Following the Government statement on the situation in Sudan, Harriett Baldwin expresses her sadness and concerns for the women she met in Darfur who only want peace and asks about UK funding and the funding of the Rapid Support Forces.
Speaking in a debate on the Finance (No.2) Bill, Harriett Baldwin welcomes many aspects of the Bill, but question the Government on the abolition of the Office for Tax Simplification and ask how the Treasury Committee can hold the Government accountable for continuing to simplify the tax system.
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 welcomes the extension of the 5p cut in fuel duty and the freezing of the escalator, but raises concerns that the Office for Budget Responsibility continues to use the assumption that fuel duty will rise with inflation in its fiscal forecasts which undermines their credibility in reporting the health of the nation’s finances.
Harriett Baldwin thanks all who worked hard over the weekend to limit risks to our tech and life sciences sector, and welcomes the HSBC rescue of the UK arm of the Silicon Valley Bank as the best possible outcome in these difficult circumstances.
Following the Government statement about the future role of a potential digital pound, Harriett Baldwin asks if, given that major high street banks are passing on to savers so little interest since the Bank of England started to increase rates, people should be able to hold a digital account at the Bank of England and earn the Bank rate on their holdings.
Harriett Baldwin highlights the Treasury Committee’s recent report titled “Fuel Duty: Fiscal forecast fiction”, which questions the 12p fuel duty raise that the Office for Budget Responsibility uses in its forecasts and asks if the Treasury will respond to that report before the Budget.
