Following the Government statement on food price inflation, Harriett Baldwin highlighted the fact that inflation is a tax that harms everyone, the poorest most, and called on the Government to urge the independent Bank of England to get inflation under control.
Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con)
Yesterday’s inflation numbers were a sobering reminder of how terrible a tax inflation is on our economy. It is a tax that harms everyone, but it harms the poorest most. Does the Minister agree that, while Government fiscal policy this year needs to help in terms of halving inflation, the primary responsibility for getting inflation under control has been set in a remit letter given to the independent Bank of England? It is the Bank’s job to make sure that inflation gets back in its box.
The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries (Mark Spencer)
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for her work chairing the Treasury Committee and holding the Treasury to account. She will be aware that the Prime Minister’s priority is to get inflation back under control and get it down. We will continue to work across Government to make sure that that happens, and we do recognise the challenge that this brings to consumers and to our constituents.