Government's own another analysis

shows that Scotland will suffer more

than the United Kingdom as a whole

with the economic output.

Threatening to reduce growth by a

massive 9% over 15 years. Make no

mistake that their hard Brexit is

going to hit the pockets of families

and is going to lead to a loss in

tax revenue expectations. It is

therefore going to affect spending

on public services and yet the

Chancellor is silent on the risks to

our economy. Risks to our economy

when the stresses and strains of a

mere decade of austerity is hurting.

The fact is, Mr Speaker, Scotland is

shackled to a sinking ship. The

Scottish budget passed last month

illustrates the real diversions in

critical choices across the UK. At

Scotland chosen to stand by our

outstanding public sector staff. We

continue to mitigate the worst

atrocities of this government's

ideological austerity agenda. We

will continue to press for for

nothing less then continued UK

membership of the single customs

union. We will never stop fighting

to get justice for 1950s women... In

conclusion, Mr Speaker, it is

obvious, the Chancellor must waken

up to the economic injustices he

oversees and tell the South as a

matter of urgency how the economy

will stand a hard Brexit.

Mr

Speaker, a matter of more immediate

urgency to the people of Scotland

will stand the highest rates of

taxation in the United Kingdom. An

economy that under the SNP

government is already growing more

slowly than the economy of the

United Kingdom. I don't know about

sinking ship, it's about keeping of

floats I would suggest to the right

Honourable gentleman. He talks about

earnings. I suggest that the right

honourable gentleman looks at real

household disposable income which as

I'm sure he knows, is now 4.4%

higher than at the start of 2010. We

have cut taxes for 31 million people

across this country at a time when

his government is putting taxes up.

We have taken 4 million people out

of taxation, improving the ability

of people to retain their hard

earned incomes. He talks about

Brexit spreading alarm. He knows

very well that my right honourable

friend the Prime Minister is working

tirelessly to deliver a Brexit that

will secure British jobs, British

businesses and British prosperity.

And we would be aided in that

enterprise if he and his government

would work closely with us to

deliver an outcome that is good for

the whole of the United Kingdom. He

talks about Scotland's budget but of

course Scotland now has its own

tax-raising power and the people of

Scotland know how he intends to use

them. Perhaps he is forgotten but I

will just try to help him with his

short-term amnesia, at the autumn

budget in 2017, just four months

ago, Scotland received an additional

£2 billion of funding as a result of

the measures announced then. As for

the VAT on police and Fire Services

measure being vindictive, the

Scottish National Party government

was told explicitly that it would

not be possible to refund VAT if it

went ahead with the police

organisation. It decided to do so

anyway. He may use the adjective

vindictive but I suspect my right

honourable friend 's would be able

to think of another adjective that

describes a government that pursued

such a ridiculous course of action.

Whatever impression may have been

given so far I gently remind the

House of this is not a debate but I

question and answer session

following a ministerial statement.

Nicky Morgan.

I want to congratulate the

Chancellor on the balanced approach

he has taken. He and the premise to

have rightly identifies housing as

an economic and social priority. He

will be aware that the Treasury and

Select Committee's report on his

Budget of 2017 mentioned the cap on

housing revenue accounts might be

lifted to allow local authorities --

authorities to pay to play their

part...

We have already relaxed the

borrowing cap in respect of local

authorities in areas with high

demands and low affordability. We

will carefully monitor the

consequences of that, how that

delivers, and keep it under

continuous review.

The lights the

Chancellor can see in the tunnel is

the Brexit locomotive barrelling

headlong towards him and our schools

and our hospitals. What is he going

to do to prevent that FTA style

scenario which is owned Treasury

officials say will lead a £55

billion train wreck in our public

services?

As he knows, I am

committed to delivering a Brexit

which protects British jobs, British

businesses and British prosperity. I

spent a very significant amount of

my working time ensuring that is the

route we follow, I expect we will

make further progress at the march

from European Council. I understand

the concerns that he expresses on

behalf of British business. I have

to tell him something. I talked to

businesses all day everyday. It is

my job. He says, so deceived

business is concerned about what the

consequence is of a bad Brexit deal.

Business is much more concerned

about the consequences of the

policies advanced by his right

honourable friend on the front

bench.

Can I say what a huge

pleasure it is to see the Chancellor

so upbeat even as he said Tiggerish.

