Ministerial statement on Wednesday, 3 December 2014, in the House of Commons, led by George Osborne.

Autumn Statement

Statement on the Autumn Statement 2014. Ways and means resolution agreed to on question.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 589 cc304-353
Session: 2014-15
Department: Treasury
Procedure: Ways and means resolutions
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Related items: Autumn Statement 2014
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
Command papers
House of Lords
House of Commons; Office for Budget Responsibility: Economic and fiscal outlook—December 2014
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
Command papers
House of Lords
House of Commons; Sovereign Wealth Funds: North of England
Thursday, 11 December 2014
Written questions
House of Commons
Proceeding contributions: George Osborne | 589 cc305-7 (Link to this contribution)
Four years ago, in the first autumn statement of this Parliament, I presented the accounts of an ...; John Bercow | 589 c307 (Link to this contribution)
Order. There is now excessive noise in the Chamber. The Chancellor should not have to shout in or...; George Osborne | 589 cc307-317 (Link to this contribution)
I can tell the House that by 2019-20 Britain is now predicted to have a surplus of £23 billion—ou...; 589 c317 (Link to this contribution)
rose—; John Bercow | 589 c317 (Link to this contribution)
Order. Before I call the shadow Chancellor, may I inform hon. and right hon. Members that at the ...; Ed Balls | 589 c317 (Link to this contribution)
The House has not yet seen the detailed—[Interruption.]; John Bercow | 589 c317 (Link to this contribution)
Order. I made it clear that the Chancellor must be heard with courtesy and the same goes for the ...; Ed Balls | 589 cc317-8 (Link to this contribution)
As I was saying, the House has not yet seen the detailed documents from the Treasury and the Offi...; John Bercow | 589 c318 (Link to this contribution)
Order. Mr Opperman, you are normally a well-behaved young boy. Try to be a good boy. If you can b...; Ed Balls | 589 c318 (Link to this contribution)
I am trying to establish the facts about the deficit from the Chancellor. He told the House that ...; John Bercow | 589 c319 (Link to this contribution)
Order. There is far too much noise in the Chamber. Mr Opperman, I have told you three times, and ...; Ed Balls | 589 cc319-321 (Link to this contribution)
We’ll get him out next year, Mr Speaker.
I would like to ask the Chancellor about the air p...; George Osborne | 589 cc321-3 (Link to this contribution)
With that performance, we see why the right hon. Gentleman is totally unfit to be put in charge o...; Lord Clarke of Nottingham | 589 c322 (Link to this contribution)
Does my right hon. Friend recall, as I do, that the shadow Chancellor was the right-hand man of t...; George Osborne | 589 c322 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. and learned Friend makes a good observation about the shadow Chancellor’s career. I...; Lord Darling of Roulanish | 589 c322 (Link to this contribution)
I am sure that the House will want to return to that last point on the UK Government’s ability to...; George Osborne | 589 c324 (Link to this contribution)
Let me also pay tribute to the former Chancellor for his work on the Scottish referendum campaign...; Lord Tyrie | 589 c324 (Link to this contribution)
The OBR forecasts that over the course of this Parliament the eurozone will grow at a little over...; George Osborne | 589 c324 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is not enough just to do better than our neighbours, becau...; Baroness Hodge of Barking | 589 c324 (Link to this contribution)
I sincerely welcome the Chancellor’s announcement of the new measures to crack down on tax avoida...; George Osborne | 589 c325 (Link to this contribution)
Of course, the legislation needs to pass through the House of Commons before the tax can be levie...; Robert Smith | 589 c325 (Link to this contribution)
With several hundred job losses already announced in the north-east of Scotland, I certainly welc...; George Osborne | 589 c325 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend makes a good point. Of course, what is very striking, if one looks at the receipts...; Michael Meacher | 589 c325 (Link to this contribution)
With average wages still suffering the longest and biggest fall since Victorian times, productivi...; George Osborne | 589 c325 (Link to this contribution)
