Speeches by Coghlan.

“To push back, a lot of the increase in defence spending is actually on R&D. If a lot of the issue right now is the OBR potentially downgrading productivity forecasts, and therefore increasing the fiscal black hole, then surely if the Government successfully argue that they can defer some of these productivity decreases…”

“I commend the hon. Members for Sherwood Forest (Michelle Welsh) and for Rossendale and Darwen (Andy MacNae) and the right hon. Member for Godalming and Ash (Sir Jeremy Hunt) for calling this important debate. I have seen at first hand the commitment of the right hon. Member for Godalming and Ash to these issues, and I …”

“There is a 12-year-old child in Dorking who is autistic and has had two suicide attempts, the most recent within the past four weeks. They do not have an EHCP. As the Chair acknowledges in the report, there are serious concerns about local authority governance. I have received 120 family testimonies from Surrey and 650…”

“I entirely agree, because by the age of three a child has 1,000 trillion brain connections, but that declines to 500 trillion by adolescence. That is why the earlier the intervention, the more effective the outcome and the lower the total cost. That is even before we consider the cost of a parent who has to leave work …”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Allin-Khan. In Dorking the other day, a mum called Jenny came to see me about her daughters, Isabelle and Sienna. They are severely learning disabled, epileptic, blind, non-verbal and tube fed. Isabelle and Sienna have difficult lives, but they thrive when they are …”

“That is why I specifically mentioned the fiscal rules. If you suspended the sale now, that would create an extra £18 billion of headroom under the fiscal rules, and of course maybe that would come through later under—”

“Governor, the OBR implies that stopping QT could create £18 billion a year of extra fiscal headroom for the Chancellor and save us all significant taxes as taxpayers. Do you agree? I understand that considering fiscal issues is outside the remit of the Bank of England, but you are about to set QT for the rest of the ye…”

“There is a lot of concern in the news at the moment about high bond yields. I would be curious to know your views about why the UK currently has higher bond yields than France, even though France’s debt-to-GDP ratio is higher and the French Government is at risk of collapse.”

“But financial market expectations of inflation are consistently higher than the expectations of the Bank. Does that ultimately undermine the credibility of the MPC?”

“Does anyone else have any views on stagflation?”

“From what you have all said, with the exception of Professor Taylor, if I am reading you correctly, I would say that it appears that perhaps growth and inflation risks have decoupled. I am curious about your views on whether the UK is stuck in stagflation.”

“First, I commend the Defence Secretary and Admiral Sir Tony Radakin for their commitment to a just peace in Ukraine. However, I agree with the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith) that the most reluctant member of this coalition of the willing appears to be President Trump. Does th…”

“In hearing from the Foreign Secretary that 132,000 children are at risk of dying from hunger, one can only feel utter revulsion. I recognise what the Government have done, but in their public diplomacy with President Trump, their strategy appears to be to pander to him. Again, I understand why the Government have chose…”

“I am proud that this country helps refugees, and I am intensely proud that I spent years building a charity working with Rwandan refugees from the genocide, but in Horley there have been two serious criminal incidents in the past three months relating to the Four Points hotel. My constituents have legitimate safety con…”

“On that, Mr Hughes, a key part of the Government strategy is around defence R&D, which economic forecasts show does increase economic growth. In fact, it is one of the most significant ways of increasing economic growth. Would you agree that if they are spending it on defence R&D, it is a good use of Government money f…”

“Given all of that—given that growth could reduce debt—does it concern you that the Government are only increasing R&D by 0.7% a year over the next five years?”

“Unless it is funded by debt. Finally from me, do you think it is responsible of the OBR to have a productivity forecast that is two thirds higher than the Bank of England’s, given that that implies an extra £50 billion fiscal black hole for the Chancellor if you are wrong?”

“Given that, how do you see the relationship between debt and growth?”

“Good morning, Mr Hughes. Is there a debt level for the UK that we should worry about?”

“Given that, what would you say would be the best use of spending to reduce debt?”