Speeches by Baldwin.

“This will be a particularly vulnerable group of people: elderly pensioners on very low incomes.”

“Moving on to the Institute for Government’s analysis, one thing in the statement last week was that another million people of pensionable age who rely exclusively on the state pension will be brought into paying personal taxation because of thresholds being frozen. I wonder about that, from an administrative point of v…”

“Have you seen any behavioural changes around the non-domicile tax changes at all?”

“Ms Mehta, your firm manages money for lots of wealthy people. Has your business seen a behavioural response among your clientèle? Obviously, I do not want you to give any confidential information or say anything that is not public.”

“That leads right into my question. When there is so much anecdotally about a millionaire leaving the UK every 45 minutes and a giant exodus of wealthy people, it is extraordinary that there does not seem to be any data about the mix of net migration and about how much people are paying. Are you saying that you have not…”

“You do not think it is putting anyone off employing anyone at the moment, while it is uncertain.”

“No, it could be young people on a high income who decide to go somewhere else where they might pay less tax. I just wondered whether you had asked the question.”

“Many of my rural constituents, who are often pensioners, rely on heating oil. They are looking at £1,000 extra to fill up their tank this week. Some of that may be price gouging, but it is mainly the price. Is your advice to them to just wait until things have de-escalated to fill up their tank, if they are very low?”

“While we are on the subject of unemployment, I have a question for Mr Josephs. I remember you scored the planning reforms as being a boost to the economy. Have you scored the Employment Rights Act at all in your work?”

“On the windfall tax on North sea oil and gas, I think you had a meeting with the industry the day after the war started. Can you update us on what you told them about the potential for that windfall tax to be relaxed? I think that is what you are aiming to do. What might the timing be?”

“So you would not rule out coming in September and—”

“Finally, on pensioners, the Office for Budget Responsibility says that about a million more pensioners are going to be drawn into paying income tax over the forecast period. Many of those pensioners will rely exclusively on the state pension. I think you have said publicly that you are going to find a way for them not …”

“I definitely will do that, but what I am hearing is that your advice is, if you really need to, top up a little bit; otherwise just try and hang on.”

“Specifically on the timing, my understanding is that you want to do only one fiscal event a year, and the increase in petrol prices starts in September. Are you telling us this morning that if petrol prices are a lot higher in September, you will make an announcement then? Or are you committed to going ahead and increa…”

“We can see what they say; I just wondered whether the Chancellor is worried about the potential for there to be more people who pay more tax leaving the country, compared with people coming in and the tax that they pay. I just wondered if you had actually asked the question, Chancellor.”

“It is not just bad practice, though: it is an increase in price, isn’t it?”

“We can certainly now end by asking for the Minister’s plan in terms of—”

“Thank you, Mr Speaker, for granting this urgent question. I congratulate the hon. Member for Blyth and Ashington (Ian Lavery) on securing it. We can see from the number of Members who are interested in this topic just how serious it is across all our constituencies. I can testify to the fact that I have had an enormous…”

“Chancellor, we have heard from the Office for Budget Responsibility that more Brits are leaving the UK. Anecdotally, you hear people use phrases like, “There’s a millionaire leaving the UK every 45 minutes.” We have also heard that there is very little data on the tax paid by those leaving and the tax paid by those com…”

“Has that forecast proved accurate?”