Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Snowden Excerpts

Monday 12th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

We welcome the new shadow Minister, Andrew Snowden.

[Mr Andrew Snowden (Fylde) (Con)]

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

Labour has been talking up the Milburn report for months, and the Treasury is so pleased with the report that it has delayed it until after the Budget, which means it is not going to be good news for taxpayers or the bond market. While the Government dither and delay, we have published our plan for tough love on youth unemployment: support from day one to get back into work, and after six months, those who can work but won’t work will have their benefits cut. I am sure the Chancellor of the Exchequer would welcome our cost-cutting plan in the Budget, so can the Secretary of State explain why the Treasury does not want his plan in the Budget?

[Pat McFadden]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Chancellor’s speech at our party conference a couple of weeks ago, in which he was quite clear that we owe young people not just an income, but a future too. That is why the Government are behind the agenda I am setting out. I look forward to reading Alan Milburn’s final report in a few weeks’ time, and I remind the shadow Minister and everyone on the Opposition Benches that Alan Milburn was clear in his interim report that the problems we are talking about are deep-seated, long-term and have existed in this country for a great many years.