He is right to be soaked with an

appointment at the lowest for 30

years... At the next Budget, given

we are about four months away from

official departure date from the EU,

would my right honourable friend

looked to put into the Red Book what

he plans to do with the money we are

no longer going to pay to the EU?

Always a pleasure to hear from my

right honourable friend. Luck, we

are absolutely not complacent. We

face many challenges as well as...

We have a plan to embrace the

opportunities and rise to the

challenges. This country has many

advantages that many of our

neighbours would give their right

arm to enjoy. We must go forward in

good heart, robust late, to seize

these opportunities and make the

best of our future opportunities. I

say to my right honourable friend on

the specific issue around tax and

spending, of course, in the

forthcoming Budget, we will look at

taxation and spending over the

future period. The OBR, of course,

will decide what it presents in its

report to the House and my right

honourable friend will have an

opportunity to question them about

their approach when they appear in

the House shortly after the Budget

statement.

Credit rose by 9% in the

last year. The House of debt ratio

to income is 138%, rapidly

approaching levels seen before the

financial crisis. With interest

rates now forecast by the OBR to

rise faster than we previously

envisaged, are we asking consumers

to keep the wheels on the road of

the economic recovery? Is that right

and sustainable?

She is right to

raise this issue. Something we keep

under constant review. I talked

regularly to the Governor of the

Bank of England about personal debt.

She probably will no personal House

of debt rose in all but one year of

the 13 year Labour Government and it

is now at a lower level than it was

pre-crisis. The judgment of the

authorities at the moment is that

household debt levels are

sustainable. She is right to draw

our attention to it, something we

keep under close review.

I wonder if

the Chancellor could give more

details on the announcement that the

O N S will work with Treasury on a

more sophisticated measure of human

capital. In a knowledge-based

economy this becomes more crucial

than ever for driving our economic

productivity. Could we have more

details of the timelines and the

nature of that work?

She gives me

the opportunity to thank for

sparking this line of enquiry. In a

letter she wrote to me. I did

challenge the Treasury with the

challenge that actually they are

more focused on the returns to

infrastructure investment than

skills investment. When we looked at

it in detail, we discovered the

metrics for measuring the returns to

investment in human capital are not

as well developed as they should be.

This is something the ONS has a big

fraud. As we move into a

knowledge-based economy with

technological changes ahead of us it

is important we are able to compare

objectively and appropriately human

infrastructure and human capital...

The OECD published their early

growth forecast putting us at the

bottom with forecast growth this

year of 1.3%. I think it is pretty

clear that there is no Brexit

dividend on the scene for British

economy. It is to be welcomed that

the deficit is getting back to a

manageable level. The Chancellor of

the Exchequer must know because even

his own backbenchers are telling him

that extra money is needed for our

hospitals, schools and police. That

money is not there because of the

previous decisions to make premature

cuts to capital gains tax and

inheritance tax. The Chancellor must

have heard the Institute for Fiscal

Studies calling for increased

capital investment in housing up to

3% of our economy. Why does not you

listen to the Institute for Fiscal

Studies?

He knows and I know that

our economy doesn't still face

uncertainty as we go through the

negotiation process with the

European Union. I am convinced from

every conversation I have with

business leaders, investors, that as

we deliver greater clarity about our

future arrangements, future

relationship with the EU over the

coming months, we will see business

investment increasing, consumer

confidence improving. We beat the

forecasting 2017, let's beat it

again in 2018. I do believe economic

growth matters. The right honourable

gentleman opposite says it does not

matter what the level of GDP is, I

don't agree because the level... I

will send him the quote a peak and

immediately recall what I said. I

believe it matters because it is

what drives living standards. We are

putting extra money into public

services, £11 billion in 2018-19

that I have put in since I happened

Chancellor. On his point about

housing investment, we agreed that

we have a major challenge in the

housing market. We have booked a

significant amount, £44 billion,

into doing with this challenge of

the remainder of the parliament. I

have to say that our significant

non-financial constraints in being

able to do more, there are physical

bottlenecks around skilled labour,

materials as well, but it is

something we will keep under review.

The present Conservative chance of

the Exchequer, perhaps he could

remind our right honourable friend

the previous chance of the Exchequer

given where our electorate support

comes from its might not be wise

politics to impose a targeted new

tax on our older supporters. He

could remind our right honourable

friend that we will be serving £12

billion a year in contributions to

the European Union.

