Speeches by Baldwin.

“Finally, on pensioners, the Office for Budget Responsibility says that about a million more pensioners are going to be drawn into paying income tax over the forecast period. Many of those pensioners will rely exclusively on the state pension. I think you have said publicly that you are going to find a way for them not …”

“It is not just bad practice, though: it is an increase in price, isn’t it?”

“I definitely will do that, but what I am hearing is that your advice is, if you really need to, top up a little bit; otherwise just try and hang on.”

“We can see what they say; I just wondered whether the Chancellor is worried about the potential for there to be more people who pay more tax leaving the country, compared with people coming in and the tax that they pay. I just wondered if you had actually asked the question, Chancellor.”

“Specifically on the timing, my understanding is that you want to do only one fiscal event a year, and the increase in petrol prices starts in September. Are you telling us this morning that if petrol prices are a lot higher in September, you will make an announcement then? Or are you committed to going ahead and increa…”

“Chancellor, we have heard from the Office for Budget Responsibility that more Brits are leaving the UK. Anecdotally, you hear people use phrases like, “There’s a millionaire leaving the UK every 45 minutes.” We have also heard that there is very little data on the tax paid by those leaving and the tax paid by those com…”

“Okay. We will continue our investigation on that subject.”

“I am genuinely shocked and surprised to hear the Liberal Democrat line, because I seem to remember when these investigatory powers—including the right to snoop on communications—were first brought in, the hon. Lady’s party was vehemently against them, yet here we are giving these powers to an agency that will cover eve…”

“It is an absolute honour to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stuart; you delivered the title of this legislation with a dryness that belies its purpose and impact on our economy. The instrument looks tiny—there is hardly anything in it—yet I am going to argue that the Committee should vote against it this afternoon. I…”

“The Chancellor will review mileage rates, but with her fuel duty freeze coming to an end in September and the next fiscal event not happening until later in the year, will she commit to review that decision at the end of this parliamentary Session if petrol prices are significantly higher than they are today, for the s…”

“The Chancellor has announced today that she is not really making any changes at this point, and that she is calling for a de-escalation. What would she say to my rural constituent who uses heating oil and has a virtually empty tank after a long winter, and is facing a 100% increase in the cost of heating oil? I did not…”

“I thank the Minister for advance sight of his statement, and—I do not often say these words—I warmly welcome the decision that he has announced. It seems that the Government have abandoned the risk, posed by their earlier proposals, that they would shutter thousands of local post offices, especially in rural areas. It …”

“I sense that this is an occasion when the House would appreciate it if I were quite brief, but I am grateful to set out our support for the principles of the Bill, and we will not oppose it on Third Reading. The Bill raises the statutory limits in a way that will enable the Government to provide UK industry with additi…”

“The hon. Member makes a very important point, and I know that the House will be eager to hear how enthusiastic the Minister is about all the amendments that have been tabled. I am sure we will shortly hear whether he supports them, or why he does not and why he will urge his colleagues to vote against them this evening…”

“This is a short Bill, but it involves potentially raising and spending a huge amount of public money, so in the interests of thorough scrutiny, I will speak to Opposition amendments 3 and 4 to clause 2, concerning the use of public finance for exports that may ultimately be re-exported to sanctioned destinations. Our a…”

“That the Cabinet Office did. Were they all in the Treasury, or were any of them in No. 10?”

“If I may, Chair, I have a couple more questions on this subject, even though we seem to have asked a lot already. There were 60 people interviewed in the inquiry that you did—”

“Were any of them in No. 10?”

“The reason I ask is that I wonder whether you could clarify something. The story went out on the 13th that there was not going to be an increase in income tax. The markets moved on the morning of 14 November, and then a—presumably—Government spokesperson clarified that it was because the fiscal picture was better. Whic…”

“So we will not see an Office for Budget Responsibility forecast this time?”