Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Cost of Living

Wednesday 13 March 2024 · 8 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The UK Government has provided 96 billion since 2022 to support households and individuals across the United Kingdom.
  • Inflation has fallen from more than 11% to about 4% as a result of the policies being pursued by the current Government.
  • The Welsh Government's sustainable farming scheme is criticized for taking 20% of prime Welsh agricultural land out of commission.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Richard Thomson
Economy Wales
Context

Discusses the challenges posed by cost of living pressures due to the covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of the impact of increases in the cost of living on people in Wales?

Answer from David Davies

The UK Government fully recognise the challenges posed by cost of living pressures as a result of the covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, which is why we have provided £96 billion since 2022 to support households and individuals across the United Kingdom — an average of about £3,400 per household.

Answered
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Q2 Tan Dhesi Lab Slough
Economy Taxation
Context

Highlights the cost of living crisis affecting households in Wales, citing a Which? survey finding that one in five working-age parents is skipping meals due to high food prices.

Question

What recent conversations has the Secretary of State had with supermarkets about keeping the cost of food down?

Answer from David Davies

I hope the hon. Gentleman will recognise and welcome the fact that, as a result of the policies being pursued by this Government, inflation has fallen from more than 11% to about 4%. I hope he will also agree that workers throughout Wales will be very pleased with the cut in national insurance contributions, which means that on average they will be £642 better off.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific conversations with supermarkets were not addressed.

How: Under Review, Policies Being Pursued

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Q3 Ben Lake PC Ceredigion Preseli
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

Refers to constituents adversely affected by the transition from working tax credit to universal credit due to seasonal income issues.

Question

Will the Secretary of State intervene in support of an impact assessment for workers with seasonal incomes?

Answer from David Davies

The hon. Gentleman is a champion of constituents in rural areas such as his, and I am happy to look at any information that he wants to give, but I hope that he will recognise that the increase in the living wage will have helped his constituents, even those who work seasonally.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to an impact assessment was not provided.

How: Increase In The Living Wage

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Q4 Richard Thomson
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Mentions a Trussell Trust report indicating that 55% of people receiving universal credit in Wales have run out of food last month and nearly 40,000 needed to use a food bank.

Question

What is the Secretary of State going to do about the severe food insecurity issues reported by the Trussell Trust?

Answer from David Davies

The focus of this UK Government is on ensuring that people can work and do not have to live on benefits, but we recognise that there are those in need. That is why pensions, benefits and the living wage have all risen in line with inflation, and why we have ensured that additional payments are made to pensioners, those living on benefits and households where there has been disability.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions addressing food insecurity were not provided.

How: Pensions Rising, Additional Payments

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Q5 David Jones Con
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

Questions the impact of a Welsh Government's sustainable farming scheme that would take 20% of prime agricultural land out of commission.

Question

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the Welsh Government's sustainable farming scheme would have serious impacts on rural areas?

Answer from David Davies

My right hon. Friend is entirely correct. The Welsh Labour Government's sustainable farming scheme involves taking 20% of prime Welsh agricultural land out of commission in order to pursue a whole load of nebulous schemes. It will increase food miles, and will reduce our ability to feed ourselves.

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Q6 Virginia Crosbie
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

Calls for more support for hard-working farmers on Anglesey, particularly regarding the sustainable farming scheme and TB issues.

Question

Does the Minister agree that the Welsh Government should do more to support hard-working farmers on Anglesey?

Answer from David Davies

I completely agree with my hon. Friend. The Welsh Government should abandon their so-called sustainable farming scheme, which will remove 20% of prime Welsh agricultural land and prevent farmers from growing food or grazing crops on it. They need to do something about tuberculosis, which is running rampant in Wales, unlike in England.

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Q7 Jo Stevens Lab Cardiff East
Employment Energy
Context

Discusses the impact of Conservatives' actions, particularly their delay on new nuclear projects at Wylfa, which could have created up to 8,500 jobs.

Question

What does the Secretary of State say to people across north Wales who are still looking for good jobs because of his Government's failures?

Answer from David Davies

The last Labour Government certainly did not build any nuclear power stations. The UK Conservative Government are getting on with Hinkley, and we are sorting out small modular reactors. There is a process going on, in which six companies with an SMR model will be reduced to two, and one will be selected by the end of the year. We have provided £160 million to buy the Wylfa site.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Addressing job creation opportunities directly was not fully covered.

How: Getting On With Hinkley, Smr Model

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Q8 Jo Stevens Lab Cardiff East
Transport Energy
Context

The MP notes the government's inaction on acquiring a nuclear site at Wylfa after 14 years and criticises this delay for costing money and weakening the UK's energy mix. Nine out of ten current reactors will be offline within nine years, risking higher prices and vulnerability to energy suppliers like Russia.

Question

It is a stark admission of the Government's failure that the Secretary of State boasts, after 14 years in government and doing absolutely nothing for five years, of acquiring a site at Wylfa. His Government's inaction has cost people money, and still does. In nine years, all but one of our current reactors will be offline, which will weaken our energy mix, risk higher prices, and again leave us vulnerable to energy tyrants such as Putin. Will the Secretary of State make an explicit commitment today to backing new nuclear in places such as Wylfa, as Labour has done, in order to unlock jobs, investment and cheaper bills—issues that his party has ignored for so long? Or is this another never-ending Tory fiasco, like High Speed 2?

Answer from David Davies

The last Labour Government were not in the least bit supportive of nuclear. What this Conservative Government have done for energy is increase to 50% the amount of electricity that comes from renewables. We are the first advanced economy to halve our carbon dioxide emissions, and we are pushing forward with floating offshore wind and SMRs. All we get for business from the Welsh Labour Government is a block on new roads being built, 20 mph speed limits, and legislation to charge people for driving to work.

Not addressed: Commitment to backing new nuclear projects such as at Wylfa

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