Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Julian Brazier Excerpts
Tuesday 11th September 2012

(11 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Danny Alexander Portrait Danny Alexander
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Before asking that question the hon. Gentleman should have reflected on the fact that the policy of his party’s Front Benchers is to increase borrowing yet further. They recently announced a new approach, known as pre-distribution. We now know what that means: spend money before it has arrived, in the hope that it might arrive in future. That is the policy that failed this country for 13 years and we will not go back to it.

Julian Brazier Portrait Mr Julian Brazier (Canterbury) (Con)
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Does my right hon. Friend agree that the 900,000 extra private sector jobs that have been created since the last election will go a considerable way towards easing the fiscal position, as well as cast some doubt over the output figures of the Office for National Statistics?

Danny Alexander Portrait Danny Alexander
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I certainly would not wish to question the integrity of the ONS’s figures. However, I join my hon. Friend in highlighting the excellent record of many private sector businesses in creating jobs in all parts of the country over the past two years.