I assume he is

referring to the previous

Conservative Chancellor up one. On

that assumption, I think he is

probably...

The winter crisis in the

NHS left us with cancelled

operations, patients sleeping on the

floor, ditched targets and public

apology from the Prime Minister.

Neither these bring or Spring

statement have provided easing on

these pressures. Given he knows that

logic is going to be too late to

provide any of the initial funding

for next year's winter crisis that

he knows both the NHS and social

care will need. He knows this in his

heart and in his spreadsheets. Will

he follow the Prime Minister and and

and a public apology to the staff

and patients to the NHS who are

going to have to endure next year's

crisis because of this failure?

I

have already made it clear that we

admire greatly the work of NHS staff

who have faced extremely difficult

circumstances cheering this winter

with the pressures of flu and

extreme winter weather. This is a

spring statement, not a physical

events. I said and I will say again

to the right honourable lady that we

are putting £4 billion additionally

into the NHS in 2018-19 and I have

committed to putting further money

in in 2018-19 to find a pay

settlement for nurses and agenda for

change that if the management and

unions reach agreement.

It is

welcome to hear from the Chancellor

such good news on debt and growth.

And in particular looking at the

effects of the real lives of people

in my Ashford constituency worsens

2010, unemployment, youth

unemployment, is down 48% and

apprenticeships are up 6850. In

continuing his successful, balanced

approach, will he commit to dealing

with the social care sector in

particular because without the act

is going to be an increasingly

important issue in the years and

decades ahead.

I am grateful. He has

done a great deal of work on this

issue. We are absolutely aware of

the pressures on the social care

system. They are not short-term

pressures. They are driven by

demographics, an ageing population.

We have to do three things. In the

short term, we have provided

additional money, £2 billion of

additional support in at Spring

Budget last year. The Minister for

Housing and community is put another

£150 million of social care grant in

at the local government set in just

eight a few weeks ago. In the medium

term, we have to work to get the

standards of the best. There is

excellent practice across the

country but it isn't everywhere. The

variation between delayed discharges

between different authorities is

completely unacceptable. Publishing

a green paper on social care, the

future of social care which we will

deliver to the House before the

summer recess.

The Chancellor says

forecasts are there to be beaten. I

agree with them. Can he explain to

me why since his Budget in November

the OBR have not been able to

increase the growth forecast in

2019, 2020, 2021 or 2022. It can't

be the negative impact of Brexit

because the OBR still don't have

information from Government in order

to forecast that. So what on earth

is his excuse?

Remind the honourable

lady, Mr Speaker, that the OBR's

autumn report in November was only

four months ago. In the normal

course of events one would not

expect in the absence of a shock to

the economy economic forecast to

change significantly. The front end

has changed because the outturn for

2017-18 has changed. The OBR focus

growth two percentage points lower

than it turned out in 17-18 and that

has a knock through a date which has

increased the growth projection.

Successful businesses drive growth.

How much is the corporate tax take

going up since corporation tax has

been cut? And will he do nothing to

hinder the internationally

competitive tax rates for corporate

in this country?

I can. I am happy

to tell my honourable friend that

since we reduced the rate of

corporate tax to 19%, the yields,

the amount of tax be raised for our

public services, hospitals, schools

has gone up by 54%. It is clear that

being one of the most competitive

tax jurisdictions in the T20 is one

of the determining factors in many

investment decisions coming to the

UK, creating the jobs and prosperity

we need for the future. -- G20.

The

Chancellor is right to talk up the

UK economy with good news. Plenty in

this House will rectify this play Dr

down. -- recklessly tottered down.

He did make a promised there would

be an enquiry into VAT on the

hospitality industry and a batch of

sport would be made in time for the

Budget in the autumn. When will he

make the announcement as to when

that enquiry will start and the

terms of its?

I have laid out today setting out

the review consultations and that is

amongst them so if he looks of it

after this statement is over he will

see that it is there.

Can I draw the

Chancellor's attention to the recent

research published by the

International monetary fund which

says that the choice we made in 2010

to deal with the deficit is

primarily by controlling spending

rather than tax rises as the

opposition would have was the right

choice meant that this economy grew

faster than our European competitors

and has put him in the position

where he can deliver more money for

our priorities whilst reducing the

debt in the balanced way that he

sets out.

I'm grateful to my right

honourable friend and he is right.