I am afraid that the right hon. Gentleman is just wrong. Business investment is not flat; it is u...; Tony Baldry | 589 c325 (Link to this contribution)
Does not providing potentially up to £100 million in infrastructure investment to make Bicester a...; George Osborne | 589 c326 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. I commend him and the community leaders in Bicester for...; Stewart Hosie | 589 c326 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome some of the individual measures announced today, but they do not amount to a long-term ...; George Osborne | 589 c326 (Link to this contribution)
At the moment, we see Britain as the fastest-growing major economy in the world. We also see a re...; Margot James | 589 c326 (Link to this contribution)
I was glad to hear my right hon. Friend confirm that there has been no new recession in the years...; George Osborne | 589 c326 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend has been a real champion for small businesses and for exporters in her Stourbridge...; Baroness Berger | 589 c326 (Link to this contribution)
The Chancellor presented things as being very rosy, but a survey that came out today says that 72...; George Osborne | 589 c326 (Link to this contribution)
In the hon. Lady’s own constituency, unemployment is down. In her own constituency, economic secu...; Lord Willetts | 589 c327 (Link to this contribution)
May I warmly congratulate the Chancellor on extending the new loans to postgraduates? With increa...; George Osborne | 589 c327 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. Of course, he knows that we embarked on this work on ho...; Andrew Love | 589 c327 (Link to this contribution)
Yesterday, the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), a former Chancellor, gav...; George Osborne | 589 c327 (Link to this contribution)
I have set out today how our plans to bring the deficit down and bring borrowing down can be achi...; Cheryl Gillan | 589 c327 (Link to this contribution)
The Chancellor will be aware that I, and many colleagues in this House, have been working with th...; George Osborne | 589 c328 (Link to this contribution)
Like my right hon. Friend, I too have the challenge of HS2 going through my constituency, althoug...; Fiona O'Donnell | 589 c328 (Link to this contribution)
The Chancellor talked tough on tax evasion today, but so far none of the Crown dependencies or ov...; George Osborne | 589 c328 (Link to this contribution)
Frankly, the hon. Lady is not being fair to the Government or to those territories and dependenci...; Bob Russell | 589 c328 (Link to this contribution)
The Chancellor said that the end of our operations in Afghanistan will allow this country to save...; George Osborne | 589 c328 (Link to this contribution)
We do have a programme, which we have extended, to renovate the accommodation of service families...; Caroline Lucas | 589 c328 (Link to this contribution)
New analysis shows that an ambitious energy efficiency programme would create up to 108,000 new j...; George Osborne | 589 c329 (Link to this contribution)
We have proposals to help, for example, off-grid consumers with energy efficiency, and we also ha...; Peter Bone | 589 c329 (Link to this contribution)
Under 13 years of Labour, unemployment went up in east Northamptonshire, there were no road impro...; George Osborne | 589 c329 (Link to this contribution)
That is quite an offer. I met Tom Pursglove and my hon. Friend to discuss the infrastructure impr...; Stephen Timms | 589 c329 (Link to this contribution)
The Chancellor has recognised that he will not deliver on his commitment to eradicate the deficit...; George Osborne | 589 c329 (Link to this contribution)
I acknowledged in my statement that tax receipts are £24 billion below what we forecast for 2017-...; Eric Ollerenshaw | 589 c329 (Link to this contribution)
If we are to have a shale gas industry, I welcome the idea of a sovereign wealth fund. Does the C...; George Osborne | 589 c330 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend the Leader of the House, who is sitting next to me, said, “Oh, really”. I sa...; Mark Reckless | 589 c330 (Link to this contribution)
If the economy is doing as well as the Chancellor says, why are we borrowing more than France, It...; George Osborne | 589 c330 (Link to this contribution)
The reason is that we started with a 10.5% budget deficit, which we have had to reduce. Interesti...; Anne Marie Morris | 589 c330 (Link to this contribution)
May I again congratulate the Chancellor on being a friend to small and micro-businesses? His autu...; George Osborne | 589 c330 (Link to this contribution)
