Speeches by McEvoy.

“Okay, so there is no analysis of that.”

“Minister, in 2019-20, 8% of people who had used the product for their first home put in for a retirement product, falling to 7% in 2021, 6% in 2022, 4% in 2024, and 1% in the last year. Is that a sign of the times or is it a fall in the product’s effectiveness?”

“I thank my hon. Friend for giving way on his point about how brilliant our NHS staff are. First, will he commend my dad for his 40 years’ service badge as an NHS staff member? That has to be put on the record. Secondly, does my hon. Friend agree that the Government are laser-focused on supporting NHS staff to stay in t…”

“I put on record how proud I am to be sat on the Benches of the Government who are finally taking action to save the steel industry in this country. In my constituency, tens of thousands of people have steel engineering and manufacturing running through their blood. We are proud of that history, and we really want to co…”

“Does my hon. Friend agree that home-made steel is the fire in the belly of this country’s industrial strategy, and that without steel being made on our shores to the highest quality, we are weaker? Today’s Bill—a Labour Bill—will guarantee the future of steelmaking in our country, which is essential.”

“So that will be a net-positive thing for those people?”

“I have one final question for Ms Tinsley on the impact assessment that my colleague Mr Dean mentioned. When they put forward the impact assessment, did it include the potential income protections for those with severe or lifelong conditions?”

“So it will be protecting the incomes of those who are severely disabled, and it is one last assessment. Is that right?”

“Where I come from in Darlington, the case for reform is strong, and the “right to try” reform that is coming in so that people can try work without losing benefits is absolutely welcome. The fact that people have front-loaded unemployment benefits, for when they lose a job at a very difficult time in their life, is bri…”

“Ms Tinsley, you touched on the £1 billion that has been allocated for back to work programmes, but you also said there is a health element. Is that where the money for the protections for the severely disabled with lifelong conditions will come from?”

“Welcome, Chancellor. I want to talk a little bit about the productivity puzzle in this country. Public capital investment dropped historically low under the last Government, and Dr Saleheen told the Committee yesterday that our low public capital investment is one of the reasons why we have lagged behind the productivi…”

“Thank you for that. So it is 2.4% of GDP. I think Dr Saleheen said it was around 4% in some thriving economies. Is 2.4% the sum of our ambition in this Parliament, or do you think that if we get growth at a higher rate, we will be able to look at more capital investment?”

“What is your analysis of the balance of risk for projects from the national wealth fund? Do you think that the primary objective of the national wealth fund should be to derisk new projects and ideas so that private investment can come in behind it, or should it be to get a good deal for the taxpayer from the share tha…”

“Are they guessing that it is the immigration figures that have changed? How secure are you in the data? If we have all this analysis of what people are doing, but on the ground in our constituencies we know that people are working really hard around the clock, I am just a bit concerned about suddenly saying that it is …”

“This is to each of you on the panel: I would just like to hear your analysis of the productivity puzzle. The OBR said this morning that the measure for productivity has been lowered because of a revision of half a million into the workforce, and we wanted to hear from each of you your analysis of why we in the UK are s…”

“Indeed. Dr Saleheen?”

“Mr Johnson?”

“I wanted to come back on your international comparisons, Dr Saleheen. Obviously, we are obsessed with the data and the inaccuracy on this Committee, because so many policies are being made, but if you have some good examples of other economies that have bounced back quicker and a bit more specific detail on how they ha…”

“With productivity specifically and the bounce back.”

“We will have to get you back in when we get the next one, to see who is right.”