It was the right choice. Because we

made that choice throughout that

period we saw employment in this

country continuing to grow. We

avoided the very high levels of

unemployment that many of our

European neighbours suffer. We

avoided the catastrophic generation

blighting levels of youth

unemployment that many of our

European neighbours suffered and

that will be affecting their

economies and societies not just for

a few more years but for 30, 40, 50

years to come. It was the right

decision. We have executed our plan

and we should stick to it.

The

Chancellor has been very upbeat

today but why is he so upbeat when

the growth figures show that we have

gone from near the top of the G-7

and G20 growth lists the bottom of

both?

Well, Mr Speaker, I am clear

and I have alluded to this already

that one of the factors that is

depressing the forecast growth is

the uncertainty that still exists

around the economy. Now, if she

liked me expects that uncertainty to

dissipate over time then she should

look through it to the fundamentals

of our economy to the underlying

strength of our economy and this is

an economy that is in a

fundamentally good shape. Once we

can restore confidence uncertainty

about our future path, I am

confident those fundamental

strengths will deliver increased

economic growth.

My right honourable

friend made a fantastic statement.

Does he join me in welcoming the 65%

fall in youth unemployment since

2010 and does he agree with me that

whilst it is entirely right to

mention intergenerational fairness,

the worst form of that would be if

we allowed high youth unemployment

is to peak as it has done to suit

dangerous levels in the rest of

Europe.

Of course I welcome the very

large fall in youth unemployment in

his constituency but that will be

from a base that was very much lower

than has come to be considered

normal in many of our European

neighbours. As you rightly says,

that is not just an economic factor

but it is a societal factor.

Resistant high levels of youth

unemployment have a hugely damaging

affect as we have discovered in the

past in this country to our cost. If

someone is unemployed during those

formative years they are far more

likely to remain unemployed and

unemployable for the rest of their

working life.

It is astonishing that

Brexit which is the single biggest

risk to the economy merited only two

mentions in the Chancellor 's's

Spring Statement. If the economy and

economic outlook is so rosy perhaps

he can explain why almost every

school in my constituency is facing

school budget cuts, why my local NHS

Trust is in special measures and why

my constituents who crying out in

the face of a wave of burglary, one

of the worst we have seen, the

police will not respond because the

Metropolitan Police are subject to

real terms budget cuts. Is that not

the grim reality facing our country

and is it not set to get worse

because of the hard Brexit his

government is following?

No. The

government is issuing a Brecht said

that takes British jobs and British

businesses. -- Brexit. On the

question of schools, we have

protected schools funding so it will

rise in per-pupil real terms over

the next two years. As we move to

the fair funding formula for

schools, every school will receive a

cash increase. An police, the

settlement that has recently been

voted on by this House provides £450

million of additional resource

across this country. We have

protected police budget since 2015.

The OBR in its report and I refer to

table chart the four. Assumes that

Brexit will be recycled into

ordinary expenditure. Does the

Chancellor accepted this conclusion

and what thought the seat given to

spending this money and is the NHS

in the top of his list?

My right

honourable friend 's nose grow well,

this sums in that the -- knows very

well. The OBR have assumed that any

savings from another contributed to

the European Union will be recycled

to fun things that would have been

funded by the European Union and

will no longer burn so. How we

choose to use that money will of

course be an issue for this

parliament. But I would note to my

honourable friend that we have

already made certain commitments for

example to our agricultural

community to maintain the level of

spending at EU level is until the

end of this Parliament.

I have to

say that the levels of hypocrisy

from this government is quite hit

extraordinary. How can he pledged to

be improving air quality whilst

simultaneously boasting about

undertaking the largest road

building project since the 1970s?

How can he say that plastic

contamination is urgent... Ways the

deposit scheme? Where is the urgency

from this action? Why is there such

a gulf between the government

actions and their words.

The

honourable lady makes a fundamental

mistake linking the road building

programme to air quality. I would

urge the honourable lady to take at

least a medium-term view of the

world. The vehicle fleet is

decarbonising. Within her lifetime,

if not mine, we are going to have

fully electric vehicles, probably

autonomous vehicles as well. We

should not think as the road

building programme as a negative

feature. Which is think of it as an

enabler for a transformation in the

way our vehicle fleet works. We have

made announcements today and I hope

she will be pleased with the VAT on

vans consultation. This is a

much-needed approach to

incentivising van drivers to be able

to buy the cleanest and greenest

vehicles available.