As my hon. Friend knows—this is the problem of previous Governments having handed over various po...; Chris Bryant | 589 c330 (Link to this contribution)
Instead of wasting his time in Northamptonshire with a dead-beat candidate, may I suggest that th...; George Osborne | 589 c331 (Link to this contribution)
First, what the hon. Gentleman’s question reveals is, of course, that when the Labour party says ...; Nadhim Zahawi | 589 c331 (Link to this contribution)
May I, on behalf of the Orchestra of the Swan, thank the Chancellor for the tax relief, which of ...; George Osborne | 589 c331 (Link to this contribution)
First, may I say that I know the Royal Shakespeare Company does a brilliant job? We were able to ...; Ian Lucas | 589 c331 (Link to this contribution)
One thing the Chancellor did deliver in 2010 was an increase in VAT. Can he explain the differenc...; George Osborne | 589 c331 (Link to this contribution)
The plans that I have set out involve spending reductions and welfare reductions. By the way, the...; Sarah Wollaston | 589 c331 (Link to this contribution)
I warmly thank the Chancellor for investing the extra billions of pounds in our NHS. There is not...; George Osborne | 589 c332 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is right. The transformation fund is an important part of the NHS’s forward view, ...; Tom Clarke | 589 c332 (Link to this contribution)
Does the Chancellor agree with the Deputy Prime Minister that:
“There is not a single devel...; George Osborne | 589 c332 (Link to this contribution)
In constituencies such as the right hon. Gentleman’s and, indeed, in constituencies right across ...; Tom Clarke | 589 c332 (Link to this contribution)
So why is the Deputy Prime Minister unhappy?; George Osborne | 589 c332 (Link to this contribution)
The Deputy Prime Minister is unhappy because the Conservative party is trying to win his seats of...; Mary MacLeod | 589 c332 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Chancellor for announcing the review of the structure of business rates. That has bee...; George Osborne | 589 c332 (Link to this contribution)
Yes, the review will start as soon as possible. I urge businesses and business organisations to e...; Sammy Wilson | 589 cc332-3 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the additional resources that will come to the Northern Ireland Executive as a result o...; George Osborne | 589 c333 (Link to this contribution)
I do not want to go into too much of the detail that will be on the table in the important cross-...; Ian Swales | 589 c333 (Link to this contribution)
I warmly welcome the new £28 million national formulation centre, which I believe is heading for ...; George Osborne | 589 c333 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is right that the new catapults that we have set out—the formulation centre and th...; Ronnie Campbell | 589 c333 (Link to this contribution)
If the Chancellor is right that the UK is the leading world economy, why does he not give health ...; George Osborne | 589 c333 (Link to this contribution)
Of course, our pay settlement does give health service workers 1%. For those on progression pay, ...; Mark Hoban | 589 c334 (Link to this contribution)
Stamp duty has often been a barrier to families in my constituency owning a home of their own or ...; George Osborne | 589 c334 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is a major reform of stamp duty that gets rid of the very ...; Alison Seabeck | 589 c334 (Link to this contribution)
The Chancellor did not pay significant attention to productivity in the south-west in his speech....; George Osborne | 589 c334 (Link to this contribution)
What the hon. Lady says does not bear a resemblance to what has been announced this week. The sou...; Alison Seabeck | 589 c334 (Link to this contribution)
They’re crumbs!; George Osborne | 589 c334 (Link to this contribution)
This is billions of pounds of investment into the south-west of England that never happened under...; Chloe Smith | 589 c334 (Link to this contribution)
Rail passengers in East Anglia deserve a fair deal, and my hon. Friends the Members for Ipswich (...; George Osborne | 589 c335 (Link to this contribution)
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend, who has done a brilliant job in bringing to my attention, and th...; Michael Connarty | 589 c335 (Link to this contribution)
When I was a teacher of children with learning difficulties, some of the children did not finish ...; George Osborne | 589 c335 (Link to this contribution)
