Speeches by Yang.

“I have a question about your responses to potential new data and new measures. In our last session, we talked about how the Government’s intervention on energy bills, in terms of fiscal policy, had brought down headline CPI. Given that all three of the scenarios that you have projected have quite a significant output g…”

“Professor van Geest, you mentioned that the CPB would not take your Treasury’s expenditure figures for granted. It would make its own assessment, which may be higher. Institutionally, what has given you the security to do so without being dragged into questions of impartiality and politics?”

“You would rather that the Treasury was more robust in setting out its own case.”

“I am just reflecting on the institutional set-up. Of course, I am sure that you are open to debate and would never not engage, but you have a team of about a dozen economists, and Departments all across Government are trying to bring you their case and tell you why it might affect the supply side and increase growth. T…”

“Thank you for being professional. To zoom out a bit more, Professor Miles, we are discussing the impact of the current fiscal framework on your ability to do your work. Again, I am sure that you will demur to saying that it is down to politicians to set the fiscal framework, but are there parts of the fiscal framework …”

“Jeremy Hunt’s former chief of staff, Adam Smith, has written a very interesting account of some exchanges that he may have had with you and your colleagues, arguing that at the time their team placed a lot of emphasis on trying to convince the OBR of certain elements of its supply-side macro forecast. Would that energy…”

“This discussion centres on how we improve the pre-election and post-election discussion, the democratic discussion, of fiscal measures and economic policy overall. Ms van Geest, I was very interested in hearing you saying that in the UK you felt that, because we have the IFS and NIESR—we have many other universities an…”

“The benefit of doing so would be that there would be fewer of the exchanges that were detailed by Jeremy Hunt’s team and that, I am sure, have continued since to apply pressure to encourage and persuade the OBR to change its mind about certain elements of the OBR supply-side forecast. Would that be better absorbed by t…”

“I am asking more about the supply-side forecast rather than the fiscal forecast. To give an example from Adam Smith’s article—I am talking about the chief of staff rather than the economist, just to be clear—he mentioned that at one point Jeremy Hunt’s team had brought the Chief Medical Officer to a meeting with the OB…”

“T2. This weekend, while door-knocking in Woodley, I spoke to a young father of three who, despite working multiple skilled jobs, feared being made homeless because of high and rising costs of rent. Will the Chancellor examine the case for a fixed-term rent freeze in the private rented sector to protect renters like my …”

“I am indeed very proud of this Labour Government’s historic Employment Rights Act 2025, which, from this month, means that workers will get statutory sick pay from the first day they are ill, rather than having to wait till the fourth. Too many people in Reading—even those working in health and care settings—are workin…”

“9. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of rates of statutory sick pay.”

“Mr Speaker, I wish you and the Minister a happy St George’s day. I congratulate my right hon. Friend on rejoining the EU Erasmus+ scheme. It is very exciting for students across the UK, including at the University of Reading. On energy prices, we are all paying the price of Trump’s war in Iran. It is vital for us to wo…”

“7. What steps he is taking to improve relations with the EU.”

“On the topic of anti-money laundering, it has been reported recently that the FCA has awarded Palantir a contract for processing data related to anti-money laundering objectives. The Guardian has reported that there has been an official announcement stating that Palantir will work across all FCA datasets. Is that the c…”

“It is not correct, as reported, that Palantir has access to all FCA datasets. Which datasets does it have access to?”

“Which datasets will we be pushing into that infrastructure?”

“Is it possible for Palantir to link the data that it has access to across different UK Government Departments?”

“Could you give examples of what that includes? What information do you use to identify financial crime?”

“For example, you are talking about things such as names and addresses of people whose payments are being scrutinised for potential anti-money laundering purposes. That is the kind of area you are looking at.”