The Government recognise rising inflation and are closely monitoring it with the Bank of England. Policies include freezing duties, cutting tax rates in universal credit, increasing the national living wage, and a £9 billion package to help households with energy bills.

The hon. Lady mentioned children in poverty; there are now 300,000 fewer children in poverty than in 2010 due to Conservative-led Governments' actions.

The Government is providing a £9 billion support package, including £150 of support for four out of five households starting April and another £200 in the autumn. Councils have also received extra money for discretionary funding to help needy households.

The Treasury has worked with international partners to impose comprehensive economic sanctions on Russia, which is considered the most extensive set ever experienced by Russia.

The Government reacted to rising energy bills with a £9 billion support package, providing £150 to four out of five households in April when the price cap increases. The price cap will protect further rises until autumn.

The right hon. Friend's suggestions will be considered, noting that fuel prices have been volatile; over the last few days, Brent has fallen by about 25%.

The £9 billion package of support includes help by electricity meter, ensuring off-the-gas-grid households also benefit.

The Government is cutting taxes, providing skills training, and reducing the taper rate on universal credit to increase hiring incentives. The unemployment rate has returned to pre-pandemic levels.

My hon. Friend makes an excellent and timely point. She knows that I know that, in this country, if people want good local services delivered for the lowest possible council tax, they need to vote Conservative.

It is worth bearing it in mind that, because of the price cap, households will be protected all the way through the autumn. We do not know what the price cap will be at that point. If the right hon. Gentleman knows, he is probably in the wrong line of business, and it would be good if he could tell the rest of us. Regarding a windfall tax, Conservative Members believe in getting more investment into the North sea and exploiting our domestic resources. The roundtable that my right hon. Friends the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Prime Minister and the Business Secretary hosted yesterday showed that there is enormous appetite to invest more in the UK. A windfall tax would put off that investment.

The right hon. Gentleman talks about exceptionalism with regard to policy. Part of the reason we are in this situation with energy prices is the decisions made by the previous Labour Government, in particular on nuclear energy, which we are now rapidly having to make up for. We are also committed to tackling the unprecedented backlogs in the NHS, getting the waiting lists down, and recovering from covid. Every single penny of the health and social care levy will go to the people's No. 1 priority and, although things are difficult, I know that is what people want to happen.

My hon. Friend is right to highlight pensioners and to support them in the way that he does. He will know that we made a decision temporarily to move to a double lock this year because of the anomaly in the reported earnings, which would have meant a very large rise statistically that would not have been justified or fair in the circumstances. That said, I am pleased to say that pensions are now at their highest level relative to earnings in over three decades because of the Government's policy on the triple lock, and we continue to be the party that will support those who need our help.

What we are doing is tackling the cost of energy. Unlike the hon. Lady's party, we believe in the future of the North sea and we are investing in it. We want to make sure that we promote the jobs that are there. On upcoming support for energy costs, the Scottish Government have plenty of powers on welfare and tax, and if they think that they can make a difference, they should use them.