I have taken measures to reform stamp duty in a progressive way and introduced a tax, which could...; Robin Walker | 589 c335 (Link to this contribution)
In our nation of shopkeepers there will be relief at the decision to extend small business rates ...; George Osborne | 589 c335 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is a champion of small businesses in Worcester and infrastructure investment in Wo...; Barry Gardiner | 589 c336 (Link to this contribution)
Will the Chancellor confirm that the £2.3 billion identified for flood defences was originally an...; George Osborne | 589 c336 (Link to this contribution)
I know the hon. Gentleman represents a constituency named after a river, but he has not been fair...; Martin Vickers | 589 c336 (Link to this contribution)
Unlike the hon. Member for Brent North (Barry Gardiner), my constituents welcome the Chancellor’s...; George Osborne | 589 c336 (Link to this contribution)
I certainly give my hon. Friend that assurance. He is a doughty champion for Cleethorpes and its ...; Teresa Pearce | 589 c336 (Link to this contribution)
The Chancellor spoke about fiscal discipline and welfare reduction, yet it seems that the Office ...; George Osborne | 589 c336 (Link to this contribution)
Universal credit is a change to our welfare system that makes sure that it always pays to work. I...; Ben Gummer | 589 c337 (Link to this contribution)
Last October, youth unemployment in Ipswich fell to the lowest point since records began—a fall d...; George Osborne | 589 c337 (Link to this contribution)
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend. I have been to Ipswich and seen what he has done to attract busi...; Jack Dromey | 589 c337 (Link to this contribution)
After another broken promise made in 2010 that front-line policing would be protected, 16,000 pol...; George Osborne | 589 c337 (Link to this contribution)
Because of the hard work of the police and the reform that has been undertaken, crime is down and...; Iain Stewart | 589 c337 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my right hon. Friend for the additional help he has given to hospices. Will he join me in...; George Osborne | 589 c338 (Link to this contribution)
I think everyone in this House knows what an incredible job the hospice movement and hospice char...; Stephen Doughty | 589 c338 (Link to this contribution)
The Chancellor has made a number of statements today on infrastructure, but of course developing ...; George Osborne | 589 c338 (Link to this contribution)
I have long thought that there is a challenge in ensuring that commitments to reduce carbon are c...; Gordon Birtwistle | 589 c338 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate the Chancellor on his plan to reduce the job tax on apprentices up to the age of 2...; George Osborne | 589 c338 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend has been a consistent champion of apprentices in Burnley and of the apprenticeship...; Louise Ellman | 589 c338 (Link to this contribution)
It is very encouraging that the Chancellor recognises the importance of transport investment for ...; George Osborne | 589 c339 (Link to this contribution)
First, we have announced this week important changes to support infrastructure in and around Live...; David Burrowes | 589 c339 (Link to this contribution)
As we approach small business Saturday, I, on behalf of my high streets, welcome the package of m...; George Osborne | 589 c339 (Link to this contribution)
The shadow Chancellor and the Labour party want to increase corporation tax. That is their stated...; Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick | 589 c339 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the commitment to the devolution of corporation tax to Northern Ireland, but there rema...; George Osborne | 589 c339 (Link to this contribution)
The costs of Northern Ireland reducing, for example, corporation tax rates to the level seen in t...; David Morris | 589 c340 (Link to this contribution)
In the past four-and-a-half years, my constituency has benefited from the Chancellor’s policies. ...; George Osborne | 589 c340 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is a great champion of his constituency in Lancashire. He has raised with me and t...; Adrian Bailey | 589 c340 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the belated recognition from the Chancellor of the importance of investment in the regi...; George Osborne | 589 c340 (Link to this contribution)