I strongly

welcome what's my right honourable

friend has set out in the Spring

Statement, particularly with the

focus on the cost of living and

skills. Can I ask him with the

forthcoming budget that he continues

that focus on the cost of living

freezing the full duty -- fuel duty

and make sure is we meet the needs

of the forthcoming industrial

revolution?

I won't make a

commitment ahead of the next budget

on any specific tax but of course we

will maintain the focus on the cost

of living and living standards. He

will know and I certainly know that

one of the biggest problem is that

we face over the last year has been

the impact on real wages from high

levels of inflation. Getting that

inflation back down to target is a

crucial priority and I am delighted

that we are going to see a real wage

rise from next month as a result of

inflation falling and strong nominal

wage growth.

I cannot believe that

the Chancellor did not have more to

say on the NHS in his statement. The

NHS in my area is not just in

crisis, it is at breaking point.

Now, he refers to putting an extra

£4 million in this current financial

year to the NHS but if you

extrapolate what the OBR is saying

NHS will need just a kid K going

with the rising demand, we need at

least 30 billion extra going into

the NHS by 20-23. So will he meet

the demands that the member of

Parliament and others across both

parties have made for a proper party

convention and how we put the NHS on

a sustainable footing and secondly,

will you support the suggestion of

his former secretary on his

department for a proper NHS tax to

help give it the funding that it

needs?

I suspect now is not the

moment for a long debate on the

structural funding challenges of the

NHS but the honourable member is of

course right, we have an ageing

population, technology is driving an

ever wider array of interventions

that can and should be made to

support people with medical

conditions, particularly chronic

medical conditions and we do have to

look at how to ensure that our NHS

remains sustainable in the future.

Of course we're looking at that

issue. I am not going to give him a

commitment today at the dispatch box

at how we're going to do that but it

is absolutely something we need to

do. I very much hope as he suggests

that this could be done on a

cross-party basis on a serious

basis. But I fear that his front

bench will not be able to resist the

temptation to try to play politics

with any such serious discussion.

It

was excellent to hear the Chancellor

talk about educational investments

and human capital. Further to my

right honourable friend's comments

earlier will he explain further

whether the Treasury will create

standards that will value our human

capital across our government

departments which will then drive

decision-making so that taxpayers

money is best spent to maximise

human capital that in education and

training rather than wasted?

We've

asked the ONS to look at this and

look and metrics that we could use.

The objective is to be able to

assess clearly where the marginal

pounds of capital investment should

go to achieve the best effects on

the economy. I suspect that in the

future, without wanting to pre-empt

the outcome of that work, I suspect

that in the future in a very rapidly

changing economy we will find that

retraining and upskilling is going

to be a very large part of our

future investment requirement.

The

mouse the Chancellor, I sent him a

letter -- can I ask the Chancellor

and assist the UK Government that

has not yet committed to.

It will be

from my right honourable friend, the

Minister for Housing, communities

and local government to have that

meeting with him. I'm very happy to

pass on request.

As my right

honourable friend made any

assessment of the Venezuelan

economic model so favoured by the

Shadow Chancellor where I understand

the Venezuelan government has

made... Huge progress on reducing

income inequality. Unfortunately, as

socialism always does, it's done

this by pushing 80% of the

population into poverty.

Yes.

Actually I was watching Russia today

and I saw very interesting piece on

the Venezuelan economy. Apparently

every is going swimmingly.

In

response to my honourable friend for

Wallasey, the Chancellor suggested

that our economy will be stronger

when there is greater certainty over

Brexit but can he confirm that the

Treasury's own analysis published

last week showed that under all of

the government's Brexit options,

long-term growth will be lower than

it would otherwise have been and

does he not realise that that will

be the true legacy of his government

and his party that can no longer

claims act and the national economic

interest?

College is correct down a

couple of points? The report that

she refers to published by the EU

committee was not a report done by

HM Treasury. It was a report that

she knows prepared by a cross

departmental group of professionals.

In response to the criticism that

has been levied at the Treasury's

model that has been used before the

referendum. Of course, it didn't

model the government's preferred

outcome scenario. It model a couple

of standard models that the Prime

Minister has already rejected. We're

not going for a Norway model and

we're not going for Canada model. We

are negotiating with the EU for as

bespoke solution and we have made

progress in those negotiations we

will model the outcome that we

expect to get. And when parliament

comes to vote on this issue,