I am absolutely ready to engage with authorities, including of course Labour authorities, in Birm...; James Morris | 589 c340 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the Chancellor’s statement, particularly his commitment to new spending on the NHS. Doe...; George Osborne | 589 c340 (Link to this contribution)
I have visited with my hon. Friend the great local NHS that he does so much to support and have s...; Lilian Greenwood | 589 c341 (Link to this contribution)
Given that one in five workers are earning less than the living wage, that wages have fallen furt...; George Osborne | 589 c341 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Lady neglected to say that in her constituency unemployment has fallen by 17%—[Interrupt...; Oliver Colvile | 589 c341 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my right hon. Friend for his comments about postgraduates and science investment and for ...; George Osborne | 589 c341 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend has been a great champion for Plymouth—I have visited some of the economic develop...; Jonathan Ashworth | 589 c341 (Link to this contribution)
The Chancellor asked in 2010 that we judge him on whether he balanced the books by 2015, and he i...; George Osborne | 589 c341 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman, like the shadow Chancellor, neglects to say that borrowing has been revised d...; Andrew Percy | 589 c342 (Link to this contribution)
In the Humber before the last election, youth unemployment was rising, unemployment was rising, t...; George Osborne | 589 c342 (Link to this contribution)
As we said this week, we are giving serious consideration to the bid that my hon. Friend, his col...; Lord Wilson of Sedgefield | 589 c342 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the news that the national formulation centre will be based in Sedgefield at the North ...; George Osborne | 589 c342 (Link to this contribution)
I am pleased to say that the current Member for Sedgefield probably gets a better hearing at the ...; Charlie Elphicke | 589 c342 (Link to this contribution)
The Chancellor used to receive representations that he was doing too much, too fast, but now Labo...; George Osborne | 589 c342 (Link to this contribution)
Of course, Labour economic policy would increase unemployment, reduce GDP and potentially put Bri...; William Bain | 589 c343 (Link to this contribution)
The Chancellor made just one passing reference to wages in his statement, some 42 minutes in, and...; George Osborne | 589 c343 (Link to this contribution)
I actually talked about tax receipts and earnings early on in the statement. I pointed out that a...; Rehman Chishti | 589 c343 (Link to this contribution)
I very much welcome the Chancellor’s statement, and I would like to thank him for the previous me...; John Bercow | 589 c343 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman can also thank me for my indulgence.; George Osborne | 589 c343 (Link to this contribution)
I fondly remember my visit to Gillingham and the Gillingham town strip I was given when I was the...; Gemma Doyle | 589 c343 (Link to this contribution)
As the Chancellor’s Parliamentary Private Secretary passes him whatever fact is useful in answeri...; George Osborne | 589 c344 (Link to this contribution)
The Labour Chancellors in the last Government who came from Scotland in the end gave this country...; Julian Smith | 589 c344 (Link to this contribution)
The Chancellor’s northern powerhouse vision is seeing the greatest transfer of powers and money s...; George Osborne | 589 c344 (Link to this contribution)
I can give my hon. Friend that assurance. This is a policy not just for cities, but for the shire...; Sheila Gilmore | 589 c344 (Link to this contribution)
Before the Chancellor of the Exchequer tells me the unemployment figures in my constituency, I of...; George Osborne | 589 c344 (Link to this contribution)
First, it is no good saying that the first 10 years of that Labour Government were great and that...; Jason McCartney | 589 c344 (Link to this contribution)
rose—; John Bercow | 589 c345 (Link to this contribution)
Gosh. The hon. Gentleman appears to be experiencing some discomfort, which I do not like to see. ...; Jason McCartney | 589 c345 (Link to this contribution)
Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is my marathon training, and in that vein, I ran the London marathon fo...; George Osborne | 589 c345 (Link to this contribution)
It seems like the autumn statement is a tailor-made package for the marathon run that my hon. Fri...; David Lammy | 589 c345 (Link to this contribution)
As a former universities Minister, I welcome the loan scheme for masters students in the statemen...; George Osborne | 589 c345 (Link to this contribution)
I think the right hon. Gentleman is being a little unfair about the autumn statement, but I agree...; John Stevenson | 589 c345 (Link to this contribution)
For the people of Carlisle, average wages and house prices are lower than the national average. T...; George Osborne | 589 c346 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is, of course, absolutely right. He came to No. 11 Downing street with representat...; Diana Johnson | 589 c346 (Link to this contribution)
Why does the Chancellor consistently forget to mention Hull when he is talking about the northern...; George Osborne | 589 c346 (Link to this contribution)
Of course, we are waiting for it partly because under 13 years of the Labour Government, it never...; Bill Wiggin | 589 c346 (Link to this contribution)
Can the Chancellor explain why he wants to introduce his stamp duty changes at midnight rather th...; John Bercow | 589 c346 (Link to this contribution)
Order. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman was here all along. He did not leave the Chamber—or did ...; Bill Wiggin | 589 c346 (Link to this contribution)
He might have done.; John Bercow | 589 c346 (Link to this contribution)
He might have left the Chamber? In that case, we cannot take his question.; George Osborne | 589 c346 (Link to this contribution)
It was quite a good question.; John Bercow | 589 c346 (Link to this contribution)
It might be. Go on, get in there.; George Osborne | 589 c346 (Link to this contribution)
The stamp duty changes must be introduced with immediate effect today because otherwise transacti...; John Bercow | 589 c347 (Link to this contribution)
I am glad that the hon. Member for North Herefordshire (Bill Wiggin) has received his answer, but...; Bill Wiggin | 589 c347 (Link to this contribution)
There is nothing little about me, Mr Speaker.; John Bercow | 589 c347 (Link to this contribution)
I use the term with some poetic licence, it must be admitted.; Nia Griffith | 589 c347 (Link to this contribution)
The Chancellor is quick to blame the eurozone. However, the UK now languishes as 22nd out of the ...; George Osborne | 589 c347 (Link to this contribution)
As I said in my statement, we face a major challenge when it comes to increasing our exports. As ...; Julian Huppert | 589 c347 (Link to this contribution)
There is much to welcome in the autumn statement, including investment in the NHS and, in particu...; George Osborne | 589 c347 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my hon. Friend for what he has said. I should have been extremely disappointed if my anno...; Debbie Abrahams | 589 c347 (Link to this contribution)
The OBR’s analysis clearly states that borrowing over the forecast period will increase above and...; George Osborne | 589 c348 (Link to this contribution)
Today we have increased the personal allowance, which increases the number of low-paid people tak...; Andrew Jones | 589 c348 (Link to this contribution)
I warmly welcome the statement. I welcome, for instance, the support for small businesses, appren...; George Osborne | 589 c348 (Link to this contribution)
Yes, I will. When it comes to these Pacer trains—[Interruption.] Labour Front-Benchers had all th...; Guy Opperman | 589 c348 (Link to this contribution)
People in the north-east will welcome the news about the NHS, hospices—including those in my cons...; George Osborne | 589 cc348-9 (Link to this contribution)
Of course I am always very happy to visit the north-east. I was there quite recently, and will be...; John Bercow | 589 c349 (Link to this contribution)
I will shortly call the Chancellor of the Exchequer to move a provisional collection of taxes mot...
Subjects: Children Devolution Apprentices Air passenger duty Borrowing Income tax Employers' contributions Infrastructure Excise duties Fuels Economic situation Individual savings accounts Hospices NHS Pensions Public expenditure Business rates Public finance Regional planning and development Tax allowances Tax avoidance Taxation VAT Television Rescue services Science Autumn statement Stamp duty land tax Air ambulance services Postgraduate education North of England
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on www.publications.parliament.uk

Autumn Statement

Secondary information

Librarians' tools